Chaturanga Dandasana - Four Limb Staff

NOT JUST A TRANSITIONAL POSE
Chaturanga Dandasana/Four Limb Staff is a pose in its own right which is often lost in vanyasanas somewhere between Phlankasana/Plank and Urdhva Mukha Svanasana/Upwards Facing Dog! It is a tricky pose, which is why we sometimes rush through it to get to Urdhva Mukha Svanasana/Upwards Facing Dog or Bhujangasana/Cobra. When performed repeatedly, and not given the time and respect it deserves, it has the potential to cause shoulder, lower back and wrist injuries. Having a better understanding of the alignment of the pose will not only give you the opportunity to strengthen your arms and shoulders but will help you recognise when to reduce your repetitions of the pose to avoid injuries.

THE BENEFITS OF CHATURANGA DANDASANA/FOUR LIMB STAFF
Chaturanga Dandasana/Four Limb Staff is an arm balancing pose and teaches you the principles of stabilising the shoulder joint and prepares you for more challenging arm balances where the legs are lifted. When performed with integrity it also strengthens the shoulders, spine, arms, core, glutes, and legs.

COMMON MISALIGNMENTS
After several rounds of sun salutations or vinyasas the muscle of the shoulder can start to fatigue. When muscles run out of steam, it can put unwanted load on the joint and potentially injure the fatigued muscles, tendons or the surrounding supporting ligaments. Most of us are asymmetrical – where one side is weaker or stronger than the other – when this is the case it can either put too much pressure on the weaker side, or the stronger side compensates which can eventually increase your chance of repetitive strain injuries. One of the most common misalignments is when the shoulders drop lower than the elbows. When this happens we push great force into the shallow shoulder joint in an extended position. This is not a naturally strong position for the joint, and causes too much reliance on the upper shoulder muscles rather than utilising all of the shoulder muscles. Common misalignments in Chaturanga Dandasana/Four Limb Staff to watch out for are:

• Elbows splayed - causes pressure in the shoulder joint - track the elbows with the shoulders.

• Shoulders dropped lower than the elbows - causes pressure in the shoulder joint - broaden through the collarbones and lift the chest up to lower down.

• Chest sunken down - pinching in between the shoulder blades - press into the hands, spread shoulder blades across your back.

• Shoulders hunched up towards ears - neck issues - soften shoulders away from the ears.

• Belly dropped down to the ground - pressure in the lower back - draw your navel towards your spine.

EXPLORING CHATURANGA DANDASANA/FOUR LIMB STAFF IN YOUR PRACTICE
This sequence will bring you through different versions of chaturanga to help you build shoulder, spine, arm and core strength to gradually prepare for the peak pose. Some with the knees down to gradually build you up to the full pose, and some using props so you can stay longer in the pose and build a blueprint of it in your body. If the full pose is not safely possible for you at the moment, continue to use the props or bring the knees down for the full sequence. These are valuable versions of the pose and ones I use frequently if I am repeatedly coming down to the floor in my practice. Versions of Chaturanga Dandasana/Four Limb Staff:

V1 - from Phlankasana/Plank Pose bring your knees down and slowly bend your elbows and lower down until your shoulders are no lower than your elbows.

V2 - position a brick under your hips, from Phlankasana/Plank Pose slowly bend your elbow and lower down until your hips are lightly supported by the brick, press into your hands, arms hugging in, collarbones wide, lengthen through the whole spine.

V3 - position two bricks standing upright in front or your fingertips, from Phlankasana/Plank Pose slowly bend your elbow and lower down until your shoulders are lightly supported by the bricks, draw your navel towards your spine, press into your hands, arms hugging in, collarbones wide, lengthen through the whole spine.

V4 - wrap a belt loop around your upper arms, from Phlankasana/Plank Pose slowly bend your elbow and lower down until your chest is lightly supported by the belt, draw your navel towards your spine, press into your hands, arms hugging in, collarbones wide, lengthen through the whole spine.

ALIGNMENT CUES
Take your time with this sequence and treat it like a mini home workshop. If you don’t have bricks use stacked books and if you don't have a belt use a scarf. These versions might take a bit of organisation but it will be well worth the set up time. They support you in the pose and give you a chance to spend a bit of time exploring what your optimum alignment feels like.

Have a read of the tips below and either print out the sequence or save it onto your device:

• From Phalakasana/Plank Pose, inhale, press out through your heels to firm your legs, draw your navel towards your spine, firm your shoulder blades onto your back, and broaden through the collarbones.

• Press into all five knuckles of your hands pull them towards your feet as you reach your chest forward. Exhale, bend your elbows, track them directly in line with your shoulders.

• Lower your chest forward and down. Lift through the upper back and spread your shoulder blades as you lower.

• Think ‘up’ as you are coming down.

• Hug your hips to the midline and squeeze your thighs. Roll your inner thighs up and reach your tailbone towards your heels.

• Draw your navel towards your spine to keep the core strong.

• Elbow stacked over wrists or a little further back toward your feet to avoid injury to the wrist or irritation to carpal tunnel syndrome.

