A: I’m so glad you asked this question! I, myself, was wondering whether I should mention some more accessible variations of Purvottanasana (Upward Plank pose). Then one of our readers, Joanne, left a comment on the post describing how she teaches the pose to her older students using a chair. Before I get to her comment, I’d like to start by describing some of the variations I know, starting with a modified version of the pose you can do on the floor.
Instead of going into the pose with straight legs, start with your knees bent and the soles of your feet the ground. Then, as you press up into the pose, keep your knees bent so your body forms a kind of table shape (this version is sometimes called Table pose). I found an odd little video of it for you (try not to turn your head to face the camera when you do the pose, though):
Another version of this pose that you can do almost anywhere, in any clothing, is the door or kitchen sink version. In the door version, you open the door that has doorknobs on both sides, and stand with your back about six inches in front of thin edge of the door. Reach back with both hands and take hold of the doorknobs behind you. Then, moving from your upper chest rather than your lower back, allow yourself to lean forward away from door, so you come into a Purvottanasana shape, hanging from the door knobs.
In the kitchen sink version, you stand with your back about six inches from the kitchen sink. Then reach back with both hands to grasp the front lip of the sink. As in the door version, moving from your upper chest rather than your lower back, allow yourself to lean forward away from door, so you come into a Purvottanasana shape, hanging from the door knobs.
Last but not least is the chair version that Joanne (thank you, Joanne!) wrote to us about, which makes the pose accessible to folks who are unable to practice on the floor. I’ll let Joanne tell you about the pose in her own words because the results she achieved with her students are so inspiring:
“My chair yoga students do a variation of Purvottanasana that is easier for older students. Sit near the front edge of the chair seat. Place your hands behind you, grasping the side edges of the seat near the back. First just feel a stretch in the upper back, lifting the sternum and arching the upper back. Then move the feet out in front, hip distance apart and pointing forward. Lift the pelvis off the chair. Hold as long as comfortable.
When we first did this, the students were collapsing back on the chair seat after just a few seconds. Now they can hold this position for 30 seconds and longer. One woman who is 87 can hold it for a long time! One woman who is very overweight struggled for over a year to lift her pelvis off the chair. For weeks she pushed with her arms, getting stronger every time. Finally she lifted up and was she ever proud of herself. Now she can hold this position for a long time.”
With all these options, there will surely be a variation that everyone can do. Combining this pose with some version of Downward-Facing Dog pose (if you can’t do the full pose, put your hands on a chair seat, a table top, or on the wall) allows you to stretch both your front body and back body while you strengthen your arms.
—Nina
