1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:02,536 - Hey everyone, and welcome to Yoga With Adriene. 2 00:00:02,536 --> 00:00:07,344 I am Adriene and today we are going to learn Plank Pose. 3 00:00:07,344 --> 00:00:11,248 Plank is very common in a lot of active Hatha yoga classes 4 00:00:11,248 --> 00:00:13,010 and so today we're gonna break it down 5 00:00:13,010 --> 00:00:15,225 and learn the proper way to build strength 6 00:00:15,225 --> 00:00:19,109 and be happy in Plank. So hop on the mat. 7 00:00:19,109 --> 00:00:23,357 (upbeat music) 8 00:00:29,557 --> 00:00:32,339 Okay, so we're going to begin on all fours. 9 00:00:34,768 --> 00:00:36,703 Taking a second before we break down Plank 10 00:00:36,703 --> 00:00:40,584 to just kind of connect to this integration 11 00:00:40,584 --> 00:00:42,920 in the body that I feel like is so necessary in Plank 12 00:00:42,920 --> 00:00:44,508 so it's not just about strength. 13 00:00:44,508 --> 00:00:46,083 In fact, a lot of people think that 14 00:00:46,083 --> 00:00:48,482 they don't have the arm strength to do Plank 15 00:00:48,482 --> 00:00:53,186 and it's more than just these babies it's from head to tail. 16 00:00:54,218 --> 00:00:56,990 So, we come to all fours. 17 00:00:56,990 --> 00:00:58,228 Wrists underneath the shoulders, 18 00:00:58,228 --> 00:01:00,127 knees directly underneath the hips. 19 00:01:00,127 --> 00:01:01,719 Just take a second here to press into the tops 20 00:01:01,719 --> 00:01:04,097 of the feet, and let the knees hover. 21 00:01:04,097 --> 00:01:05,589 And then just notice what happens here. 22 00:01:05,589 --> 00:01:08,035 Does the head hang low? Do we collapse into the shoulders? 23 00:01:08,035 --> 00:01:10,304 What do you have to do to really come into your body, 24 00:01:10,304 --> 00:01:12,279 crown to the head, tip of the tailbone. 25 00:01:12,279 --> 00:01:13,901 Couple of action points here. 26 00:01:13,901 --> 00:01:16,009 I'm gonna press up and out of the palms. 27 00:01:16,009 --> 00:01:19,056 The tendency is gonna be to roll to the outer edges of the hands. 28 00:01:19,056 --> 00:01:22,793 I wanna really focus on pressing through the index finger 29 00:01:22,793 --> 00:01:25,586 and thumb and all this fleshy area. 30 00:01:25,586 --> 00:01:28,288 Fleshy area, hey-oh, in between. 31 00:01:28,288 --> 00:01:31,124 One, that's gonna alleviate any undue pressure on the wrist. 32 00:01:31,124 --> 00:01:34,695 Two, it's gonna help me press in, up and out of my arms 33 00:01:34,695 --> 00:01:36,326 so that I can create space in the shoulder blades, 34 00:01:36,326 --> 00:01:38,178 so not collapsing into the shoulders. 35 00:01:38,178 --> 00:01:39,750 So, before we go into the full posture, 36 00:01:39,750 --> 00:01:42,436 let's just practice that here on all fours. 37 00:01:43,267 --> 00:01:45,983 Maybe on an exhale, find your breath. 38 00:01:45,983 --> 00:01:49,743 Pressing in the tops of the feet, let the knees hover. 39 00:01:49,743 --> 00:01:50,739 Couple of action points: 40 00:01:50,739 --> 00:01:52,009 pressing up and out of the palms, 41 00:01:52,009 --> 00:01:53,524 index finger and thumbs. 42 00:01:53,524 --> 00:01:56,583 Tops of the shoulder also roll out and away from the ears. 43 00:01:56,583 --> 00:01:57,865 Check in with your belly. 44 00:01:57,865 --> 00:02:00,444 Drawing that navel up towards the spine. 45 00:02:00,444 --> 00:02:01,979 And then gaze is straight down 46 00:02:01,979 --> 00:02:03,877 so we're not crunching the back of the neck here. 47 00:02:03,877 --> 00:02:05,856 We're not forgetting about the head and neck. 48 00:02:05,856 --> 00:02:09,129 So remembering the neck as an extension, 49 00:02:09,129 --> 00:02:10,738 a natural extension of the spine. 