(Utkatasana: “Utkata,” meaning powerful or “fierce”) & “Asana” meaning “pose”)
I LOVE this pose because I love a good challenge. It’s one of the things that are guaranteed to build heat in the body and whenever I have students hold it for more than 5 seconds they start to breathe deeper and occasionally let out some sort of fierce cry. Haha. This is typically a good sign in any class that I teach. We are building strength and focus with this pose whether it’s used as a transition in your yoga practice or as a stand alone exercise. Building strength brings you to that edge whether you’re doing it in your yoga practice or in any area of life off of the mat. Typically our practice on the mat interplay’s with our “Off the mat,” lifestyle and life lessons. What is this posing teaching you today?
Try this posture now:
1. Try it now by standing with your big toes touching and heels spaced just an inch apart or feet hips with distance apart. Toes facing forward.
2. Reach your hands high and start to sync your hips lower. Palms of your hands face one another (Palms touching or hands can be shoulders with distance apart.)
3. Peeking down, make sure you can see all ten toes, sliding your knees back, and scooping your hips forward.
4. Knit the rib cage in and draw your navel to your spine, squeezing the area between your sits bones in and up (Mulabhanda lock.)
5. Lift your heart up and walk your gaze towards the sky finding one point to focus on and breathe slowly… in through your nose and out through your nose (Or mouth.)
5. Wrap the muscles to the bone in your legs and arms! Soften the muscles in your face.
6. Weight should be towards your heels so that if you wanted to, you could wiggle your toes!
7. Hold for 30 seconds (Or more).
8. Repeat 3-5 times.
For more yoga tips or to set up a consult to discuss 1 on 1 zoom yoga/nutrition sessions with me email Explorationsofself@gmail.com
Everywhere You Are is Paradise
Alana’s love for yoga came from firsthand experience with just how powerful the practice is. “In 2009, Yoga found me. Inside the studio, she experienced a deep sense of belonging, but the most profound part was what happened after. “I felt as though I was at true peace. I finally knew what the word meant. Until that moment, I had just understood it cerebrally. There is something profound to be said about Peace dropping into the heart.”