11/11/2025
Chaturanga Dandasana is one of yoga's most challenging postures, but it is often introduced to yoga beginners with minimal instruction and no real discussion of the dos and don'ts that can help prevent shoulder injury. Since you'll find Chaturanga incorporated into Sun Salutation series and many vinyasa flows, it's important to do this pose properly. Chaturanga is also the first step in more advanced arm-balance poses.
To hold yourself in Low Plank (Chaturanga), you need to recruit the muscles in your wrists, arms, abs, and lower back, so they all get a workout. Strengthening the core muscles helps your standing posture, among other things.
Need a modification? Lower your knees to the floor after you've rocked forward in plank. Take a moment to broaden your chest and then lower your upper body so that your arms come to a right angle. You can lift your feet up off the floor if you want to, but it's also fine to leave them down.
It's perfectly fine if your shoulders stay well above your elbows, especially if you're building strength or have had shoulder problems in the past. Even if you just lower your torso a few inches down from plank, that is a perfectly valid version of the pose.
