Gruninger: Strength Pose Of The Month Side Arm Plank

Submitted by Carol A. Clark
on February 6, 2022
- 5:25 pm

By JACCI GRUNINGER, MS, C-IAYT, ERYT500
Los Alamos

Balance, strength and grace. We all want it don’t we?

Okay, maybe I am only looking for the combination of those three things. Side Arm Plank Pose, to me, is the epitome of these three characteristics. I remember when this pose was out of my league and so difficult.

Yes, even yoga teachers have to start somewhere. However, with patience first, then practice, I also remember the day I moved into this posture with confidence and ease.

It was incredible (I’ll admit it took me a year) to feel myself float from down dog or plank into side arm plank without a struggle and without using a modification. You, too can accomplish this (if you want)!

Take your time, practice a little bit every other day and see what happens.

The name, Vasisthasana, comes from one of the oldest Vedic sages who is said to have helped King Ram, an incarnation of Vishnu, gain clarity through his clouded vision.

This pose also is good for being with discomfort or what we in yoga call, chalana. Stay present, embrace the shaking, breathing and quaking.

Before diving into the ways to do the posture, let’s look at why we should do Side Arm Plank:

Benefits of Side Arm Plank
Shoulder stability and strength (unlike Chaturanga which can harm the shoulder)
Strengthens the core (including strengthening side hip muscles!)
Strengthens the wrist
Strengthens the legs
Enhances balance
Focuses concentration (it’s a bit hard to think about anything else but staying up and breathing)
Strengthens the deep spinal muscles (quadratus lumborum)

To get started:

Begin table position (all fours) and move into Plank Pose.
Roll onto the outside edge of your right foot, and stack your left foot on top of your right.
Place your left hand onto your left hip, and roll your torso to the left as you do.
Make a long diagonal line from the crown of your head to the soles of your feet.
Press out through your feet, out through the crown and lift your lower hip up.
Draw your left arm toward the ceiling, palm facing the left and reach through your fingertips.
Allow your eye gaze/head to look toward the left or look down.
Stay here for 6-10 breaths, release to plank and repeat on the other side.

Knee Down Side Arm Plank

Come into table position (all fours)
Slide your right foot/lower leg to the right (off your mat a bit)
Press into your right hand, shift your weight into the arm/hand and right leg
Lift your left hand to your hip and extend your top leg (left leg) pressing your foot into the floor
Press your left foot into the floor and reach your left hand toward the sky.
Lift your lower ribs and engage your abdominal wall.
Stay long from your crown to your left foot.
Take 6-10 breaths here and then return to table position and repeat on the other side.

Other Options

Kickstand Version
Come into Plank pose and step your right foot forward in line with your left knee.
Swivel and drop your hips to the left and you roll to the outside of your left foot and bring your right hand to your hip.
Press into your right foot to lift the hips and ribcage and reach out through your left foot.
Take 6-10 breaths and repeat on the other side.

On the Wall

Stand with your right hip to a wall.
Place your right hand on the wall just below your shoulder and step about a leg’s distance from the wall so you feel like you are at a slight diagonal stand to the wall. Your inside foot should bear most of the weight.
Press into and away from the wall with your right hand.
Reach your left arm out at a diagonal from your body and reach away.
Press your hips away from the wall and engage the abdominal wall.
Stay here for 6-10 breaths and then repeat on the other side.

Jacci Gruninger is a Certified Yoga Therapist and Thai Yoga Massage Therapist. She has been teaching for more than two decades and spent 12 of those years training yoga teachers for the Pranakriya School of Yoga Healing Arts. She regularly helps clients manage the ups and downs of life with yoga, meditation, breathwork and bodywork. Her Yoga Therapy Center is at 190 Central Park Square #212. For her in person and online teaching schedule and information on her other services, visit www.yogawithjacci.com.