Awkward pose
Utkatasana
Awkward pose is a standing yoga hold that works your thighs, hips, and shoulders. It builds lower-body strength and steady control, making it a useful choice when you want a strength-focused yoga movement without leaving a standing position.
Videos
With your feet grounded and your hips lowered into a chair-like shape, you hold a standing position while your arms reach overhead. You will feel the strongest effort across the front of your thighs and around your hips, with your calves, shoulders, middle, and lower back helping you stay steady.
Choose awkward pose when you want a yoga movement that combines lower-body strength with whole-body control. It can help you feel more capable in standing poses and everyday movements that involve lowering and rising. You will need enough balance to remain steady, along with shoulders that are comfortable staying raised.
How to do it
Stand on your yoga mat with your feet parallel and comfortably close together.
Sink your hips back and down as though you are sitting into a chair.
Settle at a comfortable depth with your knees pointing in the same direction as your toes.
Raise your arms overhead with your palms facing inward and your shoulders resting away from your ears.
Hold this shape with your chest lifted, your back long and your feet grounded evenly.
Press through both feet to straighten your legs and return to an upright position.
Lower your arms alongside your body to finish in the starting position.