COBRA POSE
Bhujangasana
(boo-jang-gahs-anna)
Bhujanga=serpent, snake
Steps
- Lie on your stomach. Bend your elbows and place your hands directly underneath your shoulders. Draw the legs together, with the inner thighs, knees, and heel actively touching. With the back of the neck lengthening, gaze toward the floor in front of you. Press you pubic bone down as you draw your buttocks together and tighten the thighs.
2. Inhale and begin lifting the chest up and the chin forward. Press the hands down into the floor. Keep your toes on the floor. Exhale. Inhale and lift a little higher, shifting part of your weight onto your arms. Hold here and exhale.
3. Inhale and lift one more time straightening your arms.
4. Exhale, relaxing the shoulders. Lengthen the fingers and press the weight down through them. Stay here if this is good. If you want more, you can inhale and lift through the chest looking up over your head or to your third eye. Hold for a few breaths. When you are ready, release your chin forward. Inhale. Exhale, releasing to the floor.
Modifications
If this is too taxing on the lower back, lower and as you come back up, pull the chest forward through your hands as you stretch through the spine separating the vertebrae and breathing in between them into the discs. If this still is too much, go to your forearms to sphinx pose.
If it hurts your back to lay flat on the floor, add a blanket underneath your hip points.
Benefits:
Strengthens the spine; Strengthens the arms and shoulders, wrists, forearms and hands; Stretches abdominals and lungs; Opens heart and lungs; Therapeutic for asthma; Relieves stress and fatigue; Firms buttocks; Stimulates abdominal organs; Soothes sciatica
Contraindications:
Back injury or pain; Headache; Pregnancy; Carpal Tunnel