Chair pose (Ukatasana in Sanskrit) is a standing pose that is used in yoga classes from beginner to advanced levels. The reason it is so often used is it is very beneficial for strengthening and toning the muscles.
When in chair pose, you can feel the muscles that are strengthened and toned by this posture. Chair pose strengthens the lower back, abdominals, thighs, and buttocks. In addition, this posture is beneficial for the heart and diaphragm.
To begin, start in mountain pose, standing tall with the tailbone down and shoulders relaxed. From here, I’ve seen this posture done in two ways, depending on the class or DVD. The first is to inhale and stretch the arms over head and the feet shoulders width apart. Lengthen the spine on the inhale and on the exhale, sit back, as though into an imaginary chair.
The upper body is in a 45 degree angle with the arms and back slanted forward. The weight of the body sinks into the pelvis and thighs. Keep the lower back straight and the upper thigh muscles engaged. The calf muscles should be relaxed. Breathe in the pose for about thirty seconds or so and then come up on the exhale breath.
The other way I have seen this done in a weight loss yoga DVD in my collection is to begin in mountain pose. On the exhale breath, move forward and lower the arms to the ground, as in standing forward bend. Keep a soft bend in the knees and breathe. On the exhale breath, sweep the arms up over head and stand up into chair pose. Hold for thirty second and then return to standing.
There are two variations for the arms in chair pose. In both, the arms are raised above the head. The arms can either be held up with the palms facing each other and the arms about shoulder’s width apart or with the palms touching. Beginners or people with tightness in the shoulders may need to keep the arms apart. When the palms can comfortably touch, bring them together and keep the shoulders relaxed.