Tip on: Chaturanga

This pose is a huge arm strengthener, but it is also a common cause of shoulder, elbow, and wrist injury. Many people take the elbows back and the shoulders too low, causing joint strain. The most important principle is that your elbows must stay directly over your wrists, and your shoulders actually never go lower than your elbows!

If you're still building arm strength, come into Plank, put your knees down, engage your navel, and then lower an inch or two with your elbows stacked over your wrists. Or, from full Plank, lower down less than halfway. You'll need to pull your heart and hips forward to maintain proper arm alignment as you lower. And remember: it's better to stay higher in this pose than to drop your hips or shoulders below elbow height.

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