Random Tuesday {6}: Chair Pose

Many of you may not know, but I just recently picked up yoga again. One, because it's a form of exercise, and two, all this breathing and flowing motions are supposed to help with stress.  

Well, so far, I can't attribute to the effectiveness of the stress relief - however I can say that I have sore muscles in places I didn't realize. Everything from my hands to my core hurts...(and no I don't mean that core...dirty minded peeps).  

For those who exercise regularly...they know how important it is to have strong core muscles. These muscles help you balance and are the strength that holds each and everyone one of us upright.  In yoga there are several different poses that help us build up these important muscles from leg lifts (remember those annoying 'hold your feet two inches off the ground' exercises we used to do in high school gym class?) to more specialized moves like the utkatasana.

Known more commonly as the chair pose, it gets its name from the fact that it looks like some has pulled a chair out from under you.  This move requires not only great balance but strong core muscles.  See what I mean?  I can't yet do it with the arms up...I fall over every time...however I hope to one day be able to accomplish that variation of the pose. All I know is even with my hands in front of me, after holding this pose for ten seconds, my core aches like no other.