Want a Perfect Chaturanga? Here's some homework

Best Cues and instructions on Chaturanga ever. I am going to do my home work and cultivate my perfect Chaturanga too. I have always had a problem not using my shoulders correctly and getting sore. Thank you for breaking this down into every single moves with excellent cues. You along with Ekhart Yoga are fantastic. Love, gratitude, blessings and namaste,

Thank you Jennilee Is there an Ekhart blog to go along with this class please? The shape making with the belt and the blocks homework - am I the only one with a boobs belt issue? Am I doing something wrong?

A question as to Turbo dog (not sure I like this dog, maybe I'm a cat person?) If I place my forearms firmly down, there is NO way i can get back up. If, on the other hand, I just touch the floor, without "resting" my arms down I can just about manage. So I'm thinking, maybe I'm cheating, but maybe that will build up strength for me to do it right, eventually. Any thoughts on this, Jennilee?

This explains a LOT ..... Boy, do I have homework to do!

12 years of yoga and this is the first time I get such a profound explanation of the anatomy of the chaturanga! Thank you so much Jennilee!!!! So much more understanging of the problems I've had in the movement! I need the strength too, and while doing that, many teaches offer Knees-chest-chin-movement where the arms go over 90 degrees. So do you recommend to focus on 90 degrees in the arms or dip down lower?... I'm not sure if I was able to explain, need to do the homework tonight. Thank you once more!!! Love Helena

Thank you this is so helpful! Will definitely be practising a lot of this before my teacher training with you & Esther in a year :)

Hi Jennille, I just watched first and plan to do this tutorial and homework. Your explanations are so good. Please, please, please do a class on knees.

Hi Jennilee, i'm really happy to see you here, i am a big fan of your anatomy articles :) I have a question regarding hand position. What do you think about the fact that some people need to rotate the hands/fingers slightly outwards in down dog and in chaturanga to make more space in the chest and the shoulders - because of their bone shape spiralling more outwards? thank you in advance! Caterina :)

Nope nope nope nope :( I'm too weak.

I learned a lot from this class. Thank you so much, Jennilee! Do you by any chance plan to film a follow-up with details about how to progress savely from Chaturanga to Upward facing dog? This would be fantastic!

Excellent anatomy Jennilee!

Hi Jennilee, I am so enjoying all your classes & welcome to the great Esther Ekhart team :-)! My arm/shoulder strength is a particular focus for me and this session is simply a wonderfully comprehensive series of strengthening poses which has the great advantage of being on a single video ........so lots of homework for me!!!! Looking forward to lots more of your classes......... Namaste

Dear Jennilee, thank you very much for this excellent lesson! For the moment, during my push-ups exercises, I'm not able to reach the floor with my chest so I have to slow down only half-way (I'm quiet strong on my back and shoulder, while not enough on my arms: for example, during my yoga practice, I'm only able to take "half" chaturanga without reach the floor and go straight for upward-facing dog pose; I'm also really bad in all arm-balances!) I hope by practicing your homework I will be able to do complete push-ups and master a complete chaturanga! Lots of love from Italy xxxxx

Thank you very much for this. It will be very useful as I get painful shoulders in my downward dog, during the 5 breaths, when doing sun salutes. Not the first few, but towards the end. Although I don't get pain in the chaturanga I feel like it is all related, and that if I perfect my position in that then my shoulder pain might improve in general. One thing, could you write out the main points as I will find it difficult to remember everything. That said, I have just looked and your book is now out (I have been waiting). Would this same information be in there? I feel like fixing my shoulder pain is within my reach. A little bit or research, the right advice, and some homework, and I will be there. Then it is just my knees (I have a delicate body). I eagerly await a similar video for knees (and ankles, which I think are implicated in my knee pain). So thank you very very much. Germaine

A killer of a homework! I have done Andrew's class Dancing crocodile and it made me realize how bad my chaturanga was. So I was thrilled to come upon your chaturanga homework session. And now I am faced with how weak my upper body is, even after years of yoga! Three sets of the 'weaker' 10 was pushing myself to the absolute limit. Look forward to improving every day, and thanks for such a great tutorial!

