By JACCI GRUNINGER, MS, C-IAYT, ERYT500

I’ll be honest this is not one of my favorite poses but often our least favorite poses have the most to teach us. This pose is no exception.

Purvattonasana or Reverse Plank Pose is a backbend that works against gravity. As such, the back body has to work even harder to create the posture. It also requires the arms and shoulders to do their fair share of the work.

As with any posture, if you aren’t quite ready for upward plank pose, there are other options available. Before jumping into the posture, consider a bit more about the posture.

First, Purvattonasana means intense eastward facing stretch. The front of the body in yoga is considered the east and the back of the body is considered the west. So in this posture we are opening or stretching into the east. The east is the direction of new beginnings and opportunities. When you do any version of this posture you might drop a question into your body, “what are you beginning or opening into?”

Second, consider the benefits of this posture:

• Strengthens your back, wrists, triceps and legs
• Stretches your shoulders, chest, and front ankles
• Opens your mind to new possibilities

Third, make these adjustments as you learn the posture:

• If you have wrist issues turn the fingers out or behind you instead of in toward the body or use the chair version
• Start with Reverse Table if this is a new posture for you
• Keep your abdominal wall slightly drawn in to support your back
• Don’t drop your head back (keep your cervical spine in neutral)

Full Posture Directions

Courtesy photo

• Start sitting on the floor in Staff Pose. (This is also a great way to prep the pose by pressing into your hands/arms and lifting your sternum).
• Engage your abdominal wall by drawing your navel in.
• Exhale and press into your palms and lift your hips and torso toward the ceiling.
• Keep your neck long with your eyes gazing at the ceiling.
• Point your toes and keep your arms and legs straight.
• Hold for 4-6 breaths then slowly lower your hips and torso back to your starting position.

Reverse Table

• An excellent way to work into the full posture is to practice reverse table. You will experience everything about the pose except the extension of the legs.
• Start in Staff Pose and bend the knees bringing the feet to the floor.
• Exhale and press the hips toward the sky elongating the neck.
• Stay here for 4-6 breaths.
• Slowly lower down to release.

Reverse Plank on a Chair

This version will allow you to feel the extension of the hips and knees but take away some of the need for the strength to press up from the floor. This is also a good version for anyone with tight shoulders.

• Sit on the edge of the chair with knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
• Place your hands on the sides of the chair seat.
• Turn the fingers forward as best you can.
• Lift your sternum and begin to press into your hands.
• Exhale and lift your hips. Check in here.
• To move more fully into the posture, walk one leg at a time forward coming into the full posture.
• Take 4-6 breaths.
• To release ease back onto the chair seat.

Take your time with this pose, it isn’t easy. And, drop me a line (info@yogawithjacci.com) and let me know how you are enjoying these articles.

About Jacci Gruninger

Jacci Gruninger is a Certified Yoga Therapist and Thai Yoga Massage Therapist. She has been teaching for more than two decades and spent 12 of those years training yoga teachers for the Pranakriya School of Yoga Healing Arts. She regularly helps clients manage the ups and downs of life with yoga, meditation, breathwork and bodywork. Her Yoga Therapy Center is at 190 Central Park Square #212. Find her in- person and online teaching schedule and information on other services at www.yogawithjacci.com.