Our Zamasana of the month for March is Utkata Konasana, more commonly known as Goddess Pose. The Sanskrit name for this pose, Utkata Konasana (oot-KAH-tuh cone-AHS-uh-nuh), comes from three words: Utkata- meaning “powerful” or “fierce”, Kona- meaning “angle and Asana- meaning “pose”.
This pose targets several muscle groups to stretch and strengthen your chest, arms and lower body.
To practice Goddess Pose:
1. From a standing position take the feet 3 feet apart and turn the feet to 45 degrees facing the corners of the room. Take the arms out at shoulder height, bend the elbows and turn the palms to face each other. As you exhale bend the knees to a right angle, over the ankle, squatting down.
2. Press the hips forward and the knees back. Drop the shoulders down and press the chest toward the front of the room. Keep the arms active, as if they were holding a big ball over your head. Look straight ahead with the chin parallel to the floor.
3. Breathe and hold for 3-6 breaths.
4. To release, inhale and straighten the legs, reaching the fingertips to the ceiling, then exhale the arms to the sides.
Goddess Pose will build outer and inner strength. If you’d like to deepen or lighten the pose, try these simple changes to find a variation that works best for you:
Raise your arms straight overhead, shoulder-distance apart.
- Press your palms together in prayer position overhead.
- Bring your hands into prayer position at your chest.
- Rest your hands on your hips.
- Place your palms on your thighs.
For an even greater challenge, lift yourself onto the balls of your feet, while keeping your thighs parallel to the floor and your knees over your toes.
Challenge yourself with our zamasana of the month!