Utkatasana (Chair Pose) is sometimes translated from Sanskrit to English as “Fierce Seat” or “Powerful Pose.” It is a strengthening and heat-building asana that brings all parts of your body together into a cohesive and powerful whole.
This asana is a meditation on determination and perseverance, as well as commitment. To successfully perform Chair Pose, you must seamlessly unite the strength of the legs, arms, and torso as you lift your core muscles and lengthen your spine.
Utkatasana can look simple—like a yogi sitting in an imaginary chair. “When you do the pose, however, it is definitely not a cushy, passive ride,” says Shiva Rea, the founder of Prana Vinyasa Yoga. “A deep squat, Utkatasana immediately engages the strength of your legs, back, and ankles. Here, power is not about domination or control over someone else so much as it is about aligning with the life energy within and around you. At the core level, Utkatasana teaches you how to find your seat of power within your pelvis, at the center of your body.”
Chair Pose demands strength and stamina in the body, but also focus in the breath and mind. When you are centered and aligned in the posture, you’ll feel like you’re accessing a great well of energy. Utkatasana offers a powerful lesson and a key concept in yoga: Steady practice over time is better than occasional, intense spurts. Consistency in yoga, and in Utkatasana, yields deep and lasting results.
How to Do Utkatasana (Chair Pose):
- Stand in Tadasana. Inhale and raise your arms overhead so that your biceps are just slightly in front of your ears. Either keep the arms parallel, palms facing inward, or join the palms.
- Exhale and bend your knees so that your thighs are as parallel to the floor as possible. Your knees will project out over your feet, and your trunk will lean slightly forward over your thighs until your front torso forms approximately a right angle with the tops of your thighs.
- Keep your inner thighs parallel to each other and press the heads of the thigh bones down toward your heels.
- Firm your shoulder blades against your back. Direct your tailbone down toward the floor and in toward your pubis to keep your lower back long.
- Stay for 30 seconds to a minute. To come out of this pose, straighten your knees with an inhalation, lifting strongly through your arms. Exhale and release your arms to your sides into Tadasana.
Utkatasana (Chair Pose) Benefits:
Chair Pose improves balance and can build cardiovascular health and resilience. It particularly strengthens your core, thighs, and ankles.
Utkatasana (Chair Pose) Beginner tips:
- The secret to a stable Utkatasana is releasing the heads of your thigh bones toward your heels. In the pose, bring your hands to the tops of your thighs. Nestle the base of your palms into your hip creases and push your thighs toward your heels, pressing your heels into the floor. Against these actions, lift your sitting bones up into the pelvis. Practice here until you can hold the pose without compromising the bend in your knees and hips. Then progress to lifting the arms overhead.
- If you have tight shoulders, bring your arms up and overhead only as much as you can rather than back alongside your ears. Alternately, bring your hands to Anjali mudra with thumbs to your breastbone.
If you feel winded, try practicing with your arms straight out in front, down by your sides, or in Anjali mudra.