The Sanskrit Name for Side Plank | How Vasisthasana Got Its Name

So many yoga poses got their Sanskrit names from the stories of Gods and ancient sages. If you like learning these stories, sign up for our online course, The Gods of Yoga, to learn how to weave them into your teachings, class themes, and sacred intentions.

Here’s the story behind vasisthasana, side plank, is the story of the sage Vasistha.

Vasistha was a wise spiritual leader, and the teacher of Prince Rama (yes, that Rama–the brave a loving incarnation of the god Vishnu).⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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In his youth, Rama found himself feeling depressed and disillusioned with the world. To pull him out of his funk, his father enlisted the help of the great sage Vasistha. Vasistha quickly became a beloved guru to Ram, and taught him that the feeling of hopelessness or emptiness is what often leads one to their spiritual journey and to the realization of their dharma. This conversation is detailed in the book, the Yoga Vasistha.

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The pose vasisthasana goes from the closed-off, introverted plank, to a heart open side plank, illustrating the transformation from disillusionment to mukti (li

beration) that Vasistha taught Ram. As we open our arm up to the sky in side plank, we can feel the accompanying sense of opening our hearts to the world.⠀

If you love hearing the mythology of the asana, join me November 11-16th in Bali for The Gods of Yoga teacher training course (50hrs of continuing education for yoga teachers), co-hosted by a Balinese priestess, to learn all these stories through ceremony and hands-on experience on the Island of the Gods.⠀⠀