Cobra pose

 

Bhujangasana is pronounced as BHU-jung-AAHS-uh-nuh. Bhujangasana or Cobra pose is a reclining back-bending & part of the sequence of yoga postures in Padma Sadhana and Sun Salutation. Let us find out how to do bhujangasana yoga correctly, its benefits & checkpoints to make pose perfect.

Bhujang = Snake (Cobra); Asana = Posture or Pose

It is a gentle backbend practiced from a face-down position that warms and strengthens the spine while opening the chest.

Origin

The name comes from the Sanskrit words भुजङ्ग bhujaṅga, “snake” or “cobra” and आसन āsana, “posture” or “seat”, from the resemblance to a cobra with its hood raised. The pose is described in the 17th century hatha yoga text Gheranda Samhita 2.42-43( a Sanskrit text of Yoga in Hinduism). In the 19th century Sritattvanidhi(a treatise written in the 19th century in Karnataka on the iconography and iconometry of divine figures in South India), the pose is named Sarpasana, which similarly means Serpent Pose.

Bhujangasana resembles a serpent with its hood raised. Bhujangasana is pronounced as BHU-jung-AAHS-uh-nuh. Bhujangasana or Cobra pose is a reclining back-bending & part of the sequence of yoga postures in Padma Sadhana and Sun Salutation. Let us find out how to do bhujangasana yoga correctly, its benefits & checkpoints to make pose perfect.

Steps

The procedure to do Bhujanagasana is very simple. Follow the steps below without any jerk and stretch as much as you can in the Bhuajangsana yoga. Let us check the steps

STEP 1: Lie on your stomach with your toes flat on the floor and forehead resting on the ground.
STEP 2: Keep your legs close together, with your feet and heels lightly touching each other.
STEP 3: Place your hands (palms downwards) under your shoulders, keeping your elbows parallel and close to your torso.
STEP 4: Taking a deep breath in, slowly lift your head, chest and abdomen while keeping your navel on the floor.
STEP 5: Pull your torso back and off the floor with the support of your hands. Checkpoint: Are you putting equal pressure on both the palms?
STEP 6: 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. Checkpoint: Are your shoulders away from your ears? Keep your shoulders relaxed, even if it means bending your elbows. With regular practice, you will be able to deepen the stretch by straightening the elbows.
STEP 7: Ensure that your feet are still close together. Keep smiling and breathing. Smiling Cobras! Don’t overdo the stretch or overstrain yourself.
STEP 8: Breathing out, gently bring your abdomen, chest and head back to the floor.

Benefits

• Strengthens the spine
• Stretches chest and lungs, shoulders, and abdomen
• Firms the buttocks
• Stimulates abdominal organs
• Helps relieve stress and fatigue
• Opens the heart and lungs
• Soothes sciatica
• Therapeutic for asthma
• Traditional texts say that Bhujangasana increases body heat, destroys disease, and awakens kundalini.

Tips

• Beginner’s Tip: Don’t overdo the backbend. To find the height at which you can work comfortably and avoid straining your back, take your hands off the floor for a moment, so that the height you find will be through extension.
• If you are very stiff it might be better to avoid doing this pose on the floor. Brace a metal folding chair against a wall, and do the pose with your hands on the front edge of the seat, balls of the feet on the floor.

Partnering

• Your partner can help you learn about the correct action of the pelvis in a backbend. Once in the pose, have your partner straddle your legs. He/she should bend over and grip the sides of your pelvis, thumbs toward the sacrum, then spread the back of your pelvis, encourage your outer hips to soften, and push your hip points toward each other.

Contraindications

• Avoid practicing Bhujangasana yoga if you are pregnant, have fractured ribs or wrists, or recently underwent abdominal surgeries, such as for hernia.
• Also avoid doing Bhujangasana if you suffer from Carpel Tunnel Syndrome.
• Practice Cobra Pose under an Sri Sri Yoga teacher’s guidance if you have suffered from chronic diseases or spinal disorders in the past.

It doesn’t matter if things aren’t perfect. My practice is my time to feel alive, loved and free.”