Bhujangasana (Cobra Pose)

How to do Bhujangasana (Cobra Pose)

  • 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 and heels lightly touching each other.
  • Place your hands (palms downwards) under your shoulders, keeping your elbows parallel and close to your torso.
  • Taking a deep breath in, slowly lift your head, chest, and abdomen while keeping your navel on the floor.
  • Pull your torso back and off the floor with the support of your hands.
  • Checkpoint: Are you putting equal pressure on both the palms?
  • 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 lookup.
  • 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.
  • Ensure that your feet are still close together. Keep smiling and breathing. Smiling Cobras!
  • Don’t overdo the stretch or overstrain yourself.
  • Breathing out, gently bring your abdomen, chest, and head back to the floor.

Benefits of the Bhujangasana

  • Opens up the shoulders and neck.
  • Tones the abdomen.
  • Strengthens the entire back and shoulders.
  • Improves flexibility of the upper and middle back.
  • Expands the chest.
  • Improves blood circulation.
  • Reduces fatigue and stress.
  • Useful for people with respiratory disorders such as asthma. (Do not practice this yoga pose during the attack though).

Contraindications of the Cobra Pose (Bhujangasana)

  • Avoid practicing Bhujangasana 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 Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Bitilasana Marjaryasana (Cat Cow) Pose Yoga

Image
How To Do Cat Stretch (Marjariasana) Come onto your fours. Form a table such that your back forms the tabletop and your hands and feet form the legs of the table. Keep your arms perpendicular to the floor, with the hands directly under the shoulders and flat on the ground; your knees are hip-width apart. Look straight ahead. As you inhale, raise your chin and tilt your head back, push your navel downwards and raise your tailbone. Compress your buttocks. Do you feel a slight tingle here? Hold the Cat pose and take long, deep breaths. Follow this by a countermovement: As you exhale, drop your chin to your chest and arch your back up as much as you can; relax the buttocks. Hold this pose for a few seconds before you return to the initial table-like stage. Continue five or six rounds before you come out of this yoga posture. Tips Practicing Cat-Cow can warm the body and prepare it for many activities. Keep the following information in mind when practi
Read more

Ujjayi Pranayama

Image
Ujjayi Pranayama Starting position: Do preliminary conditioning in Sukhasana or any other meditative posture.  Sit on a firm chair with an erect backrest, if unable to sit on the floor. Keep the body above the waist straight and the spine erect. Eyes can be kept closed. How to do Ujjayi Pranayama? The Sequence of steps: Close the mouth and constrict the throat (the glottis — a part of larynx). Make a short exhalation and then start inhaling—slowly and rhythmically in one long and unbroken inspiration. Allow the air to pass through the constricted throat, creating a “friction sound”. Continue inhaling till a sense of fullness is felt in the chest. Retain the inhaled air for a period of 6 seconds (preferably double the period of inspiration). Ensure: While sitting spine, head and neck is maintained erect. Facial muscles are relaxed and nose is not constricted. Inhalation is slow and rhythmic – long, unbroken and without jerks. Now exhale as naturally as possible – g
Read more

Sarvangasana (Shoulder Stand Yoga Pose)

Image
How to do Sarvangasana The various simple steps of performing Sarvangasana are being given below. By following these techniques, even the learner can easily practice this asana. Lie down in the supine position or lying on your stomach. Raise your legs slowly upward and bring it to a 90° angle. Bring the legs towards the head by raising the buttocks up. Raise the legs; abdomen and chest try to form a straight line. Place the palms on your back for support. Place the chin against the chest. Maintain the position as long as comfortable. Try to maintain the pose up to 30 seconds or more. Slowly return back to the original position. While doing this, first lower the buttocks with hands supporting the back and slowly come to the surface or in the original position. Perform it twice or thrice. After performing Sarvangasanam one should practice Matsyasana immediately to ease backache. Benefits of Sarvangasana Some of the most important benefits of Sarvangasana are given
Read more