Pose of the week: Utkatasana (chair pose)

And no I don't mean the chair pose that I assume most of the week that looks like this,

but rather the one that makes your thighs scream and the sweat drip down your face-- attractive sounding right? This is a great strength building, warming pose (wonderful for this winter in October thing we are having in Chicago).

 

You can feel this pose working those legs--but without proper alignment you may feel this pose post-practice in the low back or knees. 

Benefits:

• strengthens legs
• tones abdominals
• lengthens spine and neck
• strengthens and opens shoulders
• can reduce flat feet
• builds ankle stregnth

Coming into / out of this pose:

•  feet can either be together with big toes touching heels turned slightly out OR you can have your feet hip distance- I personally prefer option one.
• inhale arms overhead
• exhale bend the knees (keep weight towards the heels so that when you look down you can see your toes--then give them a wiggle) 
• the spine should remain nuetral- don't have a sway back, sticking your butt out and don't over tuck the tailbone. You will know the sweet spot when you do not feel this pose in the lower back.
• try to bring your torso perpendicular to the ground

Modifications, props, etc.:

• placing a block between the thighs offers a little extra work
• you can enter chair through uttanasana, anjaneyasana, amongst other creative poses
• turn chair into twisted chair by hooking the left elbow outside of the right thigh (keeping knees and hips squared) then switch sides or fly into side crow 

 

(http://joypeaceandhealth.com/wp-content/uploads/chair1.jpg)

I think this will be my last pose of the week post for awhile- I am going to be doing a personal challenge and focus on one pose for a month that I really want to make progress with. For starters it will be hanumanasana (full splits) and I will post my progress one a week. If you want to join in on the challenge let me know--"practice makes progress"