Vashisthasana I
Manipura min - YogPlan

Solar Plexus Chakra (Manipura)

Intermidate

Vashisthasana I

Side Plank Pose

(va-sis-ta-sun )

Meaning: vasistha = sage named Vasishtha

Table of content

Preparation

Sit in Vajrasana. Come into tabletop position – palms on the floor with wrists under shoulders, knees together, feet together flat on the floor. Inhale, exhale, and relax.

Getting into position

Step 1. Come into a plank position – hands under shoulders (shoulder-distance apart), legs straight, heels pressed backward, buttocks in line with legs and spine. Roll onto the outside edge of your left foot, bringing the right foot on top of the left. Adjust your left hand (arm straight) directly under left shoulder, rotate the bicep (inside of upper arm) inward. Position your left hip on top of right, and bring your right hand to your right hip. Keep a straight line from your legs to your head.

Step 2. Inhale. Exhaling, bend your right knee and grab your big toe (or several toes) with your right hand. Inhaling, lift your right foot up and straighten your leg. Activate the arms and glute muscles, and keep the legs, hips, shoulders, arms, and neck all in line with each other. Look straight, to the side, or up at the sky. Hold for a few moments to allow the body to adjust. Inhale. Exhaling, stretch and straighten farther. Hold with normal breathing for around 30 seconds.

Coming out of position

Slightly relax the body. Inhale. Exhaling, lower your right foot down over the left, release your right hand to the thigh, then to the floor, balancing your weight equally on both arms. Roll back into a plank position. Come back into tabletop position. Inhale, exhale, and relax. Repeat on the other side.

Tips

  • Press into your fingers to take pressure off your wrist.
  • Focus the eyes on a fixed point in front of you for balance.
  • Keep the hips lifted and the abdominal muscles engaged; do not allow your hips to sink.
  • Press the inside of the bottom foot toward the floor (away from you) to help keep the leg straight.
  • Activate entire supporting leg, glute muscles, sides, abdominal muscles, shoulders, and arms.
  • If you feel any pain while coming out, come down by any careful and safe method.

Precautions

Avoid

If you have chronic/serious wrist, elbow, shoulder, or sciatic nerve problems.

Be careful

If you have weak wrists; or elbow, shoulder, hip, sciatic nerve, or ankle issues.

Benefits

General

  • Opens the hips.
  • Stretches hamstrings, calf muscles, achilles tendon (back of ankle).
  • Strengthens wrists, arms, shoulders, abdominal muscles, hips, glute muscles, legs.
  • Improves balance and concentration.

Therapeutic

Helps with thyroid/parathyroid disorders, insomnia.

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