Utkatasana is often called Chair Pose. But the
Sanskrit utkata doesn’t mean “chair”; rather,
it signifies something that’s both superior and
difficult. So it literally means Superior Pose,
though many of us might just label it Difficult Pose.Utkatasana’s original form was described some 300 years ago by the
anonymous author of the Gheranda Samhita, a classic hatha yoga man-
ual. In those days, it was a squat with the heels raised off the floor, sup-
porting the lowered buttocks.Utkatasana’s transformation reminds us that asanas change over time.
Shapes shift: Some drop by the wayside, while others are invented and
added to the mix, sometimes assuming a deceased progenitor’s name.
The Gheranda manual provides us with a couple of examples. Ever hear
of Vrishasana (Bull Pose)? Didn’t think so, but once upon a time it was a
seated pose—one leg in Virasana (Hero Pose), the other in Baddha Kona-
sana (Bound Angle Pose). Garudasana (Eagle Pose) is now a standing
twisted pretzel, but 300 years ago it was a seated pose much like Vira-
sana, except that the feet were turned on the inner arches to point away
from the hips.Many asanas are hundreds of years old, while others are relative
babies. The practice was essentially reinvented perhaps 70 years ago
by T. Krishnamacharya, who taught K. Pattabhi Jois, B. K. S. Iyengar,
and T. K. V. Desikachar. Without Krishnamacharya’s groundbreaking
work, it’s likely that yoga wouldn’t be as popular as it is today in the
West, and you wouldn’t be reading Yoga Journal.good to know
2
2 UTKATASANA
(CHAIR POSE), VARIATION
In this version of Chair Pose,
you’ll step into the middle of
the room. Place your feet hip-
width apart and raise your arms
to the front, parallel to the floor.
Play with your balance here,
moving your center of gravity
forward and backward as the
arms stay extended.
You can also play with the angle
of the arm extension. When you
lower your arms slightly, what
happens in the legs and back?
And where do you need to com-
pensate when your arms ele-
vate slightly over your
shoulders? This is especially
important information because
in the full pose, the arms will be
extended fully overhead.YOUR 6-WEEK YOGA GUIDE TO BUILD STRENGTH YOGAJOURNAL.COM 65