Added this to "favourites" but I think that might be a misnomer. ;-)) Geez, that's some kinda homework. I've had tendonitis in my right elbow for over a year, which sometimes is quite painful, other times just slightly annoying. I think the 90 degree formation is what I have to ensure I nail the position – I usually put my knees down during chaturanga to take some of the pressure off of my elbow joint, and although I've always kept my elbows to my side I think may have been going beyond the 90 degrees, which is probably what's caused the issue. Ding ding ding! Thanks Jennilee.

though! I'll start with the first homework and add some of the second one;-)...thanks! well explained. xx

Lovely class Jennilee - thanks so much! Just one big question: Where can I buy you book in Europe?

Jennilee, I love the way you explain all the homework exercises! Thank you so much for sharing this video. I'm ready for some homework!

Such an amazing class! Many thanks! Cold you give some advice for the wrists and finger? How should the energy go through? I always become sensitiv wrists after a while with chaturanga!

Day one of my homework complete! Yay! Thank you so much for this video. I'm excited (and feel empowered) working toward my perfect chaturanga.

great lesson really good for my anatomy knowledge! Thank you

Jennilee, I can barely do 1 set of ten of the first push up. I guess I'll have to take it from there...

Sandra:):):) So much happiness back you:):):)

Thank you!

Hi Jennilee, this is really helpful thank you. A quick question - my elbows tend to hyper extend during chaturanga and then they are facing forwards and I have been working on moving my muscles so that they face each other. I was finding it really hard to move from chaturanga to upwards dog as my arms feel like pins! However, recently a teacher said to move shoulders to spin elbows to face forwards again but then another teacher in another class told me to turn them to face each other. Am a bit confused! What do you think?

Hello Jennilee, I love your classes ! you always make me smile. Just a quick question - I really struggle to get back up after lowering to the floor! I am working on strengthening as clearly weak (!) but just wondered if there is anything I might be doing wrong that is making this harder than it should be? Thank you! Sarah

Hi Jennilee, What a nice class, with very clear instructions! I really like your style of teaching, makes me smile (even in chaturanga :-P)! Thank you!

When you said 'turbodawg', I thought, "that can't possibly be as cool as it sounds." Oh yeah it is! :) Thanks for sharing Jennilee! And hattip to the aforementioned Ana Forrest. The response of the body is eye opening. I've learned so much on Ekhart, on many levels. Thank you all.

This was excellent!! I have noticed lately that my chaturanga was lacking and this class made me realized that I was doing it wrong and experiencing wrist pain. I can't wait to try this out during my next practice.

This is really helpful. One question, how do you help your wrists in this pose. Mine were on fire at the end... is this just part of building up this pose in the body?

Fabulous tutorial, with clear and helpful explanation. I have never been strong in my chatturanga, due to my tending to ignore arm strengthening work, so I am going to try your method this time. I love when instructors actually know anatomy, somI can understand on which muscle groups to focus. Namaste.

Very good, and very tough. Reminded me what we had done in Bali and it's good to revisited again (and do it again). Will do it tonight! Thanks Jennilee, great explanation as always!

Thank you for your tutorial. I know the homework is supposed to be challenging and beneficial but I am concerned about over training and obsessional yoga practice!!! - are you able to comment on this aspect?

Thank you Jennilee for this very helpful tutorial.

Thank you Jennilee - have been trying for a long time to build strength for chatarunga (via knees chest chin) but haven't seen much progress. Dolphin pushups are easy, Turbo Dog is slightly manageable (but I'm a long way !! from the floor re the hovering component) BUT .. pushing up from forearm to downward dog - it's not happening - my triceps are not coming to the party for this at all. And the easy pushups - 3 sets of five is my limit - and that's with a few collapses in the middle. Does this indicate it's my biceps and triceps that are lacking the strength. Rotator cuff injury approx. five years ago - all my focus has been on my rhomboids, latimussus dorsi and serratus anterior but perhaps that was never the problem?

thank you so so so much .... it was really helpful

Hi I'm just wondering if I should be competent with the first exercise and then move on to the next OR if I should be practising the first exercise and in the same session trying the next one. Thank you Kirsty

Hi, Jennilee! Thanks for this great breakdown of Chaturanga. I know that my core muscles are quite weak and I tend to overcompensate with my arm muscles in Chaturanga or avoid it altogether. I thought I'd try the first type of knees-down push-ups, but I can barely manage even one, let alone ten. What can I do to strengthen the proper muscles to work towards this homework? Thank you!