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HW 30 DYC Day 7: Core training Yoga Sequence
Core training is a super general work-out and a great way to make your body more powerful & stable and to provide your 3rd chakra with more energy allowing you to act more decisively.
My favourite core training exercise are planking variaties. Planking is an easy way to engage almost all of the body’s muscles. In addition to the traditional plank exercises, there are also the more dynamic plank exercises. It’s good to alternate between these two types. Don’t stick with static plank exercises only, because during static muscle exercises the blood flow in the muscles is slowly reduced (the muscles that remain tight temporarily constrict blood vessels) which causes muscles to acidify more easily. The advantage of static plank exercises (both regular planks and side planks) is that you can take the time to scan your entire body position and adjust it to the perfect posture. Are my hands positioned properly under my shoulder heads? Are the fingers positioned correctly? Am I taking support on my entire hand/forearm? Are my elbows turned correctly? Am I pushing up sufficiently from my shoulder girdle (co-contraction of m. pectoralis and m. subscapularis which keeps the alignment of the scapula correct and avoids shoulder injuries) or am I hanging on? Are my abdominal muscles tightening causing me to protect my back? Is my back sagging or is my pelvis still a little too high causing me to cheat? Are both my thighs and buttocks tight? Am I grounding my hands as well as my feet? Can I find any rest in this position?Static plank is also ideal for chanting Mantras in the meantime. Mantras provide distraction and keep the breathing flowing. During static planking people sometimes tend to hold their breath. It is easy to build up static plank in difficulty. By practicing planking leaning against the wall; leaning on your knees instead of your feet; keeping your pelvis higher; or in side planking placing your top foot in front of your shins on the ground, you make the favoured exercise easier on both trunk and arm muscles. By leaning on your fists or forearms you make it easier on your wrists.
Dynamic plank, on the other hand, has the advantage of stimulating blood flow, making you more physically challenged and requiring the muscle chains to coordinate more and work together dynamically. Always try to do the dynamic exercises in a kind of slow motion so that you maintain control over your joints and muscles. This way you can pay attention to the transitions and reduce injuries. Doing it the slow-motion way also builds up more strength both physically and mentally. Examples of dynamic planking include: hot lizzard; running man; going back and forth between plank/strong plank and down dog; going back and forth between elbow plank and dolphin; push ups; pelvic rotations and resting feet on the side and back to the other side, possibly fully extending to side plank left/right; pelvic elevators into side plank; ….
Dynamic plank exercises lend themselves well to combining with fire breath.
Both methods of planking provide a more powerful physical body, a more powerful spiritual body (3rd chakra) and increase your focus, willpower and endurance.
Have fun with your own variations in terms of plank series!
The perfect static classic plank pose:
Hands are under the shoulders, index finger pointing forward, elbow turned forward, shoulders firmly pushed up (but also don’t go too round with your upper back, make sure that your vertebrae and shoulder blades are in the same plane and you don’t see any ‘wings’ on your upper back), your gaze is directed downward to a point between your hands. The crown of your head extends forward, your hands are grounded and provide pressure from your torso upward, you stand hip-width apart, the ball of your feet and your toes rest firmly and evenly on the ground, your heels push against an imaginary wall behind you. Your weight is evenly distributed among your 4 supports. The torso forms a straight line upward starting from your ankles, through your lower legs, extended knees to your pelvis, further down your spine to your head. If you would to place a ball between your shoulder blades it should roll down your spine toward your buttocks. Your quadriceps and glutes are tight. Your abdominals and back muscles are tightened and provide a firm upright torso.After this explanation you can probably see that during planking you have all the space you need to focus on yourself and the posture instead of all the other thoughts that go through your head 🙂
Good luck!
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3 Replies
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I love this Floor!!
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Thank you Laurie!!🌻
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Well done! So thorough! ⭐☮💖🕉🤗
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