Utkatasana ( sa, उत्कटासन;

IAST The International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration (IAST) is a transliteration scheme that allows the lossless romanisation of Indic scripts as employed by Sanskrit and related Indic languages. It is based on a scheme that emerged during ...

: ''Utkaṭāsana''), Chair Pose, or fierce pose, is a standing asana in modern

yoga as exercise Yoga as exercise is a physical activity consisting mainly of postures, often connected by flowing sequences, sometimes accompanied by breathing exercises, and frequently ending with relaxation lying down or meditation. Yoga in this form has ...

. It was a low squatting

asana An asana is a body posture, originally and still a general term for a sitting meditation pose,Verse 46, chapter II, "Patanjali Yoga sutras" by Swami Prabhavananda, published by the Sri Ramakrishna Math p. 111 and later extended in hatha yoga ...

in medieval

hatha yoga Haṭha yoga is a branch of yoga which uses physical techniques to try to preserve and channel the vital force or energy. The Sanskrit word हठ ''haṭha'' literally means "force", alluding to a system of physical techniques. Some haṭha ...

Etymology and origins

Utkatasana in Sritattvanidhi by Mummadi Krishnaraja Wodeyar

The name comes from the Sanskrit words ''utkaṭa'' (उत्कट) meaning "wild, frightening, above the usual, intense, gigantic, furious, or heavy", and ''āsana'' (आसन) meaning "posture" or "seat". The modern chair-like pose is said to originate with

Krishnamacharya Tirumalai Krishnamacharya (18 November 1888 – 28 February 1989) was an Indian yoga teacher, ayurvedic healer and scholar. He is seen as one of the most important gurus of modern yoga, and is often called "the father of modern yoga" for h ...

. An older version of the pose, with the yogin squatting lower down on to the heels in a posture close to Upaveshasana, is shown in the 19th century ''

Sritattvanidhi The ''Sritattvanidhi'' (, "The Illustrious Treasure of Realities") is a treatise written in the 19th century in Karnataka on the iconography and iconometry of divine figures in South India. One of its sections includes instructions for, and ill ...

''.

Description

In Utkatasana, the knees are hips-width apart and bent. The hips are back, and the chest is forward. Both arms are above the head, in line with the ears. The spine is elongated, and the sternum is lifted. This pose is shaped like a lightning bolt and is said to be powerful and stimulating.

Variations

Ardha Utkatasana has the knees bent closer to a right angle so the thighs are more nearly parallel to the floor, and the body is inclined forwards closer to the thighs. Parivritta Utkatasana is the rotated variant; the hands are pressed together in front of the chest in

Anjali Mudra '' (Devanagari: अञ्जली; अंजली) is a Sanskrit word that means " divine offering". It is not only a given name, but also the name given to the greeting between Hindus, Buddhists and other religions on the Indian subcontinent: ha ...

, the lower elbow is pressed against the outside of the opposite knee, and the gaze is directed upwards. Utkata Konasana, Goddess Pose, has the legs wide apart, the feet turned outwards in line with the thighs, and the knees bent. The arms are usually raised with the elbows bent; variants have the arms straight up, or the hands may be held in

Añjali Mudrā Añjali Mudrā ( sa, अञ्जलि मुद्रा), is a hand gesture mainly associated with Indian religions and arts, encountered throughout Asia and beyond. It is a part of Indian classical dance postures such as Bharatanatyam, yoga p ...

, prayer position in front of the chest. File:Parivrtta-Utkatasana_Yoga-Asana_Nina-Mel.jpg, Parivritta Utkatasana with the hands in

File:2007-08-24 Hawaii Shiva Rea.jpg,

Shiva Rea Shiva Rea (born 1967) is a teacher of Vinyasa flow yoga and yoga trance dance. She is the founder of Prana Vinyasa Yoga. She is one of the best-known yoga teachers in America, and around the world. Life Shiva Rea was born in Hermosa Beach, Cali ...

demonstrating Utkata Konasana with a hand

mudra A mudra (; sa, मुद्रा, , "seal", "mark", or "gesture"; ,) is a symbolic or ritual gesture or pose in Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism. While some mudras involve the entire body, most are performed with the hands and fingers. As wel ...

References

External links

Benefits

Variations with instructions
{{Hatha yoga Standing asanas Medieval Hatha Yoga asanas Core strength asanas

Etymology and origins

Description

Variations

See also

References

External links