How to do Plank Pose (Phalakasana)

Set Your Foundation

Start on your hands and knees with the hands shoulder-width apart, directly under the shoulders and fingers spread wide. (For a wrist-friendly version, come onto the forearms with elbows under the shoulders.)

💡 Ground evenly through the whole hand and press the floor away so you don't collapse into the wrists.

Step Back & Hold the Line

Step both feet back and tuck the toes so you balance in one straight line from crown to heels. Draw the belly in to brace the core, gently tuck the tailbone and squeeze the glutes so the low back doesn't sink, and press up through the shoulder blades so they spread across the back. Neck neutral, gaze down, and hold.

💡 Hips level — not piked up or sagging; drop to the knees the moment the line breaks.

✅ Benefits

Strengthens the core, shoulders, arms, and wrists
Builds whole-body stability and endurance
Tones the abdominal and back muscles together
Improves posture and shoulder-girdle control
Prepares the body for Chaturanga and arm balances
Reinforces the straight-line alignment used across yoga

💊 Therapeutic Uses

Weak core and poor trunk stability
Building shoulder strength for weight-bearing poses
Postural endurance for desk-bound bodies
Wrist-loading practice (with proper hand alignment)

⚠️ Precautions

Wrist pain or carpal tunnel — come onto forearms (forearm plank) instead
Lower-back sensitivity — keep the core engaged and drop to knees if the hips sag
Shoulder injury — reduce hold time and keep shoulders over wrists
High blood pressure — avoid long holds and breath-holding

🚫 Avoid If (Contraindications)

Acute wrist, elbow, or shoulder injury
Carpal tunnel syndrome (flare-up)
Recent abdominal surgery
Late-stage pregnancy

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