Parivrtta Utkatasana, also known as Revolved Chair Pose, strengthens the abdominal muscles, glute muscles, hamstrings, vastii, soleus, psoas minor, triceps brachii while stretches the latissimus dorsi, serratus anterior, trapezius, gluteus maximus, gluteus medius and both internal and external obliques.

Challenge physical and mental flexibility with this twisted pose, a great way to help detoxify the limbs, warm up the body, and strengthen the spine and legs. The pose adds variety to the practice and enhances balance and focus.

Information

Meaning

Parivrtta Utkatasana is derived from the Sanskrit name, which is made up of three words – Parivrtta + Utkata + Asana:

1. “Parivrtta” = “revolved or twisted”
2. “Utkata” = “powerful or fierce or intense”
3. “Asana” = “pose or posture”

Benefits of Parivrtta Utkatasana (Revolved Chair Pose)

The physical and mental benefits of the Twisted Chair Pose are listed below:

1. Physical Benefits:
   • Stretches the latissimus dorsi, serratus anterior, trapezius, spine, gluteus maximus, gluteus medius, internal oblique, and external oblique
   • Strengthens the abdominal muscles, glute muscles, hamstrings, vastii, soleus, psoas minor, triceps brachii, chest, rib cage, and back
   • Open the chest, shoulders, and upper back
   • Relieves stiffness in the shoulders, and neck
   • Improves the function of the reproductive organs
   • Detoxifies the body
   • Increases blood circulation in the body
   • Prevent cardiovascular diseases, like: high cholesterol, heart attack, heart stroke
   • Tones the abdomen, pelvis, thighs, buttocks, and hips
   • Helps to reduce the fat from the belly
   • Reduces the tiredness, laziness, and fatigue
   • Relax the nervous system
   • Stimulates the reproductive organs and glads
   • Improves the digestion
   • Reduces the lower back pain
   • Helps to lower blood sugar levels, hence reduce the diabetes issues
   • Stimulate the sexual organ and enhance the function of sexual performance
   • Improves the posture, balance, and endurance
   • Improves the motion in the ankles
2. Mental Benefits:
   • Enhances the confidence and focus

Parivrtta Utkatasana (Revolved Chair Pose) Practice Guides

Parivrtta Utkatasana (Revolved Chair Pose) can add variety to regular practice. When you practice this yoga pose, maintain a slight arch in the back, do not keep the back flat. Squeeze the thighs together as much as you can, bringing the thighs as parallel to the floor as possible. Keep the weight in your heels, carrying the weight forward can put too much stress on the knees and cause you to fatigue quickly.

Remember to breathe smoothly and evenly throughout the pose! The heart rate will increase, but if breathing becomes strained, rest until you can breathe deeply again.

Step-by-Step instructions to Parivrtta Utkatasana (Revolved Chair Pose)

1. Begin in Mountain Pose (Tadasana) with the big toes together and the heels slightly apart. If you have lower back issues then feet hip-distance apart, the outer edges of the feet are parallel to each other.
2. On the exhale, bend the knees and lower the hips. Raise your arms over your head, rotate your triceps in toward each other, and pull your shoulder blades away from your ears.
3. Shift the weight to the heel and pull the shin back. Lengthen the tailbone down towards the ground.
4. Bring a gentle attachment to the abdomen by pulling the navel towards the spine and upwards. As you open the chest and widen the collarbone, draw the lower ribs in.
5. Bring your hands together in prayer at the heart center.
6. Exhale, starting the motion from the core, twist your torso to the right and bring your left elbow to the outside of your right thigh.
7. The lower half of your body remains as it was in the chair position. If you notice that your right hip has moved forward, pull your right hip back so that it is even with your left.
8. Press both your hands into each other and your left tricep into your right outer thigh to open your chest to the right.
9. If you are comfortable here and want to deepen your posture, you can open your arms. Your right fingers reach up towards the sky and your left fingers reach down towards the mat.
10. If you have outstretched your arms then bring your gaze towards the sky or to the right hand.
11. Keep most of your weight in the heels and lower your hips a little further. Lengthen your spine with each inhale and twist slightly deeper with each inhale.
12. Stay in this position for 30 to 90 seconds. Then release the pose and repeat the process from the opposite side.

Tips

1. Vulnerable knees:

• The knees are a very vulnerable joint because they carry the weight of the upper body. To avoid breakage or injury, make sure that the body weight is evenly distributed on both your feet.
• The general tendency is to sink into the leg opposite the leg you’re swinging, that is, putting most of the body’s weight on that leg. To avoid this, bend both the knees equally and keep them in the same line.
• You should really take the time to turn the head and look at the knees and check if they are in a line.

2. Avoid falling:

• Although it is really tempting to rest the upper body with the elbow on the thigh, avoid falling into the pose.
• Instead, focus on keeping a slight curve in the lumbar spine while pushing the sit bones back and lifting the chest. Simultaneously roll the upper shoulder up and back.
• This makes it easy to draw the shoulder blades together and enjoy a good front-opening in Parivrtta Utkatasana.

3. Twist from the Lumbar Spine:

• You really want to turn from the lumbar spine.
• A common observation is that practitioners look at the ceiling while turning.
• This makes the posture look more bent but the only part of the spine that gets twisted here is the cervical spine.
• That’s why you should focus on turning the navel further instead of raising the head or even the eyes.

Precautions and contraindications

Since the practice of Parivrtta Utkatasana requires breathing awareness, balance and stability, when working with the muscles involved in the twist, certain precautions and contraindications must be taken into account to avoid injuries. Therefore, the precautions and contraindications of this yoga pose are mentioned below:

Injury and surgery

If you are with any neck, shoulder, back, spinal disc, or knee injury or any abdominal injury and surgery, and have chronic inflammatory digestive problems or SI joint disease, then you should practice this yoga pose. should be avoided.

Weak body and physical strength

Avoid this yoga pose if you are experiencing frequent headaches, migraines, low blood pressure, severe conditions related to IBD (Inflammatory Bowel Disease), diastasis recti. Apart from this, any other physical condition that brings restlessness or discomfort in the process of breathing or body, you should avoid the practice of Twisted Chair Pose.

Note: Although a challenging yoga pose for senior citizens, but can be practice this pose with a chair.