PA-0134
At a glance
A demanding conditioning exercise, hopping the entire body forward through space five times while maintaining the low, bent-elbow shape of Chaturanga throughout. It's less a pose to hold and more a dynamic strength test, asking the shoulders and core to stay engaged through repeated, explosive movement.
“Keep the shape of Chaturanga through every hop, not just the first one.”
Essence
The temptation under the demand of repeated hops is to let the hips sag or the elbows splay wider with each repetition, gradually losing the Chaturanga shape even while technically completing the hops. Holding that shape consistently across all five, not just the first, is what makes this exercise valuable rather than just tiring.
Intention
To hop the whole body forward five times while sustaining the low, engaged shape of Chaturanga throughout.
What this pose develops
Physical
- •Explosive shoulder and core strength
- •Sustained isometric strength under dynamic movement
- •Full-body coordination
Mental
- •Maintaining standards across repeated, fatiguing efforts
- •Tolerance for a genuinely demanding conditioning exercise
Teaching concepts
- •Cueing the Chaturanga shape to stay consistent across all five hops, not just the first
- •Reading whether the hips are sagging or the elbows splaying as fatigue accumulates
How to practise
- 1Come into Chaturanga, elbows bent close to the ribs, body in one low line.
- 2From that shape, hop the whole body forward, landing back in the same low Chaturanga position.
- 3Repeat the hop four more times, for a total of five, maintaining the same shape each time.
- 4Keep the elbows close to the ribs and the hips level throughout every hop.
- 5Release to the floor or transition to the next pose after the fifth hop.
Alignment exploration
Instead of searching for the “correct” position, notice:
- •Elbows stay close to the ribs throughout every hop, not splaying wide.
- •Hips stay level, neither sagging nor piking, across all five repetitions.
- •The body lands in essentially the same shape it left, hop after hop.
Breath
Steady, if necessarily effortful, breath through the repeated hops. This is a demanding exercise, and breath control here is more about not holding the breath entirely than achieving any particular smooth pattern.
Teacher’s eye
The later hops deserve as much attention as the first. It's common for the Chaturanga shape to degrade with each repetition as fatigue builds, hips sagging or elbows splaying, and that's worth naming as an expected challenge rather than a personal failing.
Student practice
Reflect after practising:
- •Hop five is going to be harder than hop one. That's expected. Try to hold the same shape anyway, even if it takes more effort each time.
- •If your form is breaking down significantly, fewer hops with better shape is more valuable than five hops with compromised form.
Common movement strategies
Rather than mistakes, you may notice:
- •Build strength and comfort in a static Chaturanga hold first, then add single hops before attempting the full sequence of five.
Modifications
- •Fewer hops, building toward five over time.
- •Knees down for a gentler version of the same movement pattern.
Completion check
- ✓Release to the floor or transition to Upward Facing Dog if moving through a flow, resting afterward.
Related poses
Prerequisites
Complements
Counterposes
Alternatives
Progressions
Regressions
Related movement concepts
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