March Pose of the Month - Utkatasana

Utkatasana - means fierce or powerful pose or sometimes called chair pose because the pose is like sitting on an imaginary chair.

Begin in Tadasana, keeping the feet together and ground down through the feet without gripping with the toes. Inhale and stretch the arms up overhead with palms facing in. Keep the shoulders moving down the back, the collarbones broadening out to the outer tips of the shoulders and the sternum lifted.

Exhaling, bend the knees and keep the tailbone pointing down and take the hips back as if to sit on a chair until the thighs are parallel to the floor.  Do not drop the spinal muscles or let the chest fall forward.

Bend deeply in the ankle joints and press evenly through the feet.
Stay for about 20-30 sec. Inhale to come up back to Tadasana.


Utkatasanan variation with wall:

Begin in Tadasana, as above, but keep feet hip width apart and parallel. Inhale and raise arms parallel to the floor.

On exhalation sit back and rest sacrum at wall.  The sacrum is the lower triangular shaped bone at the base of the spine.  Keep the tailbone drawing down to lengthen the lower back.  As bend the knees, keep pressing the feet into the floor and keep the thighbone, knee and ankle in line.  Don't let the knees move in our out to create strain on the knees.

 Bend deeper if you can.

 Another option is to begin facing the wall, about an arms length away.  Keep feet hip width apart and parallel.  Inhale and raise arms up parallel to floor with fingers touching wall for balance.

On exhalation bend knees and draw tailbone directly down.  Do not drop the spinal muscles or let the chest fall forward.
Bend deeply in the ankle joints and press evenly through the feet.
Stay for about 20-30 sec. Inhale to come up back to Tadasana.


Benefits:
Tones the back and abdominal muscles, removes stiffness in the shoulders and develops the chest muscles.
The diaphragm is lifted in this pose gently massaging the heart.
The ankles become strong and the leg muscles develop evenly.

Cautions:
Knee, ankle, hip issues. 
Keep arms parallel to floor if have high blood pressure or any shoulder or neck issues.


Namaste.
Pamela Nelson
www.plnyoga.vpweb.com