Pose No : 18
Side Plank Yoga pose
- BENEFITS
- STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTION
- MODIFICATION AND VARIATION
- COMMON MISTAKE
- PRECAUTIONS
- TRY IT OUT
Benefits of Side Plank Yoga Pose
- When you do a side plank pose and balance your weight on one side, you put pressure on the muscles of your body and tone them.
- To find the balance, you deeply engage your core muscles. Regular practice of side plank yoga pose will increase your core strength.
- Side plank yoga improves your ability to concentrate and focus on the movements of your body.
Step by Step instruction of Side plank yoga pose
- Stand straight in tadasana, place your palms on the mat, and keep your legs back.
- Now assume the plank pose, lift your left hand, and place it a little ahead of the left shoulder.
- Now press your left palm on the ground and turn your body to your left.
- While making this move, the outer edge of your left foot should be touching the mat while your right foot should be stacked over the left one.
- Keep your right hand in the air and rest your body on the right hip.
- At this point, you have to balance your body using your left foot and left hand.
- Breathe out, stretch your right leg, bend your upper body so that you can reach your right big toe.
- Grab the right big toe using your right hand’s thumb, index finger, and middle finger.
- Now, lift your right leg up, straighten your right arm, rotate your head to the left and gaze at the ceiling.
- This is the Vasisthasana yoga pose, you have to pause here for about 20 to 30 seconds taking deep breaths.
- While exiting the Vasisthasana pose, you have to first release your big toe, bring your right foot on the left one, and your right hand on your hips.
- Breathe out and turn your whole body to the center.
- You can repeat the Vasisthasana sequence pose to the other side just by changing your legs and hands.
Modification and Variation of side plank Yoga pose
To enter the pose, begin in a well-aligned plank pose. Lower the right knee to the mat while keeping the left leg extended. With a strong right arm and hand firmly on the mat, rotate the body to the left, shifting support to the extended left leg and right arm.
Lift the hips and extend the left arm out, creating a diagonal line from the left foot to the extended left hand and arm. The right knee remains under the right hip to provide a solid foundation. Hold for five to 10 breaths. To exit, drop the left hand to the floor and come back into plank pose.
Repeat on the opposite side for the same number of breaths.
Common Mistake of side plank yoga pose
- The most common mistake I see with side plank when I’m teaching is “resting” the weight in the wrist while letting the hips wilt toward the mat. Instead, visualize a suction happening in the middle of the bottom hand palm.
Precaution Side Plank pose
When the shoulder is inactive during a plank the stress from holding our body weight is forced into our soft tissues such as the shoulder ligaments, labrum, joint capsule and tendons.
