UTKATASANA
Steps
- Stand erect with feet slightly apart.
- Stretch the arms to the front with palms facing downwards parallel to the ground keeping the elbows straight.
- Inhale, raise the arms perpendicular to the floor with the palms facing each other.
- Exhale and bend the knees, pushing the pelvis down and taking the thighs as parallel to the floor as possible with the knees projecting out over the feet and torso slightly leaning forward over the thighs. The torso should be approximately at a right angle to the top of the thighs, keeping the inner thighs parallel to each other.
- Press the shoulder blades firmly against the back and move the tailbone down towards the pubis.
- Maintain the final position, breathing normally, for as long as possible.
- While releasing the pose, exhale, straighten the knees and lift the torso.
- Release the arms to the sides.
Benefits
- Stretches, strengthens, lengthens: engages your legs, upper back, lower back, shoulders, hamstrings, hips, glutes and feet. This pose elongates and lengthens the back and can help improve your core muscles and core strength. It can also relieve stiffness in your shoulders, back, arms and legs.
- Boosts stamina: holding the chair pose can help improve stamina and your ability to hold yoga poses for longer.
- Promotes balance: requires you to stabilize your lower body and can help you achieve better balance and posture. It also improves your focus, aiding in your yoga practice.
- Stimulates blood flow: gently increases your heart rate.
- Therapeutic, healing and ailments: the abdominal toning acts as a great massage to the digestive organs and is useful for treating constipation, irritable bowel syndrome, lack of appetite and acidity. The neck stretch stimulates the thyroid glands, which balances thyroxin levels (hormone responsible for metabolism and health of bones and joints). The pelvic toning tones the uterus and stimulates the endocrine glands, which effectively enhances the functioning of the ovaries and testes. This pose effectively treats menstrual disorders and reproductive ailments like infertility and erectile dysfunction. The pelvic toning is good for the health of the prostrate glands too.
When to Avoid
- Headache
- Insomnia
- Low blood pressure
- Lower back pain
- Chronic knee or ankle pain
- Arthritis
