Chaturanga
What Is the Chaturanga?
Chaturanga is a compound exercise that primarily targets the triceps and also engages the chest, the front of the shoulders, the serratus anterior and the abdominal wall. It is an intermediate-level movement: a low plank in which the body hovers in one straight line just above the floor, supported only on the hands and toes, with the elbows bent and held tight against the ribs.
Chaturanga is one of the most repeated poses in vinyasa and Ashtanga yoga. It is the fourth pose of Sun Salutation A, where it links the high plank to Upward Dog and then Downward Dog, and it appears three times in every round of Sun Salutation B. Because a single flow class can pass through it dozens of times, the quality of each repetition matters more than its difficulty suggests. Outside the yoga studio it works as a bodyweight hold for pressing strength and a stiff, well-braced trunk.
The pose looks like the bottom of a push-up, but the details shift the work. The body moves forward onto the toes so the shoulders travel past the wrists, the elbows stay pointed back along the sides of the body, and the forearms finish vertical with the hands beside the lower ribs. That narrow, elbows-in position puts most of the load on the triceps, while the chest and front deltoids hold the shoulders level with the elbows and the serratus anterior keeps the shoulder blades from collapsing together. The trunk has to stay rigid as well: an EMG study of 30 healthy yoga practitioners picked out the low plank, along with the high plank and Downward Dog, as effective poses for working the external obliques. Lowering the knees to the floor shortens the lever and makes the pose much lighter, and lowering only partway reduces the demand on the elbows.
Chaturanga suits anyone practicing flow-style yoga who wants a cleaner, more sustainable vinyasa, and trainees who want an elbows-in pressing hold that builds triceps and shoulder endurance. If the shoulders sink below the elbows or the hips drop, build up first with a steady Plank, Kneeling Push-Ups with the elbows close to the body, and the knees-down version of the pose itself.
Muscles Worked
- Deltoid
- High
- External Oblique
- High
- Pectoralis Major
- High
- Rectus Abdominis
- Medium
- Rectus Femoris
- Medium
Instructions
- Start in a high plank with your hands under your shoulders, fingers spread, arms straight, legs straight and toes tucked under.
- Brace your abdomen and thighs so your body forms one straight line from head to heels.
- Shift your body forward onto the tips of your toes until your shoulders move slightly ahead of your wrists.
- Bend your elbows and lower your body as one unit, keeping the elbows pointing straight back and brushing the sides of your ribs.
- Stop when your upper arms are parallel to the floor, your elbows are bent to about 90 degrees and your forearms are vertical.
- Hover with your body parallel to the floor, shoulders level with your elbows, chest broad and gaze slightly forward.
- Hold for the planned time while breathing steadily, without letting your hips sag or lift.
- To finish, lower gently to the floor, press back up to the high plank, or roll over your toes into Upward Dog if you are flowing.
Common Mistakes
Shoulders dropping below the elbows
Lowering until the shoulders sink below elbow height shifts the load onto the front of the shoulder joint, so stop with the upper arms parallel to the floor.
Elbows flaring out
Letting the elbows drift away from the ribs turns the pose into a wide push-up and twists the shoulder joint, so keep them pointing straight back.
Skipping the forward shift
Bending the elbows straight down from the plank leaves the hands too far forward and the forearms slanted, which loads the shoulders instead of the triceps, so move forward onto the toes first until the shoulders pass the wrists.
Sagging or piking hips
Hips that drop strain the lower back and hips that lift take the trunk out of the pose, so keep the body in one straight line from head to heels.
Chest collapsing between the shoulder blades
Letting the upper back sink lets the shoulders roll forward, so keep the chest broad and push the floor away gently while you hold.
Injuries
Chaturanga is a medium risk exercise when performed with proper technique. The front of the shoulder takes most of the strain. When the shoulders sink below the height of the elbows, or the elbows flare out to the sides, the load moves off the triceps and onto the front of the shoulder joint and the rotator cuff. One rep like that rarely causes harm, but vinyasa classes repeat the pose many times, so a small fault can build into an overuse problem. The wrists also bear weight in deep extension, and the lower back is stressed when the hips sag toward the floor.
To stay safe, shift forward before you bend the elbows so the forearms finish vertical, keep the elbows pointing back along the ribs, and stop the descent with the shoulders level with the elbows rather than lower. Keep the abdomen and thighs firm so the body stays in one line, and spread the fingers and press through the knuckles to share the load across the hands.
To regress, lower the knees to the mat and keep the same elbow and shoulder alignment, lower only partway, or rest the front of the ribs on a yoga block. A Plank and Kneeling Push-Ups build the strength the full pose needs. To progress, lower slowly from the high plank, then hold the bottom position for longer while the shoulders stay level with the elbows, and later add elbows-in pressing work such as the Diamond Push-Up.
Stop if you feel sharp or pinching pain at the front of the shoulder, pain or clicking deep in the joint, or wrist pain that lingers after the session, and stop the set when you can no longer keep the shoulders level with the elbows.
- Primary Focus
- Triceps
- Equipment
- Body weight
- Modality
- Yoga
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
Alternative Exercises
Other Names for the Chaturanga
The Chaturanga is also known as:
- Chaturanga Dandasana
- Four-Limbed Staff Pose
Frequently Asked Questions
- Q: Is Chaturanga the same as a push-up?
Not quite. Chaturanga resembles the bottom of a narrow Push-Up, but the body shifts forward so the hands end up beside the lower ribs, the elbows stay tight to the sides, and the position is held or flowed into Upward Dog rather than pressed back up.
- Q: How long should I hold Chaturanga?
In a flow it usually lasts a single exhale on the way to Upward Dog. As a strength hold, start with 5 to 10 seconds and build toward 20 to 30 seconds, ending the set as soon as the shoulders drop below the elbows.
- Q: Is it okay to do Chaturanga with my knees down?
Yes. Lowering the knees reduces the load while you keep the same tucked elbows and level shoulders, which builds the full pose far better than collapsing through it. It is a different pose from knees-chest-chin, where the chest and chin come down to the floor and the hips stay lifted.
- Q: Can I skip Chaturanga in a vinyasa flow?
Yes. A common option is to lower from the high plank all the way to the belly with the knees down, then press into Cobra Pose instead of Upward Dog, which is a good choice on days your shoulders or wrists feel irritated.
- Q: Why do my wrists hurt in Chaturanga?
The wrists bear body weight while bent back sharply, and the forward shift adds to that angle. Spread the fingers wide, press through the knuckles and the base of the index finger, warm the wrists up first, and use the knees-down version to reduce the load while they adapt.