Arm Balance
Bear Plank
Bharmanasana Variation
A tabletop variation where the knees hover a few inches off the floor, intensifying core and upper-body engagement while maintaining a neutral spine.
- ·Strengthens core and arms
- ·Builds wrist stability
- ·Improves full-body coordination
Instructions
- 1Begin in Table Pose with your wrists under your shoulders and your knees under your hips.
- 2Tuck your toes under and lift your knees two to five centimetres off the mat, keeping them close to the floor.
- 3Press firmly through your hands to prevent the weight from collapsing into your wrists.
- 4Engage your core strongly by pulling your navel toward your spine and keeping your hips level with your shoulders.
- 5Keep your back flat and your gaze directed slightly forward on the mat, with your neck in line with your spine.
- 6Hold for several breaths, maintaining steady inhalations and exhalations without letting the hips rise or drop.
Contraindications & precautions
- ⚠Wrist injury or wrist pain — the sustained load on the wrists can worsen inflammation; practice on fists or with yoga wedges.
- ⚠Shoulder impingement or acute shoulder injury — the sustained protraction of the shoulder blades may increase pain; avoid or reduce the hold time significantly.
- ⚠Lower back pain with core weakness — without sufficient abdominal engagement the lumbar spine can compress; build core strength in Table Pose first.
