Plank Pose (Phalakasana)
Phalaka means plank or board and asana means posture. The body holds one long, firm line from the crown of the head to the heels, like a board resting on two supports.
At a glance
- Sanskrit name
- Phalakasana
- Pronunciation
- pah-luh-KAHS-uh-nuh. Four syllables before the asana, with the stress on the third.
- Family
- Arm balances
- Practised in
- Vinyasa yoga
- In pregnancy
- Adapt
- After birth
- Adapt
Plank is the doorway between standing and lying down in most Vinyasa sequences, and it shows up in every Sun Salutation. It is a strength posture more than a flexible one, and the work is spread across the arms, the shoulders, the belly and the legs at once.
In Vinyasa taught privately we often start with the knees down, so the line is right before the shape gets longer.
Once Plank feels steady, turning onto one hand for Side Plank asks the same muscles to hold you on your edge.
How to do Plank Pose
Come to hands and knees with your wrists under your shoulders and your fingers spread wide, the middle fingers pointing forward.
Press the whole palm down, especially the base of the index finger, and gently draw the shoulder blades away from your ears.
Step one foot back and then the other, resting on the balls of the feet with the legs straight and about hip-width apart.
Lift the front of the thighs, press back through the heels and draw the lower belly lightly in, so the hips sit level with the shoulders.
Keep the back of the neck long and look at the floor slightly ahead of your hands. Hold for three to five steady breaths.
Lower the knees to the mat to come out, then sit back into Child's Pose and shake out the wrists.
My cues
- Push the floor away with your hands. When the upper back broadens between the shoulder blades, the chest stops sinking toward the mat.
- I want your heels reaching back while the crown reaches forward, as though someone were gently pulling you longer from both ends.
- Breathe into the back of the ribs. If the breath turns short and gasping, drop the knees and keep the same shape from there.
Modifications
- Lower both knees to the mat and keep a straight line from the knees to the head. The shape is the same, with less weight to carry.
- If your wrists complain, come down onto the forearms with the elbows under the shoulders, or roll the front edge of the mat under the heels of your hands.
In pregnancy. Adapt. Keep the knees down or put your hands on a wall or a chair, and stop if you see the centre of the belly dome or cone as you hold. Hold for fewer breaths than you used to, and check with your OB or midwife that this kind of core work suits your pregnancy.
After birth. Adapt. Wait until your doctor or midwife clears you for core work, then start with an incline plank against a wall or a counter. Watch the midline of the belly and choose an easier angle if it bulges or pushes out.
Common mistakes
- Letting the hips sag toward the floor so the lower back takes the weight. Lift the thighs and the lower belly to bring the line back.
- Piking the hips up high. That turns the pose into a half Downward Dog and switches off the work in the middle of the body.
- Placing the hands too far forward. Stack wrists under shoulders, or the shoulders end up doing all the work.
Pairs well with
- Downward-Facing DogAdho Mukha Svanasana
- Cobra PoseBhujangasana
- Boat PoseNavasana