Struggling to Come into Chaturanga? You Need These Essential Exercises.

"Chaturanga, sometimes called a "yoga push-up," is a humbling exercise. One moment you're in class, moving along with the rest of the group. The next moment, the teacher cues Chaturanga and everyone seems to lower their bodies as a single, steady unit. Meanwhile, you might still be negotiating the position of your wrists, struggling to support your bodyweight against gravity, and thinking, "Wait...since when are we doing push-ups in yoga?""

"Chaturanga Dandasana is essentially Plank Pose, or the top of a push-up, but with your elbows bent, and it's a position that's repeated again and again in vinyasa and Ashtanga-style practices. It's commonly translated from Sanskrit as "Four-Limbed Staff Pose," and the word staff matters. In Chaturanga, the goal isn't to quickly drop into position. Instead, you're training your body to stay lengthened and solid like a staff as you lower with control."

Chaturanga is a bent-elbow plank variant performed repeatedly in vinyasa and Ashtanga flows that emphasizes controlled lowering and a lengthened, staff-like alignment. The Sanskrit translation Four-Limbed Staff Pose highlights the goal of maintaining solid, linear support rather than collapsing. The movement traces back to traditional Indian dands, repetitive push-up variations used to build stamina, coordination, shoulder stability, and whole-body endurance. Successful Chaturanga requires wrists to bear weight, the core to support the lower back, shoulders to stabilize, and recruitment of triceps, chest, quads, and glutes. Regular, preparatory yoga practice builds the control and muscular endurance needed to perform Chaturanga safely.

Read at Yoga Journal