For many yogis, the mere mention of the

phrase “chair pose” is enough to cause

cold sweats and a racing heartbeat.

When done properly, however, chair

pose provides a wide range of health

benefits. Here are three things to avoid

during chair pose:

* Putting weight in the toes—As with many other yoga postures, your weight should always be far back in the heels during chair pose. In addition to allowing you to sit deeper and work the proper muscles, it reduces strain on the knees.

* Squatting too high—As a rule, you should try to get your thighs as close to parallel with the floor as possible. If you squat too high, you might not strengthen your quads, hamstrings, and glutes nearly as much as you could.

Tilting the pelvis back too much—In chair

pose, you should try to keep the pelvis

tilted forward by drawing the belly

button toward the spine. If you stick out

your buttocks too much, you risk lower

back pain.