Secrets of Bhujangasana, Cobra Pose Technique in Yoga, Benefits of the Asana

Bhujangasana —one of the classic yoga poses . Cobra pose in yoga physically affects the entire anterior and posterior plane of the body – from toes to chin. This contributes to positive changes physically, and also beneficially affects the emotional state – the cobra pose can help mitigate stress, anxiety and even depression. Open your heart in Bhujangasana!

Technique

Step 1:

Lie down on your stomach. Extend your legs back, the entire outer part of the feet, including the toes, on the floor. Place your hands along the sides of your body, palms on the floor under your shoulders, fingers pointing towards your head. Press your elbows to your body.

Step 2:

Press the front of your thighs and pubic bone to the floor and on the inhale begin to lift your head, shoulders and chest. When you can no longer lift the upper body only using back muscles, start straightening your arms to a height at which you can keep your pubic bone and legs on the floor. Curl your tailbone towards your pubic bone and lift your pubic bone towards your navel – this will prevent a bend in your lower back. Slightly tighten, but do not clamp your buttocks.

Step 3:

Pull your shoulder blades together and down, and push your rib sides forward. Stretch your chest up and forward, but do not push forward only the front ribs – this contributes to a bend in the lumbar region. The task of the cobra pose is to open and stretch the chest. Feel the even stretch of the entire surface of the front of the body.

Step 4:

Hold the pose anywhere from 15 to 30 seconds, breathing easily.

Exiting the Pose

On the exhale, bend your arms at the elbows, relax your legs and return to the floor to the starting position.

Asana Adjustments / Control Points

1. pull your shoulders away from your ears, actively pulling them together with your shoulder blades towards your tailbone;
2. stretch your chest up and forward more by using back muscles, rather than by straightening and pushing your arms;
3. the press is crucial to prevent lower back injury – actively pull your stomach from the bottom up;
4. note that it is easy to enter the pose by simply bending your lower back, but instead of strengthening and creating a flexible spine, you clamp it. Take your time – at first you may not be able to rise high and well stretch your chest and bend in this area, but with practice, flexibility will increase.
5. the pubic bone in Bhujangasana always remains on the floor.

Benefits

Contraindications

Preparatory Yoga Exercises

• Setu Bandha Sarvangasana ;
• Urdhva Mukha Shvanasana .

Advanced Practice

After entering the asana, try to stretch your chest and back even more, tilt your head slightly back. Lift your palms off the floor and rest only on your fingers.

Variations

1. Easier Variation To determine the correct height at which you can currently work comfortably and not strain your back, lift your palms off the floor for a moment – the position should remain fixed and without hands.
2. Advanced Variation – Purna Bhujangasana (full cobra pose) Purna Bhujangasana is a more complex variation of the accessible cobra pose. The difference between these poses is the degree of bend in the spine. Perform steps 1-4 above, then bend your legs at the knees, and stretch your feet towards your head. Extend your head, neck and shoulders further back and try to reach your head with your toes. Stay in the pose for several breathing cycles, relaxing your back. After exiting the asana, it is recommended to move into Balasana (child’s pose) as compensation.