50 00:02:10,738 --> 00:02:14,267 Pressing into the full area of the palm. 51 00:02:14,267 --> 00:02:17,305 Might begin to feel that warmth or that tremble. 52 00:02:18,832 --> 00:02:20,557 And then on an exhale, 53 00:02:20,557 --> 00:02:22,943 we're following your breath, we release. 54 00:02:22,943 --> 00:02:27,014 Can take a second to just notice the sensations in the body 55 00:02:27,014 --> 00:02:29,747 and let's send it up for Downward Facing Dog. 56 00:02:29,747 --> 00:02:31,815 Just how we'll head into our Plank today, 57 00:02:31,815 --> 00:02:33,797 which is also how we head into Plank 58 00:02:33,797 --> 00:02:38,769 in most Hatha yoga classes. Of course, no class is the same, 59 00:02:38,769 --> 00:02:41,287 and there's no right or wrong way, but, 60 00:02:41,287 --> 00:02:43,263 typically, we'll come into 61 00:02:43,263 --> 00:02:46,690 this from Downward Facing Dog. 62 00:02:46,690 --> 00:02:49,750 So from here, I'm gonna bring my awareness to my hands. 63 00:02:49,750 --> 00:02:53,273 Again, Hasta Bandha, the hand-to-earth connection. 64 00:02:53,273 --> 00:02:55,452 Pressing into all 10 fingerprints, 65 00:02:55,452 --> 00:02:58,412 and the area between the index finger and thumb. 66 00:02:58,412 --> 00:03:00,110 Now, bring your awareness to your belly. 67 00:03:00,110 --> 00:03:02,783 Hug that navel up towards your spine 68 00:03:02,783 --> 00:03:07,211 as we rock forward, arms perpendicular to the earth. 69 00:03:07,211 --> 00:03:10,427 I'm gonna bring my shoulders right above my wrist. 70 00:03:10,427 --> 00:03:12,122 So I don't want them to go in front, 71 00:03:12,122 --> 00:03:13,817 I want them to stack right above. 72 00:03:13,817 --> 00:03:16,757 Ah, and here I am. Now, going through our checklist. 73 00:03:16,757 --> 00:03:19,166 Crown of the head is extending forward. 74 00:03:19,166 --> 00:03:22,235 Tops of the shoulders looping out and away from the ears. 75 00:03:22,235 --> 00:03:24,037 I'm pressing up and out of the palms, 76 00:03:24,037 --> 00:03:26,336 seeing if I can really create space between my shoulder 77 00:03:26,336 --> 00:03:29,076 blades here, so I'm not collapsing into the bones here. 78 00:03:29,076 --> 00:03:32,079 Ooh, that's hard, but I'm pressing up and out. 79 00:03:32,079 --> 00:03:34,414 Now, sitbone-to-heel connection. I'm really extending 80 00:03:34,414 --> 00:03:37,317 through my heels here, tucking the pelvis. 81 00:03:37,317 --> 00:03:39,203 If you feel any pressure in your lower back, 82 00:03:39,203 --> 00:03:40,831 send that tail towards your heels, 83 00:03:40,831 --> 00:03:42,586 elongate in the lower back. 84 00:03:42,586 --> 00:03:45,078 Again, not collapsing but pressing up and out. 85 00:03:45,078 --> 00:03:46,116 Don't forget to breathe here. 86 00:03:46,116 --> 00:03:47,671 We tend to hold the breath here. 87 00:03:48,162 --> 00:03:50,357 No bueno, breathe. 88 00:03:51,899 --> 00:03:53,667 Nice and long in the back of the neck, 89 00:03:53,667 --> 00:03:54,925 extending the base of the skull 90 00:03:54,925 --> 00:03:57,014 towards the front of the mat. 91 00:03:57,014 --> 00:04:00,370 And on an exhale I can lower the knees. 92 00:04:00,370 --> 00:04:03,494 And send it back for a rest, Extended Child's Pose. 93 00:04:03,494 --> 00:04:06,246 Feel free to turn the palms face up here and breathe. 94 00:04:06,246 --> 00:04:08,915 Can rock the hips a little, gently side to side. 95 00:04:10,401 --> 00:04:14,545 And then we dive in for more. Variations. 96 00:04:14,545 --> 00:04:16,516 There's always tons and tons of variations. 97 00:04:16,516 --> 00:04:18,592 Hence, the word variation. 98 00:04:18,592 --> 00:04:20,687 But I just want to offer a couple here. 99 00:04:20,687 --> 00:04:22,629 We can do a half push up, so in Plank 100 00:04:22,629 --> 00:04:25,192 we're at top of a push up here. 101 00:04:25,192 --> 00:04:28,034 I can lower the knees, and make adjustments. 