PlankSave PDF
Kumbhakasana
koom-bhah-KAH-sah-nah
Stretches core and upper body
Tones nervous system
Builds endurance
How to perform Plank
- Begin in Downward Facing Dog. Bring your hands as wide as your shoulders and feet as wide as your hips. Spread your fingers wide. Reach your tailbone toward the sky behind you.
- With an inhale, shift forward into Plank, bringing your shoulders over your wrists. Engage your core and legs. Gaze diagonally downward.
- Hold the pose and take slow, deep breaths.
- Push back to Downward Facing Dog with an exhale.
Alignment cues
- Hands shoulder-width apart
- Feet hip-width apart
- Spread fingers wide
- Draw belly toward spine
- Keep head in line with spine
- Soften elbows
Modification: Lower your knees to the floor.
Avoid this pose if you have carpal tunnel syndrome.
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More yoga poses to discover
Plank (Kumbhakasana in Sanskrit) is a beginner yoga pose that belongs to the core and warm-ups categories. This asana targets abs, obliques and shoulders, and also involves glutes & hip flexors, quadriceps, triceps and wrists muscles. Plank tones nervous system; stretches core and upper body and also builds endurance. Refer to the illustration and instructions above for how to perform this posture correctly. Discover more yoga asanas and yogic breathing exercises in our free yoga pose directory – a visual resource for yoga teacher training students as well as practitioners of all levels. Finally, shop our best-selling Yoga Cards products!
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Discover our best-selling Yoga Cards – professional study, class sequencing and practice guide for beginners and beyond.
Studying to be a yoga teacher? Learn the essential yoga poses the easy way with Yoga Stacks app!
New to yoga? Our Yoga for Beginners pack covers everything you need to know to get started with your practice.
Personal trainer? Try Train - our beautifully simple training platform you and your clients will love.
