4 Comments

1. 

   Julie on September 7, 2016 at 11:59 am

   Hi Keya, great video and thanks for posting! I was always taught to shift slightly forward in plank, then lower all the way down to the ground in chaturunga. Then from laying belly-down on the mat, adjusting the hands and then rising into cobra. I know some yoga studios don’t teach up-dog because so many students move into it and out of it incorrectly, jeopardizing their core and low backs.

   What are your thoughts on the shoulders when lowering down all the way to the ground in chaturunga? Thanks!

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     Keya Williams on September 13, 2016 at 11:40 am

     Hi Julie! Yes that is certainly one way to practice the plank down to chaturunga transition. Generally speaking it takes more strength to make that shift that you’re speaking about. But I find it to be unstable in the shoulders when people DON’T have the strength yet, and end up sinking the hips down or bowing the back in order to do it. An alternative (if you’re moving to cobra instead of updog) is to do 8-point pose instead of full out chaturunga. In that pose you’d bring the knees down first, shift forward and lower the chin and chest to the mat first with the hips following last. From there shift the weight forward more and “slither” your belly on the mat before coming up into cobra. Hope that helps! As always you can get more yoga tips and friendships in the yoga mamas FB group. Link follows https://www.facebook.com/groups/626139910861368

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2. 

   Kat Wilson on September 9, 2016 at 8:55 pm

   Keya!

   So glad you did this! My one question is about wrists. I officially have carpal tunnel. A bummer, but I am trying to find ways to still do strong poses. Anyway to modify this to put less pressure there?

   Thanks,

   Kat

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     Keya Williams on September 13, 2016 at 11:35 am

     Absolutely Kat. Couple of things. 1. Is to make sure that your fingers are spread so that you have equal weight distribution taking some of the pressure off of your wrists. Another option is to roll up a hand towel and place that under your your hands (at the heel of your hand). That will decrease the angle on your wrists and alleviate some of the tension. Lastly you can always do your planks on your forearms instead of your hands. Just make sure you line your elbows up under your shoulders and your forearms and palms will lay flat on the mat (fingers facing straight in front of you) Hope that helps! Come into the Yoga Mamas Facebook group if you ever need more yoga love. https://www.facebook.com/groups/626139910861368

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