Chatarunga Dandasana
In the previous position your inhaled and lifted the chest and head from your thighs.
In this position you
- exhale
- jump back to high plank
- lower down towards the floor and hover above the floor
- and your gaze is down the nose towards the floor
How to do it
If your hands were on your shins in the previous position and not on the floor, it is essential that you get your hands to the floor now.
The position of the hands on the floor is critical. The finger tips should be in line with the toes. The fingers and thumbs should all be spread very wide and the thumbs should be almost touching the side of the feet. Your wrists should be parallel to the front of the mat. Do not turn the hands inwards or outwards. They should be flat to the floor and pointing straight ahead before you put weight on them with the jump back or walk back.
Continuing your Ujjayi breath and firming Uddiyana bundha, lift the feet from the floor and jump them back the length of the body. If it is not possible to jump them back, you can walk them back.
The feet should be about 6 – 8″ apart and the toes should be tucked in, supporting the weight of the body when they land on the floor after the jump back.
The arms are straight with the hands under the shoulders. The body is in a straight line from the heels through the knees, hips and shoulders to the head.
It is important to keep the elbows in by your side as you lower the body down to a hover position just above the floor. The elbows are squeezing the ribs as the body lowers down. When your upper arm is parallel to the floor then it is time to stop lowering down.
Your hands should be flat to the floor and the fingers pointing straight ahead still. The hands are under your shoulders. The top of your shoulders should be in line with the tips of your fingers.
Keep Uddiyana Bandha engaged to protect and support the low back
The head continues to be in a neutral position at the top of the neck and the gaze is down the nose towards the floor.
Modifications
Instead of jumping the feet back all the way to high plank you can walk them back.or you can do a double jump. There are many ways to get the feet back into position. The important thing is to end up with the body straight, the shoulders over the hands, the arms straight and the hands flat to the floor with the fingers pointing straight ahead.
If you lack the strength in your shoulders or abdomen to support the body as you lower down to hover there are two alternatives you can use.
— You can lower your body all the way down to the floor.This option will work if you have weak upper body strength but your abdomen has sufficient strength to support your hips.
— You can lower your knees to the floor and then lower your hips followed by your chest and then your shoulders and head. This option will work best if you have week abdomen and upper body strength.
To help build strength in the abdomen and upper body while using either of the options above you should resist gravity as you lower down to the floor. Avoid collapsing as much as possible. Gradually over time your strength will develop and you will be able to slow down your decent to the floor. Eventually you will be able to come to a hover position if only for a second or two.
Cautions
Keep the elbows in next to the ribs. If the elbows move out to the side you can cause strain in the tendons of the elbow.
Keep the hands flat to the floor with the fingers spread and the wrist parallel to the front of the mat. You can injury your wrists if the hands are not properly positioned.
Keep the shoulder blades down the back. If the shoulders move up towards the ears you can cause strain in the neck and shoulder muscles.
Keep the head in a neutral position. Lifting the chin to gaze to the horizon will cause stress in the neck muscles.
Do not let the body sag. Do not sag at the hips and do not sag at the shoulders. Sagging at the hips will cause stress to the muscles in the low back and sagging at the shoulders will cause stress to the muscles of the upper back and neck.
To avoid sagging lower the body immediately to the floor using one of the techniques in the modification section above.
Next
The fifth position of the Sun Salute series is next. It is a strong back bend.
Previous Position (Lift Chest and Head)
Next Position (Upward Facing Dog – Urdhva Mukha Shvanasana)
