Chaturanga Dandasana (Four-Pointed Staff Pose): The ins and outs of this powerful yoga pose
Chaturanga Dandasana, or Four-Pointed Staff Pose, sometimes called "low push up," can be the bane of many Vinyasa or Ashtanga yogis practice. Done correctly it is a powerful pose that creates full-body strength by engaging the core, legs, arms, shoulders and back. Unfortunately, it is rarely taught in detail, so many flow yoga practitioners perform it incorrectly and end up causing injury to their shoulders, especially their rotator cuff muscles. It has been my mission, over the last couple of decades, as a yoga instructor to demystify this amazing pose and help my students get the most out of their practice without strain or injury. I hope to pass some of this wisdom onto you through this post. In most Vinyasa and all Ashtanga practices, Chaturanga Dandasana is done multiple times per yoga session as part of the Vinyasa Sequence: Plank, Chaturanga, Upward Dog, and Downward Dog. I would like to start by saying that "Chaturanga Dandasana" does not translate to "...