Here’s another “ouch” of a misalignment in motion. I see this ALL the time. In the Surya Namaskar A Vinyasa I’ll have students jumping back into Plank then lower down into Chaturanga. Yup, jumping back to Plank!…pain ripples through my body just from typing that.
Teachers… NEVER say “jump back to Plank” and students please, NEVER jump back to Plank! Landing in Plank (with straight arms) puts too much stress on the wrists, shoulder joints and lower back. Once we have the strength and body control to perform the jump back, do so only by transitioning directly into Chaturganga. The Plank pose is eliminated in this flow. So how do we jump from Ardha Uttanasana to Chaturanga with good alignment, integrity and some shock absorption…?
Here’s a short video detailing how this is done.
Elizabeth
nice post and video Amy. I do hear some teachers advise not to jump back to plank but I still see it all the time. So glad to see someone articulate placement of shoulders in line with elbows and you had perfect right angles at the elbows and wrists. So pretty when it’s done right!
Susan
excellant explanation and helps to watch each step! Xoxo