Benefits

• Strengthens the hip flexor muscles: rectus femoris, psoas
• Strengthens the quadriceps in the front of the thighs, hamstrings in the back of the thighs, adductor muscles of the inner thighs, gluteus muscles of the hip
• Strengthens and stretches calf muscles
• Opens chest and shoulders
• Improves range of motion in ankles
• Increases proprioception (sense of position in space) in the feet
• Traditionally thought to stimulate the abdominal organs and heart

Cautions

• Low Back Pain: only go as deep into the pose as you can while still maintaining your natural lumbar curve. Stop before your low back flattens or pops backwards. Continue to draw in the lower belly to support the spine.
• Shoulder injury: If you are unable to raise your arms overhead without pain, or without compensating by puffing out your lower ribs, only move within your pain free range, stopping before your ribs jut forward, and keep the arms shoulder width apart.
• Neck pain / Dizziness: Do not look up towards the hands but simply look straight forward.

Steps

(OOT-kah-TAHS-ana)
utkata = fierce

1. Come into Tadasana / Mountain pose. Standing with big toes touching, heels slightly apart, lift and spread the toes, feeling four points of the foot rooting down: the big toe mound, the pinky toe mound, the inner heel and the outer heel. Lower the toes keeping this connection in the feet. The lower belly draws in slightly to support the spine as the shoulder blades move down the back with chest broad and open across the collar bones
2. Inhale and raise the arms overhead, palms facing each other. Keep the shoulder blades moving down the back, without any shrug. Arms remain shoulder width apart or if you are able to bring the hands towards each other without shrugging, the palms may touch. Draw the lower ribs down towards the pelvis. Keep the arms in front of or at the same level as the ears
3. Reestablish the connection with the four points of the feet, exhale and sit back as if you were about to sit into a chair. Keep the natural curve of the low back, finding balance between drawing in the lower belly while sending the tailbone towards the earth
4. Lengthen out through the top of the head and turn the gaze up towards the hands or to where the ceiling meets the wall. Let the eyes guide the movement of the neck
5. Draw the inner thighs toward each other and with each breath feel the counter action of rooting down with the feet and hips as you rise up with the upper body
6. Breathe comfortably
7. To exit the pose, root the feet, draw in the lower belly, inhale to straighten the legs and exhale float the hands to the sides returning to Tadasana.

Modifications

• Stiffness or pain in the ankles – if you are unable to keep your heels firmly rooted on the ground, fold or roll your mat a little bit at a time until you are able to ground your entire foot into the earth.
• Avoid rounding the lumbar spine to avoid stress on the discs between the vertebrae.
• Using a block between the thighs – to increase the activation of the inner thigh muscles you can place a block between the thighs close to the groin. As you move into the pose, hold the block in place with your legs.

Article written by Dr. Robin Armstrong:
Dr. Robin Armstrong is a Vancouver chiropractor and yoga instructor. Robin blends her western knowledge gained from her experience as a chiropractor, with the ancient eastern knowledge passed through generations of yoga teachers. Robin’s classes emphasize safety, breath, alignment, and movement, while teaching students ways to strengthen and lengthen their bodies to handle the stresses of our modern lifestyle. If you are coming to her as a patient, expect to be prescribed yoga! Learn more about Dr. Armstrong at www.stayactive.ca