Is the powerful confidence boost in the Chaturanga…or is it in the wisdom of chasing it?
There's an invigorating and sensational after-feel of a powerful flow practice or in the challenge of holding a Plank pose or a handstand. There's no doubt something immensely empowering about being able to hold our own body weight, to feel the strength in our shoulders and arms, the uplifting beat of the heart and upper body power ~ it can have such a positive effect on our mindset, a confidence booster influencing how we manage our day. Having a regular physical practice which builds upper body strength significantly impacts our personality, our lives. I believe it can make the difference between whether you decide to say yes or no to the hard stuff!
However, our dear Chaturanga Dandasana (4 limbed staff pose - or low plank) is so often practiced prematurely, unprepared for and unfortunately abused and the opposite effects are achieved; a deflated ego, disappointment, discomfort or worse an injury. I have worked with hundreds of students rehabilitating from abused shoulders in a flow class. It is one of the most advanced and challenging Asana yet strangely it’s introduced to beginners in Yoga practice with minimal instruction on the do’s and don’ts to avoid injury, or even a modification to use instead to build strength. In a flow class quite often it is simply named and used in a moving version without a pause to experience it’s power and alignment, and most often we collapse to the floor in relief instead. Are you curious to know what it would feel like to have the strength to pause there? Are you one of the many who’ve experienced the pectoral or rotator cuff tears from a poorly formed and overly repeated Chaturanga? Or given up on yourself because the full version feels near impossible to achieve?
What if I told you there was more power to be had in the chasing of Chaturanga, in the workshopping of this pose, breaking it down and finding all the options you have of building the pose and strength required? Regardless of any inhibitions you have of wrist pain, weak core, chest or shoulders. As with all Yoga poses, this one is most certainly relevant to the old saying….
“Our lessons come from the journey, not the destination”
If we were not in a rush to reach the full pose, perhaps not intending to from the start, but were curious to learn how our body could build this strength and alignment, to take the time to choose other options along the way….what could we learn about ourselves? what could we heal? Well for a start if you are anything like me there maybe a few necessary conversations with ego along the way ;-) such as “it’s ok you are not perfect” “it’s ok you are not the strongest in the room today” “its ok it suits other bodies and not mine” “the discomfort in my body is a message I need to listen and stop what’s aggravating it - I honour my body and allow it to heal” “my body needs time to build lasting strength” “the reason I am on this mat is not about what it looks like it’s to honour my body in movement, to breathe, to connect, to check in with where I am at today”.
In my online practices I help you find your version and the strength to improve on it, possibly find a stronger version along the way. There are ways to safely lower to the floor or modify a flow in any Yoga class if Chaturanga is not a pose for you. Here’s how I can help you find your powerful confidence boost;
Supporting Shoulders Neck & Wrists - awareness video in protecting, rehabilitating and strengthening the upper body, all the modifications and options you have to avoid the poses in any Yoga practice that may aggravate any issues you may have
Support Shoulders Neck & Wrists Series - Stabilisers I, Shoulders Neck Wrists III, Shoulder Girdle Stability IV
My Chaturanga Dandasana tips:
limber, warmup, rotate the neck shoulders and wrists, mid-back prior to your practice
know what it feels like to have a neutral spine pelvis and head in Tadasana first - in Chaturanga you simply have your elbows bent at waist, nothing else changes except gravity!
learn how to hold plank pose first
stay on knees to lower if your shoulder blades bunch together or up towards ears
hug your armpits and keep elbows tucked in, shoulder blades draw down the back, broad mid back and open collor bones
keep a neutral spine and head, chin tucked, crown lengthened, lower ribs tucked in, tail lengthened
avoid clenching glutes it tucks the tail under and flexes the lower back reducing lumbar tone and core activation
avoid taking chest lower than elbow level - unless you release to the floor first, otherwise front of shoulder joints are overloaded and stretched tendons have to press up into Up dog (this locomotion action is the key point of injury occurring)
avoid sticking chin out, it’s an opportunity for upper traps to take over and bunch shoulders up losing shoulder joint alignment and ultimate position for strength, can cause neck tension, it also switches off upper-core and shoulder girdle stability
avoid sticking buttock up, keep plank-like torso and head to maintain core strength
I hope this ignites a determination in you to find your upper body strength, to heal, to confidently practice in a flow and experience the powerful confidence boost that goes with it.
Namaste,
Nic Whiteman
