Chaturanga Dandasana Requires an Unexpected Sort of Strength

Yoga Journal’s archives series is a curated collection of articles originally published in past issues beginning in 1975. This article about Chaturanga first appeared in the March-April 1984 issue of Yoga Journal.

Like so many asanas, Chaturanga Dandasana (Four-Limbed Staff) looks much easier than it is. The pose requires special strength in the arms, wrists and abdominal muscles to hold the body still against the downward pull of gravity.

Many people view yoga as a physical practice with an emphasis on becoming flexible, but some poses, such as Chaturanga Dandasana, require more strength than flexibility. To hold this pose well, one must be able to concentrate on lengthening the body parallel to the floor, and on aligning the spinal column, to avoid too many curves. With continued practice one experiences the need for mental as well as physical strength. The intermediate student learns that the true challenge of Chaturanga is in overcoming the mental inclination to give up in the midst of difficulty.

This asana strengthens the muscles of the arms and the trunk. In addition, stretching back through the legs brings the large muscles of the lower body into play. These help to stabilize the pelvis and the spine, and some work is taken off the arms.

While this asana requires strength, it should be remembered that it is not a rigid, gripping strength. The breathing should be free and the face and diaphragm soft. Chaturanga Dandasana teaches softness in the midst of that strength; if there is too much hardness, one misses the essence of the pose. If one stands close to a dancer, one sees the strength of the muscles, but if one stands back, one sees only the elegance and grace of the movement. Learning to practice this asana while expressing the balance of strength and softness is one of the most important lessons yoga has to teach.

How to Practice Chaturanga

A good way for beginners to learn Chaturanga Dandasana is to start in the plank position shown in Figure 3. Start on the hands and knees. While keeping the breath free, move the feet back and balance on the hands and feet. The hands should be positioned under the shoulders, or slightly toward the feet, and the spinal column should be lengthened. Avoid the tendency to sag at the lower back. Hold for several breaths, rest on the hands and knees, then repeat.

After mastering this, start from the plank position. Bend the elbows close to the body and bring the body down to just above the floor. Again, take care that the spinal column is not distorted, as is shown in Figure 1. Be sure to keep the breath free. Hold as long as possible, rest, then repeat.

When this becomes easier, Chaturanga Dandasana can be practiced in conjunction with Downward-Facing Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana) and  Upward-Facing Dog (Urdhva Mukha Svanasana). Chaturanga Dandasana in the plank position is suitable for all levels of students. Learning to move from the plank down into the full pose can be practiced by most beginners except those who are unusually weak in the arms. This movement may take some practice but can be part of a beginner or advanced beginner series of classes.