Utkatasana | How to do Chair pose and what are its benefits?

Utkata = chair

Asana = pose

Utkatasana is derived from two sanskrit words 'Utkata' which means 'power' or 'chair' and 'Asana' means 'pose'. Utkatasana is a standing yoga posture that tones the entire body, mainly our lower body like thighs,legs and spine. In Utkatasana we can take a shape like a sitting chair. So,this is also known as Thunderbolt pose Or Chair pose. 

Utkatasana is the one of the best yoga posture for your lower body. If you wants to reduces your fat and loss body weight this posture helps you if you regular practice this posture. This posture also helps you to strengthens your thighs,legs,back and hips and also makes your body balanced.

Know all about Utkatasana or Chair pose:

• Introduction.

• How to do Chair pose.

• Benefits of Chair pose.

• Precautions of Chair pose.

• Beginners Tips.

• Variations and modification.

• Deepening the pose.

• When to do it.

• Preparatory poses:

• Conclusion.

How to do Chair pose:

• Firstly stand straight with your feets at a distance of 2 inches from one another.
• Then,slowly push your hips back and keep bending your knees , one thing you should remember that your knees should not crossed your toes.
• Now,keep bending your knees and drop your hands down and your fingures touch to the ground.
• While, inhailing slowly lift your hands up and get your hands close to the ears.
• When your hands close to the ears then slowly lift your chest up and stop lifting when you feel stretch in your spine.
• Make sure that While lifting your chest up don't move your hips and thighs and your hands are over your head close to the ears.
• Hold this posture for 30-50 seconds and exhale and inhale normally while holding the posture.

How to release the pose:

After holding the pose for 30-50 seconds exhale and release your hands and come back in the standing position and relax. That is known as Tadasana or Mountain pose. Repeat it 4-5 times daily to take a effective results from th\is pose.

Benefits of Chair pose:

1. It is helpful to strengthens the thighs,knees,hips and spine muscles.

2. It reduces the problem of flat feet.

3. It helps to balance the body.

4. It is helpful to improves the blood circulation in our body.

5. Helpful to strengthens the lower back and torso.

6. It is helpful to loss the body weight.

7. It also helps to reduces the belly fat.

8. It is also stretches the chest and shoulders.

9. It improves the confidence and focus.

10. It is also helpful to solve the problem of gas and acidity.

11. It is also benefitial for heart.

12. This posture also strengthens your immune system.

13. It is also helpful to relieve the joint pain and back pain.

Precautions of it:

• If you are suffering from insomnia avoid this asana.
• Person suffering from lower blood pressure and vertigo should not practice this posture.
• If you feel pain in your neck while you are in the posture make sure that you look straight.
• Person suffer from any spine injury or back pain avoid this posture.
• Person suffering from knee or shoulders injury should not practice this asana.
• Person suffering from arthritis or chronic knee pain should not practice this asana.
• If you are suffer from headaches avoid this asana.
• Person suferring from damaged ligaments and sprained ankles should not practice this asana.

Beginners Tips:

• As a beginner, it is difficult to hold the pose for a long time. To make this pose easier you can support you back to the wall when you bend your knees.
• If you are beginner, make sure that don't forced youself to lift up your chest because this makes a serious injury in your spine.
• Practice this posture to keep the precautions in your mind.
• Practice it under the guidance of a certified your instructor.
• Practice it in early morning withn a empty stomach to take a effective results from this posture.

Variations and Modifications:

• When you are in the chair pose, if you are not comfortable to keep your hands over your head , you should join your both palms together and comes in pranayam mudra or pose.
• In second variation when you comes into the chair pose you will keep your right elbow to the left knee and palms together and try to open up a chest. Repeat the same thing to the other side.

Deepen the Pose:

• If you are more flexible should should go to advanced pose. To deepen the pose lift up your chest as much as possible and for that time when you feel more stretch in your spine.
• To deepen the second variation when you easily keep your right elbow to the left knee, you should push your chest back and your palms in the centre.
• If you wamts to strengthening your body you should increase your holding pose time to depen the pose.

When to do it:

We know that everyone suggest to practice yoga in morning. There is no any rule to practice it,you will practice it anytime in day.But practice it early morning without eating anything to take a effective results from this asana.Make Sure that should take a meal before 5 hours because between this time you can digest you food and you have a enough energy to practice this posture.

Prearatory poses:

• Tadasana or mountain pose.

• Virasana 

Conclusion:

Utkatasana is the one of the best yoga posture to makes your body balanced specially your lower body. Regular practice this asana helps you to strengthens your legs and lower body muscles,helps you to reduces fat and loss weight and also increase your focus and relax your mind. If you wants to take a effective results from this asana practice it daily in early morning with a empty stomach.