PHOTOS: PAUL MILLER; MODEL: CHELSEA JACKSON ROBERTS; STYLIST: JESSICA JEANNE EATON; HAIR/MAKEUP: BETH WALKER; TOP: KIRA GRACE; BOTTOMS: ALO
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june 2017yogajournal.comUtkatasana
Chair Pose
This pose mostly targets the gluteus maximus
and medius, and the piriformis. Rather than off-
loading the task of supporting your body weight
like we do when we sit in a chair, this move puts
stress on your glutes, which helps you build
strength and endurance. Bonus: It takes quite a
bit of strength to lower into the pose and to raise
yourself out of it: These dynamic elements are
just as beneficial as holding traditional Chair in
the lower “sitting” position.
HOW TO Stand in your best Tadasana (Mountain
Pose) with your feet hip-width apart and toes
pointed forward. Simultaneously stiffen your ab
muscles and back muscles so that your spine
moves as a single, stafflike unit into the pose, and
contract your gluteals with a squeeze of your but-
tocks. As you do all of this, attempt to move the
floor apart with your feet by firing your outer hips.
Then, without shifting your spine, raise your arms
overhead and sit deeply into an imaginary chair.
Lower as deeply as you can without losing any of
the muscular activation listed above or allowing
your spine to change shape. (A quick mirror check
helps you to see if your spine is compensating for
lack of stability in the glutes and pelvis.) Breathe
into your rib cage as you maintain core stability;
stay here for 8 breaths or longer.1-800-PILATES (745-2837)
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http://www.muih.edu 800-735-2968Let nature be
your teacher.
Let nature be
your teacher.