For Valentines Day I have a delightful little moving asana posture for you. It is called Chair of the Heart, or in Sanskrit Utkatasana.
This wonderful posture has so many benefits. It tones core stability and strengthens the buttocks and thighs. You get a fab stretch from the calf muscles into the achilleas tendons; the spine is lengthened which allows better blood flow into the muscles around the spine allowing that beautiful prana energy to flow up the spine.
Because this posture opens up the energy of the heart chakra Anahata, it induces feelings of devotional love and compassion allowing you to direct this emotional energy out into the world. What more could you want, well possibly you might need a fabulous affirmation to go with it, so try this one.
Affirm: I am a beautiful being and a divine light into the world.
TO BEGIN WITH
Stand in mountain posture Tadasana with feet hip width apart, I like to stand here for about 3 to 4 breaths allowing your body, mind and spirit to settle. Engage your glutes and draw in your belly. Bring your hands into the praying mudra at the heart centre, focus on your heart for 3 to 4 breaths.
Breathe in allowing your arms to raise above your head while simultaneously bending into the knees, make sure that the knees track forward and do not knock in towards each other. Feel a stretch into the calves and into the heels of the feel and a beautiful lengthening in the spine. Exhale and lower your hands in praying mudra to the brow centre and simultaneously straightening the legs. Breathe in repeat raise arms, bend knees, breathe out lower hands to brow and straighten legs simultaneously. Repeat 4 to 6 times.
Lower your arms and place your left hand onto your heart and your right hand on top, close your eyes for introspection, feel into your body and into your breath.
REPEAT THE ABOVE AFFIRMATION: I AM A BEAUTIFUL BEING AND A DEVINE LIGHT INTO THE WORLD.
If you feel shy about saying affirmations like this, try working on them, you cannot beat the power of a positive affirmation to change your view point on the world. It will also change other people’s perception of you too which in turn affects their perception of their lives and eventually the love is passed on into the world. Expanding the love, Yay!!
MODIFICATIONS
Modifications are for those people who could potentially not accomplish this posture due to ill health or joint concerns. So, this is what I would advise:
For those with joint tenderness in the ankles, knees, hips and shoulders, go gently, don’t raise the arms so high. For those with significant high or low blood pressure, try starting with the hands in praying mudra at the heart and then on an inhalation only extending the hands up to the brow centre, exhale and bring the hands back down to the heart.
If you are concerned that you should not be doing this posture at all, always consult your GP or physiotherapist first.
