Chaturanga-Dandasana low Yoga-Asana Nina-Mel

Chaturanga Dandasana (; ) or Four-Limbed Staff pose, also known as Low Plank, is an

asana An āsana (Sanskrit: आसन) is a body posture, originally and still a general term for a sitting meditation pose,Verse 46, chapter II, "Patanjali Yoga sutras" by Swami Prabhavananda, published by the Sri Ramakrishna Math p. 111 and late ...

in modern

yoga as exercise Yoga as exercise is a physical activity consisting mainly of asana, postures, often connected by vinyasa, flowing sequences, sometimes accompanied by pranayama, breathing exercises, and frequently ending with savasana, relaxation lying down or ...

and in some forms of

Surya Namaskar Sun Salutation, also called Surya Namaskar or Salute to the Sun (, ), is a practice in yoga as exercise incorporating a flow sequence of some twelve linked asanas. The asana sequence was first recorded as yoga in the early 20th century, though s ...

(Salute to the Sun), in which a straight body parallel to the ground is supported by the toes and palms, with elbows at a right angle along the body. The variation Kumbhakasana, Phalakasana, or High Plank has the arms straight.

Etymology and origins

The name comes from the , "four"; , "limb"; , "staff"; and ; , "posture" or "seat". The pose was unknown in

hatha yoga Hatha yoga (; Sanskrit हठयोग, International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration, IAST: ''haṭhayoga'') is a branch of yoga that uses physical techniques to try to preserve and channel vital force or energy. The Sanskrit word ह� ...

until the 20th century '' Light on Yoga'', but the pose appears in the 1896 ''Vyayama Dipika'', a manual of

gymnastics Gymnastics is a group of sport that includes physical exercises requiring Balance (ability), balance, Strength training, strength, Flexibility (anatomy), flexibility, agility, Motor coordination, coordination, artistry and endurance. The movem ...

, as part of the "very old" sequence of ''danda'' exercises. The historian of yoga Norman Sjoman suggests that it is one of the poses adopted into

in Mysore by

Krishnamacharya Tirumala Krishnamacharya (18 November 1888 – 28 February 1989) was an Indian yoga as exercise, yoga teacher, ayurvedic healer and scholar. He is seen as one of the most important gurus of modern yoga, and is often called "Father of Modern ...

and forming the "primary foundation" for his vinyasas with flowing movements between poses. The pose would then have been taken up by his pupils

Pattabhi Jois K. Pattabhi Jois (26 July 1915 – 18 May 2009) was an Indian Modern yoga gurus, yoga guru who developed and popularized the vinyasa, flowing style of yoga as exercise known as Ashtanga (vinyasa) yoga. In 1948, Jois established the Ashtanga Yo ...

and B. K. S. Iyengar.

Description

In Chaturanga Dandasana the hands and feet are on the floor, supporting the body, which is parallel to and lowered toward, but not touching, the floor. It looks much like the low position in a

push-up The push-up (press-up in British English) is a common calisthenics Physical exercise, exercise beginning from the prone position. By raising and lowering the body using the arms, push-ups exercise the pectoralis major muscle, pectoral muscl ...

, but with the hands quite low (just above the pelvis), and the elbows kept in along the sides of the body. In Ashtanga (vinyasa) yoga, Chaturanga Daṇḍasana is part of the

(Salute to the Sun) asana sequence, performed on an exhalation. It is the fourth asana of Surya Namaskar A, and the fourth, eighth and twelfth asanas of Surya Namaskar B. In Iyengar Yoga, the posture is simply held for a period of time (for instance, 30 seconds) with continuous breathing.

Variations

Beginners can practise with the knees on the floor, or keeping the arms straight (in Kumbhakasana, also called Phalakasana or High Plank), before attempting the full pose. High Plank too is used in some forms of the Sun Salutation. Purvottanasana, Reverse Plank, or Upward Plank, has the back straight but the front of the body facing upwards, the arms outstretched down to the floor, the fingers pointing towards the feet. Another variation on Phalakasana, Forearm Plank, has the forearms on the floor, and the body straight as in Low Plank. The hands may be clasped as in Dolphin Pose, or the palms can be placed flat on the floor. File:Chaturanga-Dandasana_high_Yoga-Asana_Nina-Mel.jpg, Variation with straight arms (Kumbhakasana, Phalakasana, or High Plank) File:Kühlungsborn früher Morgen Yoga (detail).JPG, Purvottanasana, Reverse Plank File:Forearm Plank Phalakasana variant (outdoor class).jpg, Forearm Plank, Phalakasana variant

References

Sources

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External links