Welcome to Day One of the

21-Day Yoga Challenge:

Pose a Day

Today’s Pose is:

Phalakasana or Plank Pose.

What a way to start! Yes, this is a challenging pose, but it gets easier because you get stronger each time you practice it. While our challenge is not about stringing the poses together day after day, I do encourage you to do this pose each day for the next 21 days and feel your strength build!

This pose is shown with the palm of the hands on the floor which is the traditional execution of the pose. However, I suggest you add to your practice by performing with the

Forearms on the floor. Shoulders over the elbows. Hands lightly interlaced

The Cues: Engage your abdominal muscles. In variation with forearms on the floor: press forearms down, contract triceps to lift, broaden  your shoulder blades. Tuck toes and lift knees off the floor. Option to keep knees to the floor but continue the other cues: engage core, press down through forearms, lift up the triceps. 

While there are more cues to offer, this is a good start. If you practice each day, begin by holding the pose for 10 seconds and then add five seconds a day. You can also add on to your cues with these thoughts: contract thighs to draw toward hamstrings and keep you from collapsing in the lower body; press heels back to help activate legs; keep shoulder blades broad and chest lifting away from mat to stabilize and strengthen shoulder cuff.  

The Benefits: the top benefits can be a strong core and spinal muscles. This is also a great pose (with the forearm version) to stabilize the shoulder cuff region. It is a critical pose to practice in preparation for all poses that require abdominal strength, which is just about 90 percent of yoga poses and every day living activities! 

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