The health benefits of Utkatasana (chair pose)

Yoga might have received too much fame during the pandemic, but it is so deeply rooted in the culture of India. Yoga might be the easiest way to keep yourself healthy, fit and youthful. Yoga is not about losing weight; you can’t perfect it overnight. Yoga requires patience and perseverance. As you do yoga regularly, you notice your mind calmer, the chatter reduces, and you will find yourself more present. What happens to your body? It becomes more flexible and agile, and you tap into a new energy source that is suddenly available. A pose you must include in your yoga journey is the Utakatasana, also known as the chair pose.

In Utkatasana, you will experience the power of your mind. You will get to understand if your mind controls you or if you control your mind. This pose requires you to imagine you are sitting on an invisible chair. Can you do it?

How to do this pose?

To do this pose, imagine you are sitting on a chair. Your feet are apart, your hands are straight, do not end your elbows, and your palms are facing downward. Look straight and bend your knees slowly. Your pelvis will also start going down. Keep breathing and focusing. This pose requires you to be determined. Stay in Utkatasana for 30 seconds to a minute and then release. Enjoy the sudden boost of joy from being proud of yourself for holding the pose.

Benefits of Utakatasana

There are many benefits to doing this pose. Some of them are as follows-

1. Spending hours chained to your work desk causes stiffness in your neck and spine. Utkatasana helps reduce that and strengthens the back by exercising it a little.

2. You feel renewed resilience, more confident, and have a boost in self-esteem. Thus, this pose positively affects your mental health, thus improving your mood.

3. When you practice yoga poses, life energy flows through you like electricity, suddenly waking you up and making you feel more alive than ever.

4. Over time, as you regularly practice Utkatasana, you will notice your calf muscles, ankles and legs toning and getting into better shape.

5. The overall balance of your body improves.

6. It aids in better digestion and boosts metabolism.

Utkatasana is a fantastic pose to practice in the early stages of pregnancy. It gives your leg the much-needed strength it will need to deal with the extra weight in the coming months. Don’t exert yourself too much if this pose causes you discomfort.

It can be practised by anyone who does not have headaches or blood pressure problems. If you have any kind of pain or injury in your legs, feet or hips, avoid it.

Conclusion

It is essential to remember that when practised correctly, yoga poses can relieve joint pain, improve posture and help stretch your body. But if you don’t do the pose correctly, under proper guidance, you might pull a muscle or get cramps. Start slow and build it up over a few days. You might fall the first few times, so don’t hesitate to take the support of a wall or a yoga brick. You could also get assistance from a yoga teacher or follow a tutorial online.