5 Tips to Practice Chaturanga Correctly
Are you doing this fundamental yoga pose incorrectly? Here’s how to find out!
Chaturanga is a foundational yoga pose that most yogis are very familiar with. It is often part of a flow that you do on the way back to Downward Dog, but it can also come into play for some advanced sun salutations. But how can you be certain that you’re doing this pose correctly so you can reap the maximum benefits? Chaturanga is a transitional pose and one with the most common mistakes seen by teachers. Below we’ll review five key tips and a breakdown of how to practice the pose correctly.
1. Start from High Plank
Shoulders stacked above wrists
Core is engaged
Legs are straight and strong
2. Engage all your muscles
Draw your muscles into the midline of your body
Keep your elbows hugged into your sides
Shift forward onto your toes
Pull your torso forward so your shoulders are now beyond your wrists
3. Slowly Lower
Keep hugging your elbows into your sidebody
Lower down with control as slow as you can
Stop when your shoulders are in line with your elbows
4. Pause and hold
Once your shoulders are in line with your elbows, pause here and hold
Fill into your low back by drawing your navel up and in towards your spine
Engage your core to build strength and stamina5. Options for after
You can lower all the way to your mat and rest
Press back up into High Plank – this is a great core and upper body workout
Sun Salutations: flow into Cobra or Upward Dog and then press back into Downward Dog
Chaturanga DO’s:
90 degree angle in the upper arms and forearms
Elbows and forearms are parallel to the floor
Tuck your tailbone to lengthen your low back
Utilize the back muscles of your body (back torso, shoulder blades, triceps, hamstrings, and calves) with equal effort as the front
Keep your elbows stacked directly above your wrists
Chaturanga DON’Ts:
Do not try to use brute strength to muscle your way into the pose
Do not let your shoulders drop below the height of your elbows
Do not let your elbows splay out to the sides (remember: this is NOT a push-up!)
All images courtesy of YogiApproved.com.
