RAVI DIXIT IS THE MAN ON THE MAT
Vasisthasana (Side Plank)
Benefits
Vasisthasana is a challenging arm balance with many benefits:
- It strengthens the wrists, arms, shoulders, spine and abdominal muscles.
- Enhances core strength.
- Tones the arms, shoulders and legs.
- Improves balance, concentration and focus.
- Opens the chest, lungs and heart area.
- Boosts overall strength and energy in the body.
Common mistakes
- Resting the weight in the wrist and letting the hips sink towards the mat.
- If you feel too much pressure in your wrist, adjust the position of the arms slightly in front of the shoulder, instead of straight under it.
- Lift the hips up, away from the mat to create a strong alignment in the body.
- The upper arm and hand should be active, stretched out and in line with the lower arm.
Tips
- Before doing this pose, it’s very important to always warm up the shoulders and wrists with simple warm-up poses (sukshma asana).
- If it’s hard to maintain balance, you can bring your top foot down on the floor in front of or behind your bottom leg.
Awareness
This pose requires concentration to maintain strength and balance while focusing on the correct alignment of the body. And remember to breathe.
Ravi Dixit is an Indian yoga teacher living in London, passionate about making traditional yoga understandable for everyone. Visit: ravi.yoga or connect on Instagram @raviyoga_goa
Om Magazine
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