Do a Chair Pose in Yoga

Chair pose, or Utkatasana, is a pose that strengthens the shoulders, hips, glutes, and back while simultaneously stretching the Achilles tendon and the shoulders and chest. It is also believed to help stimulate the muscles and organs in your abdomen, including the digestive tract and the heart.[1] Before you try to do a chair pose you should properly stretch your muscles, including the shoulders, glutes, hips, and back. Talk to your doctor before beginning yoga or any other physical conditioning activity.

Steps

Performing a Chair Pose

  1. Get into mountain pose. Before you enter chair pose, you'll need to get into mountain pose. This is considered the starting point for chair pose and many other yoga positions.[2]
    • Stand with your heels slightly separated. Keep your feet aligned with one another and your big toes touching. Tighten your thigh muscles and shift the weight in your feet slightly forward to find your center of balance.
    • Pull your shoulder blades slightly back, then lift your upper sternum straight up towards the sky while opening up your collarbone area. At the same time, pull the lower front of your rib cage together to avoid arching your back too far.
    • Let your arms hang near your torso and try to balance your head's crown directly in line with the center of your pelvis.
  2. Initiate chair pose. From mountain pose, you can begin to initiate chair pose. Focus on your breath as you transition out of mountain pose and begin squatting into chair pose.[3]

    • Inhale slowly while bringing the arms forward. They should be parallel to the floor with your palms facing downward. Pull your shoulders back into the socket and squeeze your fingers together stretch them out forward.
    • As you slowly exhale, begin bending the knees and starting to squat down. Keep your knees pointed forward and your weight in your heels as you bend.
    • Your back and hips should be poised as though you were about to sit on a chair or bench. Sink back into your hips.
    • If you're having trouble keeping your balance, try staring at a spot on the wall or on the floor straight ahead of you.
  3. Make sure your posture is correct. Do not hold chair pose for prolonged periods until you know your posture is correct. Holding the pose with poor posture could cause discomfort or a loss of balance.[4]
    • Avoid arching your back at all, as this could cause an injury. Elongate your spine and try to keep your tailbone just slightly tucked.
    • Keep your feet together, or at least even (especially if you need to widen your stance).
    • Make sure your knees are aligned. When you look down, you should be able to see your toes peeking out past your knees and in line with one another.
  4. Hold and release the pose. Once you're certain that your posture is correct, you can proceed with holding chair pose for as long as you're comfortable doing so. Some experts recommend holding the pose for six or fewer breaths, though your personal comfort level may be different.[5]

    • Continue breathing while you hold chair pose.
    • Try to maintain your position for three to six breaths.
    • When you're ready to release the pose, inhale and begin straightening your legs while lifting your arms up to the ceiling. Then exhale and lower your arms down.

Modifying the Chair Pose

  1. Improve your balance. If you're having trouble balancing, you can try widening your stance to hip-width apart. This can make it easier to stand and squat during chair pose, but you should continue working towards being able to stand with your feet together and your thighs pressed close.
    • If you are pregnant, do not worry about trying to bring your feet together. Just keep a wide distance between your feet to ensure that you don't lose balance.
  2. Prolong the pose with greater stability. If you're still having a hard time holding the pose and spreading your feet hasn't helped, try leaning against a wall or sitting in a chair with your feet pressed down and your arms outstretched. You'll still need to maintain the correct posture and muscle stretches, but it will be slightly easier without the need to hold your balance.[6]
  3. Reduce shoulder discomfort. Your arms play a vital role in chair pose. As such, you'll need to ensure that your shoulders are as flexible as possible. If you find that your shoulders are in pain during this pose, try adjusting your position until you can do a chair pose without any discomfort.
    • Put your palms together in a prayer position and rest your thumbs near your sternum.
    • Press with firm pressure across the surface of both palms against one another. Try to open up your collar bone area by rolling your shoulders back and keeping your ribs knit together in the front.
  4. Strengthen your thighs. This pose will help work your lower body, but you can modify the pose to further strengthen your thighs. You'll need a foam yoga block, but if you don't have a yoga block you can use an equivalent-sized pillow or even a thick book.[7]

    • Hold a foam yoga block between your thighs.
    • Squeeze your thighs together to hold the foam block (or its substitute) in place. Try to maintain this hold throughout the stretch until you come out of chair pose.
  5. Increase the difficulty of chair pose. If you're an advanced yoga practitioner or if you simply want a greater challenge, you can try to maintain the pose while shifting how your weight is distributed across your feet. This should not be attempted by beginners, though, as it may cause you to lose balance or strain a muscle.

    • Keep your knees bent and lift your weight onto the balls of your feet. Stretch your arms straight forward.
    • Try to lower your rear as much as possible while keeping your back straight and your hips stacked over your heels. Don’t lower your hips further than your knees. Press your knees forward and keep your thighs parallel to the floor.

Stretching to Prepare for Chair Pose

  1. Loosen up your shoulders. Before getting into chair pose, you may want to stretch your shoulders. You'll be relying pretty heavily on your arms during chair pose, so loosening up your upper body may be helpful. Note that the shoulders are complex joints and take care to move slowly as you warm up.

    • Stretch one arm across the front of your body, using the other hand to pull your arm further. Then switch sides to stretch the other shoulder.[8]
    • Hold a towel behind your back, with one arm holding the towel above your shoulder and the other arm holding the towel at the small of your back.
    • Try to pull the towel up so that your lower hand's shoulder reaches up, then pull down. Make sure your chin is lifted to neutral to protect your upper spine and ensure ease of breath. Avoid letting your upper arm touch your head or neck.
    • Switch sides so that each arm gets to be the top hand and the bottom hand. Hold each stretch for as long as you comfortably can. A good rule of thumb is to hold stretches for 15 seconds and aim for 2 to 4 repetitions.[9]
  2. Stretch your gluteus maximus. Your glutes will likewise get a workout during chair pose. Holding a yoga position without first stretching the relevant muscle groups could cause discomfort or soreness, so make sure you stretch your glutes before you begin.

    • Lie on your back and pull one knee towards your opposite shoulder until you feel the muscles in your buttocks stretch. Keep all 4 corners of your torso grounded to the mat.Hold the stretch for 15 seconds and then switch, repeating 2 to 4 times for each side.[10]
    • Sit on the floor with your legs stretched out in front of you. Lift one leg over the other, planting the foot of the elevated leg just to the side of your straight leg (the knee of your elevated leg should be near your chest).
    • Pull the knee of your elevated leg closer towards your chest and hold it for 15 seconds. Then switch sides, repeating 2 to 4 times for each side.
  3. Warm up your hips and back. In addition to the muscles in your shoulders and glutes, your back and hips may also need to be warmed up. Try to hold each stretch for 15 seconds and repeat so that each side gets two to four repetitions.

    • While sitting on a chair or bench, cross one ankle over the opposite thigh and hold it with the opposite hand. Pull the bent knee up towards the opposite shoulder while turning your back into the stretch, then switch sides.[11]
    • Kneel on one knee, with the other foot placed ahead of you (with knee bent) for stability. Keep your knee stacked over your ankle and keep your hips square while sinking them down. Keeping your back straight, lean forward and place your hands on the inside of your forward foot or on your bent knee. Then, switch sides.[12]
    • Stand a few feet behind a chair and hold the back of it for stability. While keeping your back straight, try to lower your body and sink your hips away to lengthen the spine until you feel a stretch in your upper back (near the armpits).

Tips

  • Practice this pose within the range of your own ability and limits.

Warnings

  • Do not attempt this pose if you have insomnia, low blood pressure, or a headache.


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References