DETAIL + DEPTH | Once the hamstrings are prepared, along with external rotation at the hip with a straight leg, learn the proper alignment of arm balances with this difficult but essential pose. While Tadasana is the blueprint for all Standing Poses (and can be for all poses in general) and Dandasana for Seated Poses, learning Chaturanga Dandasana can inform the shoulders, spine, and hands of what is necessary for weight-bearing in the hands.
Try this 3-part exercise. With the toes curled under and feet against the wall, place two blocks under the pelvis and lower ribs below the chest. Walk the hands back near the waist. Stretch and flatten the thumbs, and press the inner hands down. Stay here and feel the geometry of the pose. Fingers point forward, wrists below elbows and shoulders lifting as high as the elbows. This in of itself is a challenging pose.
Next, keep these actions and lift the hands off the floor. Feel how much the upper back must engage. If appropriate, place a third block under the forehead for support. Lift the abdomen away from the floor and press the inner heels back. Stay and breathe.
Finally, release the hands to the floor and lift and hover the body over the blocks. Use the heels against the wall for support. Keep the pose low and look forward. Stay and breathe.
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