There is just something about plank pose that always intimidated me.

Maybe it was because it’s also referred to as the top of your push-up position and I was always the worst kid in gym class when it came to push-ups! I would always wind up putting my knees down to the floor and, at least in primary school, that was a mark of shame.

As I started practicing yoga, I realized that there’s no need to just stay as still as a rock in any pose. In fact, in my personal experience, that’s what leads to many injuries. When we stay still, forcing our bodies to cease any movement, we are tensing too much and putting unnecessary stress on all of our muscles. This is not very fun at all!

My plank pose might not be perfect, but the fun is in the imperfections. Also, isn’t that why yoga is called a practice? There is no perfection, only growth.

I began to play around with my plank pose by adding movement and variations to it, which made it so much more fun and easy to stay in. I hope you’ll join me for a five-minute plank pose!

Bring some play into your practice and let your body moves as it needs to. Breathe deeply and relax where you can. Relax the eyes, your smile, your neck and your arms. When you use more muscles than you need to, you’re making your body work harder than it needs to and the pose won’t be as fun.

Smile and laugh, maybe play with your dog with your free hand when you’re up in side plank. There are no rules saying you can’t have fun with yoga or that you have to stay perfectly still in every pose. If there are rules like that, then let’s break them together!

There is no wrong way to do yoga and no wrong way to do a pose. Your practice is yours and yours alone. So, you might as well have fun with it!

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Author: Stacy Porter

Editor: Travis May

Photo:Video Still