Chaturanga Dandasana

Four Limb Staff Pose

Asana: Chaturanga Dandasana-Four Limb Staff Pose. This pose is usually part of the Sun Salutations.  Move into it Down Dog, then Plank Pose, keeping shoulder blades into back ribs, belly contracted, tail bone down, toward pubis. Lower torso to height of elbows which are bent at 90 degrees, snugging the ribs, don’t let belly drop!  Voila.  From here you can continue into Up Dog or back up into Plank.

Health Notes: Chat strengthens arms, shoulders, back and belly, and keeps legs firm.  (Although Chat does not open the chest per se, it so often leads into UP Dog, which fully expands chest-lungs, that I have included it here.)