THIS PLANE DISSECTS THE RIGHT AND LEFT SIDES of the body, as if the edge of a pane of
glass were dropped down the center of your crown through your midline. Sagittal plane movements
take place where this imaginary pane of glass sits—or parallel to it—meaning any time you’re in fl ex-
ion (for example, forward folds) or extension (such as backbends), you’re moving in the sagittal plane.
It is probably the most familiar, and most used, plane for all of us: When we drive, hunch our
heads over our smartphones, sit on the couch holding the remote control, ride a bike, and walk down
the street, we’re moving in the sagittal plane. In yoga, any time you take your
arms forward and reach them overhead—whether you’re doing Urdhva
Hastasana (Upward Salute) or Adho Mukha Vrksasana (Handstand)—you’re
moving in the sagittal plane.Where’s the distortion?
If you’re a teacher and notice something’s off when a
student practices a pose but you’re not sure in which plane
the problem is occurring, communicating how to correct
what’s off may be challenging. Recognizing a distortion in
a specifi c plane is the secret to quickly and clearly helping
your students get into their fullest expression of a posture.
To practice seeing bodies this way, let’s look at Vrksasana
(Tree Pose) with a distortion in each of the three planes.
Here are two distortions in the sagittal plane:« SEE HOWher pelvis is
tipped anteriorly and her
spine is overarched?
THE FIX She’ll want to
bring her pelvis and spine
to neutral, lengthen her tail-
bone, and draw her ster-
num toward her navel.YOGAJOURNAL.COM / 54 / FEBRUARY 2018
ADHO MUKHA SVANASANA
Downward-Facing Dog PoseBAKASANA
Crane PoseUTKATASANA
Chair PosePoses that move in the sagittal plane
SAGITTAL PLANE
The
« SEE HOW her pelvis
is tucked and her spine
is fl exed (rounded)?
THE FIX She’ll want
to press the top of her
standing thigh back
and press her shoulder
blades into her chest.her shoulders and hips are
in fl exion, her wrists are in
extension, and her ankles
are in fl exion?
her ankles, knees,
hips, and shoulders
are in fl exion?her wrists are
deeply extended,
shoulders are partially
fl exed, and her
whole spine is in
deep fl exion?Directions
of movement
in the sagittal
plane.