Triceps exercise
Four-Limbed Staff (Chaturanga Dandasana)How to do it, with form in numbers
- Also works
- Front delts, Abs
- Equipment
- Yoga mat
- Level
- Intermediate
How to do it
How do you do the Four-Limbed Staff?
- Start in a high plank with your hands under your shoulders.
- Shift forward onto the balls of your feet.
- Breathe out and bend your elbows straight back, close to your ribs.
- Lower until your upper arms are level with the floor and your elbows are over your wrists.
- Keep your body in one line; hold for 1–3 breaths or flow on to Upward-Facing Dog.
Cues
- Elbows hug your ribs and point back.
- Shoulders at elbow height, no lower.
- One straight line from head to heels.
Common mistakes
- Going too low: stop when your upper arms are level with the floor.
- Elbows flaring: squeeze them in towards your sides.
- Sagging hips: draw your belly in and press back through your heels; lower the knees if needed.
Form in detail
What does good form look like?
The version in our demo
The held low point of Chaturanga as Iyengar and Yoga Journal teach it: body in one line, elbows bent to 90° straight over the wrists and hugging the ribs, shoulders at elbow height.
Starting position
High plank, hands under the shoulders.
The position
Shift forward a little onto the balls of the feet, then bend the elbows straight back, close to the ribs, lowering the whole body as one piece until the upper arms are level with the mat and the elbows sit straight over the wrists. Stop there: the shoulders stay at elbow height, the chest broad, the shoulder blades flat on the back. Legs strong, hips in line, belly drawn in, head in line with the spine and gaze a little ahead.
Breathing
Lower on an out-breath; keep breathing in a held Chaturanga.
Tempo
A held position through one slow breath, 6 s: in-breath 2.5 s, the chest broadens and lifts a few millimetres; out-breath 3.5 s, back. Hands and feet stay put. Real practice: hold 1–3 breaths, or pass through it in a vinyasa on an out-breath.
Form in numbers
What are the angles and distances?
- Body line 6–9° above level (heels higher than the floor-level hands), hips in line within 3°.
- Elbows bent about 90°, forearms vertical (within 6°), elbows 3–7 cm out from the shoulders' line (hugging the ribs, pointing back).
- Hands flat, about 38 cm apart, beside the lower ribs; feet hip-width on the balls, toes tucked.
The targets our 3D demo was built to, from the references below. Bodies differ, so treat the ranges as a guide for your own build.
For coaches
Use this demo in your clients’ programs
The Four-Limbed Staff is in Trainaq’s exercise library. Add it to a workout, and your client sees this demo in the free Trainaq app above the sets they log.
Sources
Sources
- Yoga Journal pose library, "Four-Limbed Staff Pose (Chaturanga Dandasana)"
- B.K.S. Iyengar, Light on Yoga (1966), Chaturanga Dandasana.
- American Council on Exercise (ACE) exercise library, "Four-Limbed Staff Pose".
