Wedding Yoga: Goddess Pose

As I create sequences and practices for Wedding Yoga, there are some poses that I tend to come back to over and over again. One of those is Goddess or Utkata Konasana

You can see from the photo that it is a powerful pose. Goddess promotes strength, stability, groundedness, and vitality. This wide legged squat empowers practitioners to experience inner strength, willpower, courage, and confidence. It’s equally empowering for me as I guide a wedding yoga class and get those attending to embrace their inner goddess. To see the physical and energetic shifts are so satisfying.

Meaning of the Asana

The name Utkata Konasana comes from the Sanskrit words utkata, meaning “powerful” or “fierce,” and kona, meaning “angle.” The term asana translates to “pose.”

Therefore, Utkata Konasana signifies a powerful angle pose that embodies both strength and grace. This asana is often associated with the goddess energy, inviting yogis to tap into their inner power, fierce compassion, mental focus, and emotional resilience. Sure sometimes it’s aligned with feminine energy, but it’s a great pose for everyone.

Energetic Benefits

Utkata Konasana is a useful pose for building external and internal power. This pose activates three lower Chakras, i.e., the Root (Muladhara) Chakra, the Sacral (Swadisthana) Chakra and the Navel/Solar Plexus (Manipura) Chakra.

As a result, the flow of Prana or energy through your body becomes more fluid. It ends up clearing all the blockages and keeps the body in a balanced state during the activation of different Chakras.

Utkata Konasana also energizes the body and gives it an extra boost. If you are a person wanting to connect with their sensual side, this is a great pose!

So, How do I do Goddess Pose?

1. Stand with your feet wider than shoulder-width apart. You’ll want a good amount of distance between your feet, but you should be able to bend your knees comfortably.

2. Turn your feet slightly outward, with your toes pointing toward the corners of your mat.

3. Begin to squat down while bending your knees.

4. Tuck your tailbone, press your belly button up and in, externally rotate your thighs, and straighten your spine while relaxing your shoulders.

5. Keep your knees over your ankles and keep sinking. If you can make it there comfortably, try to get your thighs parallel to the floor.

6. Your arms can bend at the elbows or rest wherever they’re comfortable. Many yogis like to integrate mudras or hand gestures that channel energy, into this pose. The 2 that I tend to do are Anjali Mudra (hands pressed together in front of your heart) and Gyan Mudra (arms out with your elbows bent by the sides of your body with palm up and the tips of your index finger and thumb touching).

7. Hold for 3-6 breaths and then extend the legs and draw your feet back together

Have you practiced Utkata Konasana before? What has been your experience? Any questions or thoughts to share? The comment section is always open. And I am here if you need more guidance.