Revolved Chair

Parivrtta Utkatasana

par-ee-VREE-tah oot-kah-TAH-sah-nah

Revolved Chair (Parivrtta Utkatasana) is a intermediate standing yoga pose that strengthens the quadriceps, glutes, and ankles.

A strengthening twist that adds a rotation to Chair Pose. The hands come to prayer, and the opposite elbow hooks outside the knee. Revolved Chair builds leg strength and heat while wringing out the spine, and it asks for steady balance and focus as the twist deepens.

How to do Revolved Chair

1. Stand in Mountain Pose, then bend your knees and sink your hips back into Chair Pose, keeping the weight in your heels and the knees over the ankles. Bring your hands together at your heart.
2. Lengthen the spine on an inhale. On an exhale, rotate your torso to the right and hook your left elbow outside your right knee.
3. Press your palms together firmly and use the pressure between your hands and the knee to turn the chest further. Keep the knees level and even, rather than letting one knee slide ahead.
4. Draw the shoulders down away from the ears. Keep your gaze forward or look up past the top elbow if the neck is comfortable.
5. Hold for five breaths, then unwind with an inhale to return to center. Repeat on the other side.

Benefits of Revolved Chair

• Strengthens the quadriceps, glutes, and ankles
• Wrings out and mobilizes the spine
• Opens the chest and shoulders
• Improves balance and concentration
• Builds heat and stamina

Muscles Engaged

Modifications & Variations

• Keep the hips higher in a shallower squat to reduce the load on the legs
• Hook the elbow only to the thigh, or open the arms in an Open Twist
• Practice with the back against a wall to help with balance

Cautions

• Use caution with knee injuries; keep the knees tracking over the ankles
• Go gently with back injuries and twist from the upper back rather than the lower back
• Not recommended deep in pregnancy; use an open twist instead

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