vasisthasana - alignment is oblique-atory

who likes to work harder than they need to? not me. i like to optimize for my ROI.

vasisthasana (side plank) is one of those poses where if your alignment is in check - you can actually hold it for longer than expected and do variations such as thread the needle, leg lifts, etc without modifying the pose

Since you're balancing your whole body on its side with one hand and one foot, if you're not in alignment - you have to work your muscles overtime to compensate and hold you up with strength. Basically - there's a tradeoff between alignment and strength.

Think about persuading someone. If they are food motivated, but you're trying convince them to help you out by giving them stationery, you're probably going to work much harder to convince them compared to if you offered them ice cream. Why would someone want a pen if they don't care about pens? maybe if it looked like an ice cream.

If you're not in alignment - your body needs to figure out how to support itself in various ways that take more effort than if you set it up properly.Working on side plank variations are one of the best ways to help prep for this pose

💡 Priorities:

1/ shoulder strength

2/ obliques

3/ chest opening

🌱 Poses / drills:

1/ easy twist / side plank modification with your foot in front of your hip crease

2/ forearm side plank - knee to elbow crunch

3/ wide legged forward fold w/ twist