Utkatasana Meaning, Steps, Benefits, Precautions and Contraindications

Meaning of Utkatasana

Utkatasna is a Sanskrit word wherein it is pronounced as ‘OOT-kah-TAHS-anna’ wherein Utkata means ‘wild, intense, gigantic’ and asana means ‘yoga pose or posture’. It is just like sitting on an imaginary chair. The standing yoga pose, also known as Chair pose, where the practitioner squatting lower down on to the heels. The chair pose is extremely beneficial for arm muscles, legs muscles, diaphragm, and heart. Here, we will discuss about Chair pose meaning, how to do it step by step, its health benefits along with precaution and contraindications.

Variations of Utkatasana

• Parivritta Utkatasana
• Utkata Konasana

How to do Utkatasana step by step

It’s a simple and easy yoga pose. Its simpler step by step technique is being mentioned below.

• Stand in Tadasana.
• Inhale; stretch your hands in front of your chest and move it up by the sides of your head.  
• Exhale; bend the knees, push your pelvis down, and feel that you are sitting in an imaginary chair.
• Maintain the pose as long as you can by keeping your hands straight and stretched.
• Inhale and come to the original position.

Top 10 benefits of Utkatasana

1. Legs strengthening: This pose is a boon for those who have weak and feeble legs as it strengthens the ankles, knees, thighs, and calves.
2. Knee pain and injuries: Practicing it on regular basis ensures in strengthening of knees thus helps to prevent knee pain and knee injuries.
3. Thigh muscles: It has been observed that a large number of people have feeble thigh and legs muscles. For them, it is one of the best yoga poses to strengthen the thighs and legs.
4. Arms strengthening: The pose helps in strengthening of arms as the hands also play an important role in performing it.
5. Chest health: It is good for chest muscles thus helps in the expansion of breath.   
6. Shoulder strengthening: It is beneficial for the shoulders as it helps to make it healthy.
7. Abdominal movements: It helps to stimulate the muscles of abdominal organs, thus good for the efficiency of abdominal organs.
8. Diaphragm: The practice of utkatasana is also good for the health of the diaphragm.
9. Heart: The stretching during the practicing of the yoga pose helps to stimulate the cardiac muscles.
10. Flat feet: It also prevents from flat feet.

Contraindications and cautions

It shouldn’t be performed in case of

• Chronic knee pain
• Arthritis
• Sprained ankle
• In case of damaged ligaments
• Headache
• Insomnia
• Low Blood Pressure
• Menstruation period

Preparatory pose

• Virasana
• Bhujangasana
• Adho Mukha Svanasana

Follow-up pose

• Tadasana
• Uttanasana

Modification and Props 

The pose is quite effective for the strengthening of arms and especially the legs. To maintain the weight of the body, the leg muscles should be strong and muscular. The pose helps in this direction. However, to increase the efficiency of the pose for making the legs sturdy, one can put block/book /balloons between the thighs.  

How the beginners should do

Maintaining the pose for a certain period of time is not so easy for everyone, especially for beginners. It is also difficult for those who have weak legs or fatty thighs. In these cases, one should perform it with the help of a wall. Stand a few inches away from the wall so that when you bend while performing the pose, your tailbone should touch the wall for support.  

Different names of Utkatasana

• Chair pose 
• Wild pose
• Lightning bolt pose
• Awkward pose
• Fierce pose
• Hazardous pose
• Intense pose
• Powerful pose