Low Motion

I was in the mood to teach arm and core strengthening asanas this week.  So I picked Chaturanga Dandasana (Four-Limbed Staff Pose) as the flavour of the week.  The moment I mentioned this in class last evening, groans were heard immediately around the room.

"Why the drama?" I asked.  "This pose is great for strengthening the arms and legs, tones the abs and builds healthy shoulders".

Moans and whimpers about "I hate this pose", "my arms are too weak", "my wrist and shoulders hurt" and "it's a pose for guys" were audible.  I hear them.... because for the first few years of my yoga practice, I found this asana to be incredibly tough, mainly because I found it so un-doable without putting unnecessary strain on the shoulders and wrists.

Until a teacher imparted the principles of alignment of Chaturanga Dandasana...and that's when I found myself getting into the posture with integrity and ease.

Strap Up

So, after a few rounds of abdominal core work, I got each practitioner to grab a block and strap.  "Here's where the fun starts," I grinned. They were asked to strap their arms about 2 inches above their elbows, loose enough for both arms to fall comfortably by the side body.  The purpose of the strap is to avoid the elbows from splaying to the sides, thus burdening the wrists and upper body.  When lowering the arms in Chaturanga Dandasana, it is important that the upper arm is in line with the side of the body, and the sternum is lifted forward.  There should NOT be any anterior rotation of the shoulders (shoulders rolling forward).  Maintaining this alignment in the shoulders and chest while bearing weight is challenging yet crucial.

Next, the block was placed directly under the sternum (beginners were told to use the tallest side of the block).  With knees on the mat, keeping the gaze to the front, the practitioners were asked to focus on coming forward rather than coming down.  They were asked to do 3 reps of half Chaturanga Dandasana, just to get the hang of the work in the arms and shoulders.  We then lowered the block's height, followed by another 3 reps in half pose.

After a couple of restful breaths in Vajrasana, I urged them into the next stage of the posture.  We all moved positions and went against the wall.

Pressing the feet against the wall to lift the quadriceps up, shoulders stacked above the wrists, they were asked to engage their core muscles and come into Plank Pose.  Think of pulling in the ribs (rather than just sucking in the stomach), as this action will elongate the spine.  Extend the sternum and the gaze forward but release the tailbone down and towards the back of the legs.  Soften the gaze, and push the triceps to the back to draw the heart forward.  This action prevents the chest from collapsing as well as the lower back from arching.

Elbow-and-shoulder-safe Chaturanga

With the arms still strapped and the block under the sternum, they pressed their heels back against the wall and lowered the elbows until the chest touched the block.  After 3 reps of Chaturanga Dandasana, a couple of smiles and gasps of "hey, it's not that hard after all", we rested in Vajrasana before flowing into the rest of the practice.

So, here are a couple of take-aways that I hold close to my heart, be it as a student or a teacher :

• Baby steps : Start small but dream big.  When you learn an asana, learn it properly.  Celebrate the small victories and then up the ante.  Remember to practise ahimsa... pain is only an option.
• Think of asanas as a project : give your body a timeline.... 6-months, 1 year, 2 years.... Practise regularly but allow yourself to embrace the posture in your own time.  Don't rush. Remember, this is your practice, your growth.
• Commit : Believe in yourself, your practice and listen to your body at all times.  
• Have fun : take your practice seriously but also learn to have fun and laugh at yourself.

Yoga is beyond the physical grace, strength, power and beauty of the pose.  The more you practise, the more significant progress the body makes.... and in time, this progress seeps into the mind, and opens many doors to the rewarding paths in your yoga journey.

Sat Nam.