High Plank (Uttihita Chaturanga Dandasana)

1. My alignment is off! In plank pose, you always need your hands directly underneath your shoulders and shoulder-width apart. Since this is the foundation of your pose, you need to always fix this first! Sometimes all you need to do is shift your weight more forward!
 
2. My back is arched and my hips are sinking! When you are in high plank pose you need to create a straight line from your heels to your head. This means you should have a neutral spine and an engaged core! Some quick fixes for this are: drawing your hip bones towards your rib cage, engaging your lower abs to avoid arching and pressing your thighs towards the ceiling as you let your booty draw down towards the floor. Imagine everything is zipped up nice and tight from your heels to your chest. 

3. My neck is straining, my shoulders are up by my ears and I'm hunching my upper back - so painful! First things first: relax your head, neck and spine. Take your gaze about 6 inches in front of your hands to create length in your neck. Take tension out of your shoulders and upper back by spreading your collarbones, relaxing your shoulders away from your ears and lifting your chest away from your abs!

PROP MODIFICATION: WALL

Practice this pose on your knees! Focus on creating a straight line and engaged core. Press your feet up against a wall to help engage your legs and core!