The Real Reason You Struggle With Chaturanga

Trish Corley Author

Think you struggle with Chaturanga because you're not strong enough? Think again!

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Why do you and so many others struggle with Chaturanga?

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Chaturanga Dandasana, or Four-Limbed Staff Pose, is a common yet deceptively challenging yoga posture. Many students and teachers find themselves frustrated by this seemingly simple posture, often wondering why it feels so difficult.

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The real reason behind this struggle lies not in a lack of strength or mobility, but in a deeper understanding of alignment, anatomy, and the right cues. In this article, I will share my own journey with Chaturanga, why it can be so challenging, and how you can begin to address these issues in your practice and teaching.

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The Struggle is Real

When I first started practicing yoga, Chaturanga was my nemesis. Despite being able to hold high plank for what felt like ages, transitioning smoothly into Chaturanga was a different story. My shoulders would ache, my lower back would complain, and I’d often find myself collapsing onto the mat. I remember feeling frustrated and inadequate, convinced that I simply wasn’t strong enough.

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As I progressed in my practice and eventually became a yoga teacher, I noticed that many of my students shared the same struggle. They would grimace, shake, and sometimes even skip Chaturanga altogether. It wasn’t until I delved deeper into yoga anatomy and alignment that I began to understand the root of the problem.

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Understanding the Root of the Struggle with Chaturanga

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Yes, part of the challenge with Chaturanga lies in the amount of strength and body awareness required for the posture. It may take some students some time to build enough strength and body awareness to practice the posture without any modifications, and that’s ok. But that being said, most students have enough strength to practice the posture, but they struggle because they are not taught how to align and practice the posture.

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- Lack of Alignment

Many people struggle with Chaturanga because they don’t understand or pay much attention to their alignment. Without focus, it’s easy to let your shoulders dip too low, your pelvis to tip forward, and to forget about what your hands and feet are doing. These misalignments not only make the pose harder but also increase the risk of injury.

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- Inadequate Cues

Often, the cues given in a yoga class aren’t specific enough to address individual alignment issues. Generic instructions like “lower down” or “engage your core” can be confusing if you don’t know exactly what they mean or how to apply them to your body.

Perhaps it’s because this is a complex posture, but in my experience, most yoga teachers fail to really teach this posture. They tell students to do it, but it’s often just rushed through during sun salutations or through transitions. Of course students are going to struggle with the posture if they are not really taught how to align their body!

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My Journey with Chaturanga

When I first started practicing yoga, I like many students moved through the postures without much awareness of my alignment, but I knew that I was struggling each time I practiced Chaturanga. I felt a tightness in my neck and shoulders. But to be honest, I thought that it was just normal to struggle through Chaturanga.

Now I realize that that tightness in my neck and shoulders during Chaturanga is common, but does not need to be normal!

While leading the posture clinic portion of my 200 hour yoga teacher training several years ago, one participant raised her hand and said, “My arms are not strong enough for Chaturanga”. This was not the first time I’d heard a statement like this.

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You see, most people think they struggle with Chaturanga because they think they are not strong enough. But the truth is, it’s not all about strength!

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On that day in the training, we ended up spending an entire session dissecting Chaturanga. We first looked at why we practice the posture. It’s important to understand the benefits of the posture.

We spent a lot of time looking at the alignment of the posture. This included looking at what optimal or well balanced alignment looks like as well as the sub-optimal alignment that is often observed by students who have not been given the right cues or taught how to do the posture.

Of course, we then went over how to cue the posture with high impact! We looked at the key anatomy lessons of Chaturanga and ways to adapt and modify the posture so that all students can be successful at it.

Several of the participants were blown away with how much stronger they found themselves to be when they shifted out of their old way of doing the posture and put the new alignment cues into place.

The one participant went from say “My arms are not strong enough” to “Wow, just a few alignment adjustments and I feel so much stronger!”

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Ok, we can see that the struggle with Chaturanga is common, but there are ways to overcome it! Say goodbye to pain, injury, and frustration with Chaturanga and hello to strength and a healthy and sustainable yoga practice.

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Steps to Overcome the Struggle with Chaturanga:

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Here’s what I learned from my own journey of practicing and teaching Chaturanga and what you can start to incorporate into your practice:

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Break Down the Posture

Instead of trying to muscle through Chaturanga, take the time to break it down. Focus on the alignment of the whole body. Start with your feet and legs. Then check on your pelvis and spine. And of course, you must pay attention to the position of your hands and shoulders. Use a mirror or ask a fellow yoga teacher to check your alignment. If you are teaching this posture, be sure to observe the alignment of all parts of the students’ bodies!

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Access and Use Clear & Effective Cues

If your teacher just says “chaturanga” or “high to low push-up” and does not give you any more instruction, consider asking them before or after class to help you out a bit more.

If you’re a teacher, give more cues for Chaturanga. I really encourage you to take a couple minutes of class to breakdown the posture. Give students a mini-posture clinic so that they walk away learning one new thing about the posture that they can put into future practices.

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Modify and Adapt the Posture

Don’t be afraid to use props. Blocks under your shoulders or a strap around your arms can provide the feedback you need to find the right alignment. Modify the pose by lowering your knees if needed, focusing on maintaining sustainable alignment.

The struggle with Chaturanga is real, but it’s not insurmountable. By focusing on alignment, better understanding of the posture, and learning more impactful cues, you can transform your approach to both practicing and teaching this challenging posture.

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If you’re ready to dive deeper into Chaturanga, grab The Chaturanga Posture Clinic for just $15.

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Categories: : Cues, Effective Teaching Techniques, Posture Alignment, Yoga Anatomy