Pose of the Week – Chair

Our instructor Vivi demonstrates improper and proper ways for a Chair Pose

For the next several weeks we will breakdown yoga postures to improve your current practice and guide those who may not make it to studio practice.

Imagine you are planning to rise up or lower down to a chair and with safety and body mechanics in mind. I have known many who required arms on a chair to do either. Chair Pose as we call it in English as it mimics seating activity, will teach and strengthen you so "armchairs" are for your arms to rest instead. 

The benefits are plenty as you build power when you engage from the ground up. Your feet, legs, hips, abdomen, shoulders, arms, hands, head and neck are all activated in the movement and holding of this pose. That's a lot of body parts! 

Chair Pose or Utkatasana (Powerful or Fierce Pose)

From standing:

• Exhale, feet parallel, bend and line up your knees, lean into heels, light on toes (or lifted).
• Reach and separate arms up and forward, pull shoulders back & down. Engage hands.
• Engage core/abdominal muscles, gently tuck tailbone in (no ducktail).
• Extend spine with top of head moving up and gaze forward, avoid crunching neck creating a neutral neck and long line from tail to crown. 
• Deepen pose by exhaling, sinking more, engage leg muscles.
• Release pose on inhale, straighten legs, return to standing, release arms to sides.

      From folded position:

• Inhale arms forward then follow above sequence.

Know your limitations with your knees as you bend, and if pregnant. Go where it feels right without pain and avoid abdominal compression.

      Bonus Twist!

• Exhale to twist and rotate spine and torso to one side, hands together at center, bring lower elbow to opposite thigh, move feet together.
• Press hands into each other, top elbow reaching upward
• Lift heart and gaze up to same side without crunching head and neck.
• Keep knees even, without one ahead of other. 
• Take an inhale, then exhale and go deeper.
• Inhale back to center, then exhale to other side.
• Option: Spread arms like wings and press lower arm into outer thigh, hands reaching from one another.

So, stay strong, empower your body to enable you to enter and exit chairs and vehicles with ease and stability.

Sitting strong,

Gina

Fusion Owner, Registered Yoga Teacher, Reiki Master Teacher, R.N.

BREATHE. MOVE. CONNECT.