Week 34 : Four-Limbed Staff Pose 

Chaturanga is a challenging posture, although not technically difficult, it can seem almost impossible when you first start practicing it, but once you have the alignment correct and you become more comfortable in the pose, it lays a foundation of strength and stability that will serve you well throughout your practice, so it is well worth taking some time with this one. 

To practice with integrity and ease, you’ll need to distribute the work throughout the entire body by rallying the power of your abdomen, spine, legs, and heels. 

Don’t give up, keep practicing and the strength you need will develop, try our beginners tip first and see how you go. 

Start on all fours. 

Then take the legs back into plank position. Firm your shoulder blades against your back and engage the core gently tilting the pubic bone forward slightly. 

Exhale and slowly lower your whole body to a few inches above and parallel with the floor. 

Often when doing this the lower back drops towards the floor and the hips pop up to the ceiling like this. 

Avoid this by keeping the muscles of the legs very active, engaging the tummy muscles and keeping the tailbone in place with the pubic bone drawn up toward towards the belly button. 

Don’t allow the elbows to go out to the sides, hold them in towards the torso and push them back towards the heels, this is key to your correct alignment in this pose. 

Look forward. 

Hold for 5 breaths and then gently lower down and come to crocodile pose. 

Repeat 3-5 times. 

Posture : Four Limbed Staff Pose 

Sanskrit name : Chaturanga Dandasana 

Benefits

*Strengthens arms and wrists. 

*Tones the abdomen and helps to develop core strength. 

Avoid if : You have Carpal tunnel syndrome. 

Beginners Tip : Beginners can start by lowering the knees to the floor from plank and the exhale and lower the chest to within an inch of the floor  until the arms, back and legs are strong enough to support you. 

Beginners Tip 

Serena is a yoga teacher and the founder of The OM Space . She is a passionate believer in yoga as a life enhancing practice and runs several classes in Colombo including the very popular Yoga for Children and Yoga for Pregnancy. Serena trained in the UK with the British Wheel of Yoga and is a UK Yoga Alliance registered Senior Teacher.