• Keep your head in line with your spine, back of the neck long, gaze down.

To save the images for personal use click and hold down the image until the ‘save image’ option appears; on Mac hold down ‘control’ and click the image to get the option box; on PC right click on the image to get the option box. Scroll down in the ‘option box’ and click ‘save image’.

Ruth Delahunty Yogaru

Seniors mobility flow

FLEXIBILITY V’S MOBILITY
Yoga gets typecast as being all about flexibility. Yoga is not a measure of how far you can touch your toes, it is about finding mobility movements that suit you in order to keep your body moving freely in your everyday activities with longevity. Think of how a hinge works. If you repeatedly push the hinge to its furthest points it will eventually snap. On the other hand, if you don’t move the hinge at all it will get very stiff. The hinge works best when it is kept moving fluidly - the hinges of the body are no different, to work optimally they like to be regularly moved. A hinge might need oiling every now and again, but as an added bonus our clever bodies have their own built in oiling system, as long as we keep our hinges moving.

It is important to understand the difference between what is challenging but valuable for you and what might not be suitable for you. A bit of a challenge is a good thing to help maintain and build mobility and stability, and help you feel strong and well in your everyday movements, but you should feel safe within this challenge. When you find something challenging ask yourself ‘will this movement help me in my life off the mat and is it suitable for me’ – learning how to safely get up and down off the ground is a valuable life skill, working on your balance in standing poses is a valuable life skill, doing fancy picture perfect yoga poses is not a life skill!

EXPLORING SENIOR MOBILITY IN YOUR PRACTICE
This sequence is designed to help you work on your balance, keep your joints moving, maintain bone density and build muscle strength. It will gently move your spine in all directions to help spinal health and ease out any held tension. It will also help you beyond your physical body. Movement, yoga in particular, is very good for building focus, concentration and all round mental health.

We all have areas of tenderness or stiffness that need an extra bit of care and attention. The best way to approach this is to bring them onto the mat with you as part of your practice that needs to be considered rather than a hindrance. Moving slowly as you practice will give you space to listen to your body for feedback on how it is reacting to the practice. A slow practice will also build better strength and stability to all the muscles and joints of your body.

There is a lovely principle in yoga of ‘Sthira & Sukham’ which means ‘effort and ease’. Look for the effort and the ease in each pose and in each transition between poses. Take as many breaks as you need. Taking a break gives your body the chance to assimilate all the wonderful benefits of each pose in the practice and is never considered a failure of stamina in yoga.

This sequence will teach you how to get up and down from the ground. If this is difficult for you at the start place a chair at the top of your mat and use it to help support you. Props are very much a part of the yoga practice and are used in many poses to help adjust a pose to suit the student.

ALIGNMENT CUES
On the first row of the sequence you will find a guide for ‘coming down’ and ‘getting up’ from the ground. To come down to kneeling , bend your knees and press both hands into your right knee, step your left foot back and gently bring the left knee down to the ground. Then place both hands on the ground, step the right foot back and bring the right knee to the ground to a kneeling position. To get up from kneeling, step your right foot forward between your hands, press both hands onto the right knee, lift your left knee up and when you are ready step the left foot forward. Visit my YouTube channel to see a practice tips tutorial on getting up and down from the ground and how to incorporate a chair to help you if needed. Use these through your practice to help you come down and get up as needed. You will also find a ‘½ Sury’ these are optional extras at the start of each mini flow. Start your practice by coming down to the ground and lying on your back, with your hands on your belly, and take a few rounds of Viloma breath. Viloma breath breaks the exhale into three and helps to naturally lengthen the breath without tension – inhale completely, then exhale, pause, exhale, exhale pause the full breath. Take two to three regular breaths to prepare you for your movement practice.

• You can practice the whole sequence or dip into a few of the mini flows which are indicated by arrowed lines.

• You flow through these connected poses on the right side first (right foot forward) and then take those poses on the left side (left foot forward).

• If you encounter a pose that doesn’t feel right for you simply skip it and move onto the next pose.

• As you move try not to get caught up too much on whether it should be an inhale or an exhale, just don’t forget to keep breathing!

• If there is a pose that you’re not sure of you can find all 108 poses in my asana section. You can narrow down your search by clicking into the asana families in the bar on the right.

• Take plenty of rests during the practice in either Balasana/Child’s Pose or Tadasana/Mountain.

• Take a few minutes at the end of your practice in Savasana/Corpse to give yourself a chance to get reenter your day.

To save the images for personal use click and hold down the image until the ‘save image’ option appears; on Mac hold down ‘control’ and click the image to get the option box; on PC right click on the image to get the option box. Scroll down in the ‘option box’ and click ‘save image’.

Ruth Delahunty Yogaru

A gentle morning flow

ROUTINE, ROUTINE, ROUTINE
Starting your day with a morning movement routine is the best way to get the day started physically and mentally. It gets rid of stagnation and brings mobility and stability back after a prolonged static period of sleep. Starting the day with your practice ensures that it is consistently part of your routine and doesn’t get lost on a busy day. Gentle movement realigns the spine and helps you to stand, walk and sit more comfortably throughout the day with awareness of your posture. This more upright posture has a very positive effect on your mood and creates emotional openness for the day. Embedding a self care routine into your day cultivates a sense of calm, makes you feel more cared for and listened to – and in return makes you more caring and available to listen to others too. You are also more inclined to make healthy choices throughout your day when you have started with some self care.

