Utkatasana
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Yoga Techniques and Fitness
Overview
In this lesson, we present Utkatasana, the chair pose that uses the concept of simultaneous ascent and descent to build strength and stability.
Objective
Understand how balancing opposing forces in the upper and lower body creates a storehouse of potential energy while strengthening the legs and core.
What You'll Get
You'll learn how to create the downward force through the legs by tilting the pelvis both forward and back simultaneously, and how to lift the upper body through spinal extension and shoulder activation. We cover what it means to press the feet down while reaching the arms up, how to engage the glutes and quadriceps together, and why squeezing the knees toward each other brings stability. You'll walk away with clear cues for preventing the ribs from jutting forward and for distributing weight evenly across the feet.
| UTKATASANA (11 MOVEMENTS) | ||
| 1 | EKAM | Inhale, arms up |
| 2 | DVE | Exhale, fold forward |
| 3 | TRINI | Inhale, look up, lengthen |
| 4 | CATVARI | Exhale, jump back, Chaturanga |
| 5 | PANCA | Inhale, Upward-Facing Dog |
| 6 | SAT | Exhale, Downward-Facing Dog |
| 7 | SAPTA | Inhale, jump forward, Utkatasana |
| Exhale, fold forward | ||
Anatomy
Utkatasana, like vrksasana, uses the concept of simultaneous ascent and descent. Several actions within the pose create this effect. Flex the hips to tilt the pelvis forward. Counteract this by engaging the buttocks muscles to tilt the pelvis downward from the back (into retroversion). Press the feet down evenly, beginning at the heels and then spreading the weight across the soles of the feet; squeeze the knees together. You will find this brings stability and balance to the pose. The combination of these actions creates the downward force of the lower body that is felt in Utkatasana. Ascend the upper body by activating the erector spinae and quadratus lumborum to lift the torso. Draw the shoulder blades toward the midline and down the back to open the chest upward. Raise the arms and straighten the elbows. Polish the pose by gently engaging the rectus abdominis to counteract any bulging forward of the ribcage.
BASIC JOINT POSITIONS
- The knees flex.
- The hips adduct and flex.
- The back extends.
- The shoulders flex overhead and externally rotate.
- The elbows extend.
- The forearms are pronated.
- The cervical spine extends to tilt the head back.
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