How to Teach Chaturanga Dandasana

Autumn Adams

how-to-teach-chaturanga-dandasana

Now is the time to brush up on your knowledge of chaturanga dandasana, so you can teach the pose safely. It is important to keep your student’s shoulders safe in their vinyasa yoga practice. It takes time and patience to master chaturanga.

Chaturanga has gotten a bad rep in the yoga community and has been dubbed the “shoulder shredder” and it’s not without due cause. This pose, when done incorrectly, can destroy the rotator cuff, injure the deltoids, and cause chronic pain in the upper back/neck. So why do we practice it?

Chaturanga Dandasana is an integral part of our yoga practice and when done properly builds strength and stability in the shoulder girdle and builds strength in our core. It’s important to fully master chaturanga before moving on to more advanced arm balances and inversions.

I’ve broken this post down into a few sections. I encourage you to read through all of the sections as there are many components to chaturanga dandasana.

Alignment Cues and Teaching Tips for Chaturanga Dandasana

As always, remember to build the posture from the ground up. A stable and strong posture needs a strong and sturdy foundation.

  • Hands are shoulder width distance.
  • Fingers are spread wide.
  • Press down through knuckles of index finger and thumb (hasta bandha)
  • Start from Plank Pose with the feet hips width distance.
  • Press forward onto your toes, so your heels stack over your toes.
  • Lower halfway down to create a 90 degree angle at the elbows.
  • Elbows stay in close to the body. Don’t let them wing out to the side.
  • Stretch the crown of your head forward and create a long line from the heels out through the crown of the head. Draw your tailbone down toward your heels.
  • Draw the navel in toward the spine to support the lower back.

7 Tips to Keep Your Student’s Shoulders Safe When Teaching Chaturanga Dandasana:

  1. Keep your hands shoulder width distance, fingers spread wide and press down into the base knuckles, particularly of the thumb and index finger.
  2. As you begin to lower down make sure your elbow points are pointing straight back behind you. They are not “winging” out to the side or “squeezing” into the sides of your rib cage. Remember: CHATURANGA IS NOT A PUSH UP! When the elbows wing out to the side the heads of the arm bones dip down, the shoulders round and the sternum sinks.
  3. Only lower half way down, to create a 90° angle at the elbow ie. your forearm is perpendicular to the floor and your upper arm is parallel to the floor.
  4. Think of drawing the shoulders away from your ears in Plank Pose and as you lower. Try not to collapse between the shoulder blades. Try to keep the shoulder blades on your back.
  5. Keep your core strong, press back through your heels, lift the fronts of your thighs and draw the navel in. Stretch the crown of your head forward, gaze is only slightly forward and down (don’t let the head hang).
  6. As you move from Plank Pose to Chaturanga press forward on your toes as you lower down, this will set you up for Upward Facing Dog.
  7. As you work on building strength it’s important to honor your body where it is TODAY, not where you want it to be. It’s okay to lower your knees down to the mat, so you can slowly and safely move through your chaturanga. You can also practice chaturanga at the wall.

Benefits of Chaturanga Dandasana

  • Strengthens wrists, arms (triceps!), and shoulders
  • Strengthens and tones the entire body (hello legs!)
  • Prepares the body for arm balances and inversions

Contraindications for Chaturanga Dandasana

  • Shoulder or wrist injury
  • Pregnancy (although this is debatable)

I hope you find these tips helpful. Please feel free to message me if you need more clarification. I’m always happy to help.

Love and Light,

Autumn

Autumn Adams
Follow me
Latest posts by Autumn Adams (see all)

 

Top Five Carry On Necessities

Autumn Adams

carry-on-items-for-yogis

Happy Tuesday yogis and yoginis. I’ve just made it home from an incredible trip to Nicaragua where I had the opportunity to host my second annual yoga and surf retreat at Costa Dulce and explored Finca Esperanza Verde in the high country above Matagalpa. I feel truly blessed.

I’m constantly traveling and I thought that it’s about time I share my must have carry on items. These are the items that are always in my carry on bag.

  1. My phone. I load my phone up with music, guided meditations and podcasts. I also transfer off old photos and videos to clear space for new memories. My phone also has Duolingo (a language app) and XE (a conversion app).
  2. Journal and pen. I love writing lists and flying is the perfect time to write lists, to-do lists, goals, business plans, brainstorm ideas, etc. Your journal and pen can also help you de-stress (get those thoughts out of your head on paper) and connect with your seat-mate (tic-tac-toe, hangman, etc.). Also, nice to collect other people’s contact info, etc (make sure to write a note or two about them, so you’ll remember them later).
  3. Toiletry kit. I occasionally overdue the toiletry kit ie. I stuff as much possible into that little bag. Here is my loot: Alaffia Purely Coconut Fair Trade Lip Balm or ALL Good Lips Coconut Lip Balm with SPF 20, Weleda Calendula Baby Face Cream, ALBA Pineapple Enzyme Face Wipes, Crystal travel size deodorant, toothbrush and paste, and doTerra OnGuard or Wyndmere Immune Support Essential Oil.
  4. Tea and Emergen-C. When traveling we’re not sleeping well and we’re continually being bombarded by germs. I pack a couple of packs of Emergen-C and a couple of different teas (Peppermint for digestion, Lavender Honey for relaxation, and Green Tea for an energy boost)
  5. Comfort Kit. My manduka travel yoga mat (awesome for long layovers and in-seat lumbar support), inflatable neck pillow, eye cover, ear plugs and ear buds.

I know I said 5, but I also ALWAYS pack a destination appropriate change of clothes. Fresh clothes and a few minutes in the bathroom freshening up can make a world of difference… trust me.

What are your favorite carry-on items?

Safe travels yogis!

Love and Light,

Autumn

Autumn Adams
Follow me
Latest posts by Autumn Adams (see all)

The Magic of Meditation

Autumn Adams

buddha-meditation-asia

Hey yogis,

I’m writing here from the highlands of Nicaragua. It’s another beautiful, crisp morning and the perfect temperature for a meditation and solo yoga practice. I don’t know about you, but my newsfeed has been blowing up about recent studies done on the practice of meditation. I love that scientists are taking a look at this ancient practice and giving it the credit it deserves.

If you’re new to meditation I would recommend starting with a simple meditation like following the breath as it flows in and out. Also, start with a smaller amount of time. Don’t expect to meditate for 45 minutes right out of the gate. Start with about 5 minutes of quiet sitting with focus on the breath.

Curious about all of the studies done on meditation recently? Here are a few links.

And these are my favorite meditation apps:

If you have a favorite meditation app or have recently read an article about meditation I’d love to hear about it. And if you’re new to meditation I’d love to hear about how your practice is going.

 

Love and Light,

Autumn

Autumn Adams
Follow me
Latest posts by Autumn Adams (see all)

Your task is not to seek for love… Rumi

Autumn Adams

YOU ARE SIMPLY THE

I know this is where my work lies. It’s been a long and sloppy process of breaking down barriers for me and it’s been a tremendous growing experience. Yoga saved my life.

Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built. -Rumi

Autumn Adams
Follow me
Latest posts by Autumn Adams (see all)