Cobra Pose - Bhujangasana

This pose is named Cobra because it resembles an upward position of a serpent snake. Cobra pose is beneficial in many ways, both physically and mentally. It works on opening up four chakras within the body. The root/sex, navel, heart and throat chakra. This helps to keep you balanced within. It's also great for those suffering with any back pain.

Benefits of Cobra Pose

Cobra Pose opens up the chest and reduces tension, stress and fatigue within the body. It strengthens and tones the back muscles and tissues along the vertebrae, therefore relieving any tension, aches and pains in the lower back. If practiced on a regular basis it can help those with asthma, as it expands the chest area. It also helps to improve posture and flexibility of the spine by working on the nerve junctions that run throughout the spinal cord.

This pose makes you stronger by strengthening the upper body. The shoulders, chest and tricep muscles are all used especially in modified versions or within a sun salutation when you go up and down.

The weight of your body on the navel area massages the digestive organs. This helps improve digestion and elimination. It also works on stimulating the reproductive organs, therefore improving function of the ovaries and glands.

Cobra Pose can be done with open or closed eyes. If you open your eyes and gaze up, you tone the optical nerves in your eyes, therefore improving vision.

Cobra Pose is a wonderful yoga posture, that's quite simple to do for everyone and reaps many benefits. The going up and down motion of Cobra pose can help you build stronger arms, shoulders and chest with your own body weight without the risk of injury. It can be practiced with bent or straight arms. Although it's often called upward dog if you straighten your arms.

Steps for Cobra Pose

1. Lie on your belly with your arms relaxed beside you.
2. Turn your head to the centre and bend your arms so that your hands are placed beneath your shoulders. Keep your arms close to your body.
3. Inhale as you start to slowly arch your back. Lift up with you chest. Do not lift your pelvis.
4. Hold this posture for about 5 seconds.
5. To come out of the pose, slowly lower your abdomen, chest, shoulders and head to the floor.
6. Relax your arms and body, and rest.

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