Chair Pose clearly works the muscles of the arms and legs, but it also stimulates the diaphragm and heart.
(OOT-kah-TAHS-anna) utkata = powerful, fierce
Step by Step
Stand in Tadasana. Inhale and raise your arms perpendicular to the floor. Either keep the arms parallel, palms facing inward, or join the palms.
Exhale and bend your knees, trying to take the thighs as nearly parallel to the floor as possible. The knees will project out over the feet, and the torso will lean slightly forward over the thighs until the front torso forms approximately a right angle with the tops of the thighs. Keep the inner thighs parallel to each other and press the heads of the thigh bones down toward the heels.
Firm your shoulder blades against the back. Take your tailbone down toward the floor and in toward your pubis to keep the lower back long.
Stay for 30 seconds to a minute. To come out of this pose straighten your knees with an inhalation, lifting strongly through the arms. Exhale and release your arms to your sides into Tadasana.
If I like it and decide to continue, I'll pay just $15.95, and receive a full one-year subscription (8 issues in all), a 60% savings off the newsstand price!
Otherwise, I'll write cancel on the invoice and owe nothing.
Get FREE Trial Issues Yes! Please send me my 2 FREE trial issues of
Yoga Journal and my TWO FREE GIFTS:
Calm, Cool, Collected: A digital guide to 10 restorative poses that will leave you feeling energized and grounded.
Yoga for Neck & Shoulders: A digital guide to 11 postures that relieve neck, back and shoulder tension.
Pay now and get 2 Bonus Issues!
Pay now and get TWO EXTRA ISSUES FREE! That's 10 issues for the same low price!
Stand in Tadasana. Inhale and raise your arms perpendicular to the floor. Either keep the arms parallel, palms facing inward, or join the palms.
Exhale and bend your knees, trying to take the thighs as nearly parallel to the floor as possible. The knees will project out over the feet, and the torso will lean slightly forward over the thighs until the front torso forms approximately a right angle with the tops of the thighs. Keep the inner thighs parallel to each other and press the heads of the thigh bones down toward the heels.
Firm your shoulder blades against the back. Take your tailbone down toward the floor and in toward your pubis to keep the lower back long.
Stay for 30 seconds to a minute. To come out of this pose straighten your knees with an inhalation, lifting strongly through the arms. Exhale and release your arms to your sides into 
