Translation: Bhujang- serpent, snake; asana- posture.
Bhujang asana (the Cobra pose) is a basic back bending pose that is also a part of the classical hatha yoga sun salutation and moon salutation.
Steps:
- Lie down on your stomach. Legs straight with toes pointing backward (feet can be together or apart depending on the flexibility)
- Place the palm on the floor on the sides of the shoulder, with fingers pointing forward. Position the arms so that the elbows point backward and are close to the body.
- Inhale and straighten the arms to lift the chest off the floor, rise only to the point till the pubic bone is in contact with the floor. Press the pubis into the ground and try to arch your back further and look up.
- Try to open your chest and bring the shoulder blades down towards the hips.
- The arms may or may not be straight depending on the flexibility of the back.
- Hold the pose anywhere from 15 to 30 seconds, breathing easily. Come back to the floor with an exhalation.
Important! Bhujangasana common mistakes:
- Rounding the shoulders and upper back – Lots of people cheat their way into this posture by not opening their chest and positioning their shoulder blades properly. You might easily be able to straighten your arms here but this way of doing the posture might not give you the same benefits.
- Sinking the ears towards the shoulder – If you don’t engage your back muscles and arms muscles properly then there is a tendency to sink the ears to the shoulders and compress the neck.
- Lifting the pelvis up – In the Cobra pose the pelvis stays on the ground. This confusion might be because of another similar-looking pose, Upwards facing dog (urdhva mukha svanasana)
Benefits:
- Strengthens the spine.
- Stretches chest and lungs, shoulders, and abdomen.
- Strengthens the diaphragm muscles and other muscles which help in breathing
- Stimulates abdominal organs like the liver and kidney, stimulates appetite and alleviates constipation.
- Soothes sciatica
- Therapeutic for asthma as it deepens breathing.
- Traditional texts say that Bhujangasana increases body heat, destroys disease, and awakens kundalini.
- It tones the ovaries and the uterus and helps in menstrual and some other gynecological problems.
Contraindications:
- Back injury
- Headache
- Pregnancy
- Peptic ulcer, hernia, intestinal tuberculosis, hyperthyroidism, and carpal tunnel syndrome
Looking for more postures? Check our Asana Library.