COBRA POSE (Bhujangasana)

 

Cobra Pose (Bhujangasana) is a back bending pose. Before you attempt any back-bending posture, ensure that your body is sufficiently warmed up.

Method: Follow the steps below without any jerk and stretch as much as you can in the Cobra Pose:

Step 1: Lie on your stomach with your toes flat on the floor and forehead resting on the ground. Keep your legs close together, with your feet lightly touching each-other.

Step 2: Place your hands under your shoulders keeping palms downwards. Spread your palms on the floor under your shoulders and bring the elbows close to the sides of your body. The arms should be bent at the elbows. Arch your neck slightly backwards and look up.

Step 3: Taking a deep breath in, slowly lift your head, chest and abdomen while keeping your navel on floor. Slowly raise your trunk and head with the support of the palms alone. Make sure that your navel is pressed next to floor.

Step 4: Pull your torso back and off the floor with the support of your hands. Keep breathing with awareness, as you curve your spine vertebra by vertebra. If possible, straighten your arms by arching your back as much as possible; tilt your head back and look up. Keep your shoulders relaxed, even if it means bending your elbows. Ensure that your feet are still close together.

Step 5: Release back to the floor with an exhalation. Breathing out, gently bring your abdomen, chest and head back to the floor.

Special Tips: Emphasize the perfection of technique. Let it be performed just after Knee Tuck with Push-ups exercise to get more flexibility and stamina.

Always work within your own range of abilities. If you feel any strain on your lower back, relax the pose to lower yourself a bit, or release down to rest on your forearms.

Women who are pregnant should avoid practicing this pose while on the floor. However they may practice it standing with their palms against a wall. Please avoid this pose in case of back injury, carpal tunnel syndrome and headache. If you have any health concerns, talk with your doctor before practicing pose.

Modifications & Variations: Remember to take it slowly and don’t push your body to achieve a deeper backbend.

If you are experiencing discomfort in your back or neck, only lift your chest as far as you can without causing pain. For those with more back strength, you can deepen the challenge by lifting your palms off the floor one by one, keeping your chest lifted. Keep your hands and arms in the same position as they were on the floor, but raise your hands a few inches off the mat. Maintain the pose for a few breaths. This variation emphasizes lifting with the back muscles, rather than pressing the body away from the mat.

Benefits: Cobra Pose is best known for its ability to increase the flexibility of the spine. It stretches the chest while strengthening the spine and shoulders. When done correctly, it can gradually bring flexibility and strength to the entire spine. It can be a great way to stretch out your spine and chest throughout the day. Bringing more flexibility to your spine will help you to feel more balanced, while opening your chest and heart will energize and rejuvenate you throughout the day.

An energizing backbend, Cobra pose reduces stress and fatigue. It also helps to open the lungs, which is therapeutic for asthma. This pose also stimulates the abdominal organs, improving digestion. It also firms and tones the shoulders, abdomen, and buttocks, and helps to ease the pain of sciatica. The male and female reproductive system improves. Irregular menstrual cycle problems are rectified too. This pose also helps in awakening Kundalini — the divine cosmic energy that brings forth self-realization.

Results of this pose and the preceding exercise may vary from person to person depending upon many factors such as technique used, availability of time, age, health condition, regularity, discipline, mood, interest and the like.

Final Position: Now enter into Natural Standing Posture and relax your body.