102 00:04:28,034 --> 00:04:30,250 Tucking my pelvis in, really sitching that navel 103 00:04:30,250 --> 00:04:34,131 towards the spine here. Shifting my heart forward. 104 00:04:34,131 --> 00:04:35,812 If you want to get shmancy on me you can 105 00:04:35,812 --> 00:04:39,446 cross the ankles here. Whew, doesn't matter. 106 00:04:40,130 --> 00:04:41,689 What matters is that we're aware 107 00:04:41,689 --> 00:04:43,850 all the way through the toes as I tuck my pelvis, 108 00:04:43,850 --> 00:04:46,697 same thing here, tendency is to collapse into the shoulders. 109 00:04:46,697 --> 00:04:49,456 I wanna press up and out of the shoulders here. 110 00:04:49,456 --> 00:04:52,055 Find that long, beautiful neck. 111 00:04:52,055 --> 00:04:54,995 Gaze is down in-between the index fingers. 112 00:04:54,995 --> 00:04:56,743 And here I'm getting the same benefits of Plank. 113 00:04:56,743 --> 00:04:58,518 I'm building that strength from the crown of the head 114 00:04:58,518 --> 00:05:00,400 to the tip of the tailbone, 115 00:05:00,400 --> 00:05:03,477 in the abdominal wall, in the arms. 116 00:05:03,477 --> 00:05:05,872 But I'm doing it with good alignment, with integrity. 117 00:05:07,908 --> 00:05:10,674 Can start at Half Plank, and then slowly 118 00:05:10,674 --> 00:05:13,936 build up to full Plank. 119 00:05:17,384 --> 00:05:20,823 For people with carpal tunnel, or wrist issues, 120 00:05:21,602 --> 00:05:24,891 we can go on the elbows here, so, same thing. 121 00:05:24,891 --> 00:05:26,993 Elbows directly above the shoulders, fingertips 122 00:05:26,993 --> 00:05:28,889 pointing forward, and come to Plank here. 123 00:05:28,889 --> 00:05:32,966 This is actually a little bit harder. For me, I should say. 124 00:05:34,381 --> 00:05:36,303 Nice, straight line. 125 00:05:38,088 --> 00:05:40,106 Make sure you're not collapsing into those shoulders, 126 00:05:40,106 --> 00:05:42,609 particularly for those wrists. Make sure we're pressing up 127 00:05:42,609 --> 00:05:44,778 and out, so we're taking all that weight off the shoulders, 128 00:05:44,778 --> 00:05:47,487 which gets me off the wrists, and we're also not taking 129 00:05:47,487 --> 00:05:49,850 the shoulders in front of the wrists, make sure the bones 130 00:05:49,850 --> 00:05:51,805 are stacked, in your favor. 131 00:05:53,120 --> 00:05:57,190 To rest, we take it back, Extended Child's Pose. 132 00:06:01,141 --> 00:06:03,300 Okey-doke, so that was Plank Pose. 133 00:06:03,300 --> 00:06:06,703 Plank is awesome because we build strength in the front body 134 00:06:06,703 --> 00:06:11,404 and the back body at the same time. Yoga! 135 00:06:11,404 --> 00:06:15,976 Which means, one, we're building strength in the body, 136 00:06:15,976 --> 00:06:20,080 but also we're aiming towards healthier spinal support, 137 00:06:20,080 --> 00:06:22,404 so, better posture, 138 00:06:22,404 --> 00:06:25,386 and hopefully less back pain. 139 00:06:26,106 --> 00:06:28,355 Great for the abs, and tons of benefits, which I'll list 140 00:06:28,355 --> 00:06:31,057 on the blog. So visit the blog, yogawithadriene.com, 141 00:06:31,057 --> 00:06:33,793 If you haven't subscribed, please do, subscribe 142 00:06:33,793 --> 00:06:35,996 to the channel, Like Yoga With Adriene on Facebook 143 00:06:35,996 --> 00:06:38,872 so you don't miss anything, and I'll see you next time. 144 00:06:38,872 --> 00:06:41,167 Thank you. Namaste. 145 00:06:41,167 --> 00:06:45,605 (upbeat music) 146 00:06:53,413 --> 00:06:55,839 Also, I wanted to thank my very special friend, Sam Webber, 147 00:06:55,839 --> 00:06:59,192 for giving me this tank top that I wore today on the mat. 148 00:06:59,192 --> 00:07:01,354 Thank you Sam! Love you!