Plank Pose

Sanskrit Name: Uttihita Chaturanga Dandasana

Good for: Ankle or low back injuries

Benefits

•     Stretches hamstrings and hips
•     Stretches adductors
•     Reinforces back and arm muscles
•     Enhances sense of balance
•     Provides composure to the mind and enhances focus

 

 

 

 

 

 

Guidelines

•     Keep the palms directly under the shoulders with arms straight and spreading the fingers wide, middle finger pointing forward
•     Pressing down into the base of your fingers, weight evenly distributed across the hands
•     Straighten your legs with toes tucked under and facing forward
•     Imagine pushing back on a wall with your heels
•     Pressing the heels back is very important in helping keep the spine and neck in line and your bottom flat down
•     Keep your body in one straight line, abdomen, legs and bottom engaged, without any sagging or arching
•     Keep the core engaged and keep your belly button lifting to the sky
•     Firm the shoulder blades to the back and spread them away from the spine
•     Make sure your shoulder blades aren’t slouching forward
•     Keep a lot of space between your chest and the ground
•     Keep your “Gaze” forward and down.
  Remember to thoroughly breathe. Your breath is your energy throughout this pose!

Good to know

•     To help support the arms in this pose, ring and secure a strip everywhere your upper arms, just above the elbows
•     Push inner arms against this strip
•     Release the outer arms from the shoulders to the floor
•     Lift the inner arms from the roots of the index fingers to the shoulders

By : Natural Health News