Your Yoga heater for this Winter: Utkatasana Your Yoga heater for this Winter: Utkatasana

Utkatasana – “Fierce” Pose or Chair Pose

It’s winter and a common time for us humans to want to shrink back into our homes, hibernate and fall into seasonal hermit-hood.  During this time of year many of us can feel uninspired or just plain lazy. I am also feeling the urge to snuggle back under my warm blankets to hide away from my 4:30 am alarm … Even  ancient yogic texts recognize a number of obstacles to yoga (overeating, illness, doubt, laziness), and offer ways to overcome them…. One being Utkatasana.

Personally I find winter challenging to my motivation, but it is also a great time to dust away cobwebs and  “renew’ commitment to yoga and myself. While the climate is cool and fresh, I like to make use of this perfect moment to move my body (without melting)  and comfortably build up my Agni – y “digestive fire”, one of the most important principles in the ancient science of yoga and Ayurveda. It refers broadly to our ability to process all aspects of life, including food, experiences, memories, and sensory impressions.

Utkatasana builds heat and Agni in the body, increasing willpower and quickening our metabolism. Meaning “fierce / powerful chair” a steady practice of Utkatasana can ignite the willful desire that fuels our practice, cleanses or mind and keeps our inner fire bright.

When we practice chair pose many uncomfortable sensations arise, as we find ourselves in this new, unchartered territory of “sitting” in space. The beauty of this moment is that we have the opportunity to witness and surrender our doubts and to remain powerfully “seated” in strength and grace.  In my humble opinion this is one of the greatest skills one can acquire in life.

While I traveled and studied throughout Northern India, Nepal and Tibet Dynamic chair was one of the most commonly practiced poses I came across in all monasteries and ashrams. Used both as a pick me up (as soon as one got out of bed) but also as heating cleanser before sitting down for meditation.

Benefits

Anatomical       

• Strengthens feet, ankles , spine  & legs
• Removes shoulder n and chest tension
• Releases the calves and ankle joints
• Tones glutes, thighs and waist
• Improves posture
• Opens lungs
• Reduces body fat

Physiological/ Energetic  

• Increases Vital energy
• Improves function of metabolism (agni)
• Balances Muladhara Chakra
• Helpful for Asthma (dynamic)
• Builds Confidence.
• Helpful with conditions like arthritis and joint pain.

Alignment / Execution

• Keep the torso as vertical as possible, lengthen spine and draw tailbone down
• Keep knees and thighs parallel
• Weight should be in the heels.. wiggle the toes to ensure they are free
• Lift the arms either slide of the ears if your body allows.
• watch ankle alignment ensuring the aches of the feet are not collapsing.

Variations

• Arms forward or above head
• Dynamic Chair with breath
• Twisted Chair
• Chair on toe balance

Preparational Poses: 

Virasana, Bhujangasana, Adho Mukha Svanasana