Chair Pose — Utkatasana
“Easy” isn’t a word that most of us associate with chair pose.
But take a look at this photo a student sent of her nephew at play. As he prepares to jump, he demonstrates how easy Chair Pose can be.
All yoga poses are supposed to be easy.
Asana means “pose comfortably taken.” But really, is it possible?
We pass through chair pose many times a day – in fact, each time we sit down and stand back up again, that’s Utkatasana. If we’re sitting down in Balance, we hinge at our hips. We may not hold the pose, but we well practiced at that basic and essential action.
Check out the boy again. Can you see how his spine stacks? In our practice of Balance, we learn how to stack our vertebrae to eliminate any lordosis (swayback). In addition, our practice has strengthened the long muscles in the back and front of our torso. Our core is strong. So, for the most part, our spine is safe.
Here’s the tricky part. In doing full chair pose, tight shoulders can take us out of Balance.
Every day after I wash our wooden salad bowl I lift it overhead to the top of the refrigerator. At that moment, I feel how my ribs want to pull forward, misaligning my spine. The culprit? Tight shoulders. When our arms go up, the lack of movement in our shoulders means that our ribs have to lift. That lift pulls our spine forward. I saw the same thing happen recently when I was on an airplane, watching people put their luggage in the overhead bin. Almost everyone arched their back.
In class this Friday, we’ll prepare for Utkatasana by remobilizing our shoulders. Oddly enough, the more the spine aligns, the more the shoulders release. Then remobilization is easier and more effective. Ease in every part of the body comes down to centering the pelvis and stacking the spine.
Careful attention makes precise action possible.
When I studied with Noëlle Perez in Portugal oh so many years ago she would take us on excursions to see potters, winemakers, and artists of all kinds. She wanted us to observe people whose art form demanded that they be precise.
Precision is essential for the study of Balance/Aplomb. It takes careful attention to position your pelvis just so. We must feel both with our hands and within our body to align our own spine. And then we have to recognize that we are alive and always changing. Today’s best position might not be tomorrow’s. With each breath, the weights and measures of our body shift. To live in our best, healthiest body takes continual involvement.
The more careful our attention, the more know-how we have acquired, the more precisely we are able to place our body on the gravitational line.
When we do, the result is a feeling of lightness, ease, and strength. Returning to our original alignment brings delight.
In class this Friday, June 3, join me to explore Chair Pose with the idea of making it as easy and playful as if we were jumping off a bale of hay.
~ Jean Couch