Before each morning practice take a few moments to work out how your practice can support you today. Ask yourself what do you need physically? What do you need mentally? What are your energy levels? What is your mood today? What are your limitations? What is the rest of your day like? Where do you need mobility? Where do you need stability? You may not easily have the answer to each question but it will help remind you if you have an injury you are minding, if you need to go easy because you have a full day ahead or if you are dealing with something else in life that might require you to be extra kind to yourself.

THE BENEFITS OF A MORNING PRACTICE
Morning yoga stimulates the gut, promotes good digestion for the day, boosts the metabolism, builds a strong immune system, balances hormones, tones your muscles, improves posture and spine health, gives you energy, improves circulation, supports good heart health, builds healthy lungs and most importantly is proven to make you happier! Breath awareness in yoga triggers the ‘rest, restore and digest’ nervous system through the vagus nerve which runs from the brain stem down the spine. When this conscious breath is practiced as part of your daily routine it rewires your brain to naturally reach for this calmer reaction rather than a ‘flight or flight’ response to situations. In this calmer state of mind you are focused and able to make informed decisions.

WARMING UP
Before you start it is good to gently warm up all the joints and muscles – like you are politely asking them permission to move. Warmed up muscles will be more obliging and supple. Your muscles are like Blutac – if you spend a bit of time gently lengthening and contracting the fibres of the muscles they become more stretchy and smooth. If you pull Blutac without warming it up first it will rip in two!

In the sequence there are two different ways you will warm up the muscles. The first, which you will be more familiar with, is through a series of gentle mobilising movements at the very start of the practice. The second way is with isometric contraction, or by actively pressing against a surface until you feel a warm sensation in the muscles. In the following poses after the initial warm up you will find three isometric poses – Tadasana/Mountain, Plankasana/Plank & Utkatasana/Chair. These poses will strengthen and warm up your muscles by using a pressing action into the ground. These three foundational poses are very strong poses when they are approached by actively pressing into the ground, hugging the muscles to your midline and drawing your navel towards your spine.

EXPLORING A GENTLE MORNING FLOW IN YOUR PRACTICE
There are two main aims, from a physical point of view, you want to achieve in your morning practice – mobility and stability (flexibility & strength). This sequence will gently mobilise all the joints and surrounding muscles first before progressing towards actively stabilising them.

You will also tap into the calming effect of yoga and embed it into our mindframe for the day ahead. You will do this by bringing your attention to the breath before you start which will give you an anchor to come back to when you get distracted with your ‘to do’ lists throughout your practice (which is completely natural and part of the practice!). Sit in a comfortable seated position with the hips raised on a brick or a cushion. Place one hand on your heart and one hand on your belly. Start by just noticing the breath before you change it in any way. Is it short, is it long, is it more in the chest or can you feel it in the belly too – notice without judgement. Close your eyes and visualise a box. You will use this box to gently guide a full breath using the count of four for each inhale, pause and exhale, pause. Starting at the left corner of your box, inhale for the count of four and travel across the top of the box, pause for the count of four and travel down the right side of the box, inhale across the bottom of the box, pause and travel up the left side of the box back to the start. Continue to draw the box with your breath for ten to twenty rounds or set a timer for 5 to 10 minutes. The more in tune you become with your breath, and learn how to tap into this simple technique, the more it will help you in your day to day life off the mat. Now you are ready to start the movement part of your practice.

ALIGNMENT CUES
Moving slow and keeping it simple builds strength and stability in the joints and the surrounding muscles. In some of the mini flows in the sequence there are two poses linked together with a ‘x3’. You will move in and out of these two poses using the ‘+’ and ‘-’ breath cues and then settle into your version of the second pose. This fluid movement will help the muscles to hold the pose more comfortably and help you find which muscles are stretching and which you are strengthening in the pose.

Have a read of the tips below and either print out the sequence or save it onto your device:

• In the first four warm up poses on row one sit up on a brick or a cushion to align and lengthen through the spine first.

• After cat/cow, bring your knees together first for balance then starting on the right side lift your leg to hip height and bend your knee. Circle your knee for your hip circles, straighten and bend your knee for your knee kicks and keep the knee bent to do the ankle circles.

• Before each mini flow, which are indicated between the arrowed lines, run through ‘mini flow a’ and ‘mini flow b’. Use downward dog to link your flows.

• Incorporate at least 2 minutes for Savasana at the end of your practice to assimilate the practice and get yourself mentally ready for the day ahead.

To save the images for personal use click and hold down the image until the ‘save image’ option appears; on Mac hold down ‘control’ and click the image to get the option box; on PC right click on the image to get the option box. Scroll down in the ‘option box’ and click ‘save image’.

Ruth Delahunty Yogaru