Plank Yoga Pose

Nikki Juen of All That Matters demonstrates and explains plank yoga pose.

What it is:

Dolphin plank is a strength-building pose that prepares shoulder blades for all weight-bearing postures. It creates a synergy of strength throughout the body, finger tips to toes, as the body hovers over the ground.

What it does:

This dynamic forearm pose builds strength in the core of the body and the muscles of the shoulders, upper back and sides of the rib cage. Repeated strengthening of the shoulder girdle relieves neck pain and aids in healthier respiration.

How to do it:

Begin in a table top pose with hands directly under the shoulders and knees under hips. Take a few long deep breaths in table top and focus on opening the soles of the feet with toes tucked under. Allow each breath to bring your awareness deeper into your body; feel how the breath fills the body and expands against the forces of gravity. 

Exhale, bow forward onto your forearms and place the elbows no wider than the outside of your shoulders. Returning to the breath, concentrate on creating length in the sides of your torso from the armpits up to the hips. Starting at the fingertips, strongly press the entire length of the forearms into the ground; walk the feet back until the legs are straight. As you exhale, make the legs strong and scoop the tailbone towards the heels while toning the muscles of the low belly, keeping the lumbar spine safe and supported. 

Lengthen the entire body as you inhale, press forearms and toes into the floor as you exhale. With the big muscles on the front of the thighs strong allow hips to feel buoyant; maintaining the pose for as long as you feel muscular support and evenness of breath. If you experience neck strain, place your forehead on a block until the neck strengthens. Exhale, release the knees to the floor and sit back on your heels. You may choose to repeat this practice a few times noticing the potential for ease each time you repeat it.

If this pose is new to you, you may feel blades ‘wing-away’ from the ribcage. [A friend may point this out to you from above or you may look in a mirror.] Practice this pose on your knees until the muscles around the shoulder blades are strong enough to remain engaged on the back. In this modification you will reap the same benefits while building strength in optimal alignment.

Nikki Juen, nikkijuen.com