Yoga works on more than just the physical. Every posture as well as having benefits like increased strength and flexibility has Energetic, Emotional, Mental and Spiritual benefits……That’s the beauty of yoga and why we don’t need to repeat postures many times or hold them for long to feel their benefits…
The Dolphin plank strengthens the core abdominal and back muscles that support your spine, but it also strengthens the muscles that hold your shoulder blades in their correct alignment on the ribs which frees your arms and shoulders to move as they were designed to. This helps to reduce the tension that builds in and around the top of your shoulders and neck.
You don’t need to hold the Dolphin plank for long to enjoy these physical benefits, start with just
5-10seconds and gradually increase this time each day. By the time you can hold it for 40-60 seconds you will notice quite a difference in your core strength…and there is the benefit of the increased tone of your abdominal, back and arm muscles. Adopt the position as seen in the photo above with your arms directly under your shoulders and your feet apart and hold, breathing gently. Take care that your upper back is flat and your bottom is down but your lower back is flat, so your body resembles a flat plank of wood. Watch that as you fatigue your body doesn't drop so that your shoulder blades stick out. It is better to hold it for a shorter period of time maintaining the integrity of the posture than to hold on for longer in a misaligned position.
To increase abdominal strength doing sit-ups and crunchies you need to have reasonably strong abdominal muscles in the first place and people often do these incorrectly using hip flexor muscles instead and compromising and potentially harming their lower back. Often in an attempt to get up in the sit-up people pull on their neck with potential for injury. The dolphin plank is a very effective way to tone and strengthen the abdominal muscles without the potential for aggravating or creating back or neck problems. If you are not strong enough to hold the plank position immediately you can always start with your knees on the floor and work up to the full plank.
The true magic of this posture is the effect it has on us emotionally, as it strengthens your core physically it strengthens you from the inside so that you feel an increased sense of empowerment, greater self-confidence with a return of a healthy self-esteem. It works to align us with our true self so that the ego generated self-doubt has less of a hold. Mentally it improves discipline and a sense of control over our lives. While holding the plank allow your mind to quieten and focus on your breath and you will find you can connect with an inner stillness where the thoughts that run in your mind quieten down and you will find a beautiful peace in the posture.
Energetically it aligns all the major chakras and allows for better energy flow between them thus enhancing your overall vitality.
Spiritually it aligns us with the Truth of who we are…Strong, Calm and Clear…
Namaste Teresa