Cobra Pose - Mofa yoga

Pose Name	Sanskrit Name	Level	Targets
Cobra Pose	Bhujangasana	Beginner	Strengthens the spine

What is Cobra pose?

Bhujangasana or Cobra Pose is a reclining back-bending asana in yoga. It is commonly performed in a cycle of asanas in Surya Namaskar as an alternative to Urdhva Mukha Svanasana. You can stay at this pose between 30 seconds to one minute.

How to do Cobra Pose

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Step 1

Come onto the floor on your hands and knees. Set your knees directly below your hips and your forearms on the floor with your shoulders directly above your wrists. Firmly press your palms together and your forearms into the floor. Curl your toes under, then exhale and lift your knees away from the floor. At first keep the knees slightly bent and the heels lifted away from the floor. Lengthen your tailbone away from the back of your pelvis and press it lightly toward the pubis. Against this resistance, lift the sitting bones toward the ceiling, and from your inner ankles draw the inner legs up into the groins.

2

Step 2

Continue to press the forearms actively into the floor. Firm your shoulder blades against your back, then widen them away from the spine and draw them toward the tailbone. Hold your head between the upper arms; don’t let it hang or press heavily against the floor. You can straighten your knees if you like, but if your upper back rounds it’s best to keep them bent. Continue to lengthen your tailbone away from the pelvis and lift the top of your sternum away from the floor.

Come out from the pose: Then release your knees to the floor with an exhale.

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Tip for beginners: Open your shoulders by lifting your elbows on a rolled-up sticky mat and pressing your inner wrists firmly to the floor.

Contraindications and Precautions

Avoid this pose if have Shoulder or neck injuries

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You can keep knees bent.

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Benefits:

Calms the brain and helps relieve stress and mild depression

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Stretches the shoulders, hamstrings, calves, and arches