We’re back with our next featured pose to give you the What, Why, and How. If you want a visual demonstration, check out our free pose breakdown videos.
Our July featured pose: Twisting Chair Pose: Parivrtta Utkatasana
What: Parivrtta Utkatasana or Twisting Prayer Chair is a standing twist that creates flexibility in the spine, stimulates circulation and digestion and strengthens the legs.
Why: This pose provides many benefits, including:
* Opens your chest, upper back and shoulders.
* Stimulates the digestive organs and can provide a detoxifying effect.
* Strengthens your quadriceps, adductors and other muscles of the thighs, as well as your gluteus muscles.
* Strengthens and stretches your calf muscles.
* Improves the range of motion in your ankles.
How:
* Begin standing in Tadasana or Mountain Pose at the top of your mat with your big toes touching.
* Bend your knees deeply and sit back into Utkatasana or Chair pose. Shift your weight back into your heels. Gaze down to make sure you can see your toes.
* Draw your hands together at your heart, twist from the waist, and hook the left triceps on the outside of your right thigh.
* Gaze down to make sure your knees remain parallel to protect your lower back. Keep your hips square to protect your sacroiliac joint.
* Rotate your gaze up over your right shoulder. Remember your body follows your gaze.
* Make sure to keep your spine long and chest lifted off of your thigh. Inhale as you elongate the spine. Exhale into the twist. Keep pressing the palms together to encourage the rotation of the thoracic spine.
* Feel free to add a variation by reaching the right arm straight up and your left arm down with your fingertips outside of your right foot.
* Hold for 30 seconds and repeat on other side.
Feel free to challenge yourself by sinking deeper into the legs! Enjoy the sense of strength you experience as you return to Tadasana.