Like many other yoga poses, Cobra Pose (Bhujangasana in Sanskrit) is named after the animal it resembles.
King cobras can lift the top third of their bodies 4 feet off the ground. The cobra’s hooded face and dignified posture make it an intimidating animal. When practicing this pose, we imitate the lift and shape of a king cobra.
As the name suggests, this yoga pose, or asana, is powerful. Intended for beginners, but useful for practitioners of all levels. Bhujangasana Cobra Pose opens the chest, increases spinal mobility, tightens the core, and strengthens the back (all important benefits against a sedentary lifestyle).
Bhujangasana activates several muscles, including the pectoralis and chest muscles, rectus abdominis, transverse abdominis, external obliques, internal obliques, trapezius, and erector spinae.
Bhujangasana can be done as part of a warm-up, to prepare for deeper backbends, or as part of a sun salutation in place of Upward Facing Dog (Urdva Mukha Svanasana). Cobra pose is generally considered a less intense and more approachable version of Up Dog.
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Within this learning yoga program, YA classLearn the Cobra Pose and many other basic yoga poses with short and concise yoga tutorial videos from knowledgeable and approachable instructors.
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By following each step below, you can enter Bhujangasana Cobra Pose intentionally and wisely. Then, once you’ve experienced the pose for yourself, read on for some interesting variations you can explore.
As you progress through practicing this Cobra Pose, pay attention to which pose is most comfortable for your body and the differences between each variation.
1. Prepare the basics for Cobra Pose.
If your lower back is sensitive, there are several ways to adjust the position of your feet (listed below) to reduce pressure on your back.
- Start lying on your stomach (face down) with your hands stacked on top of each other and your forehead resting on your hands.
- Traditionally, this pose is taught as touching the inner arches of the feet and squeezing the feet together like a cobra’s tail.
- If your lower back is sensitive, try placing your feet hip-distance apart or a little wider apart.
- Point your feet so that the tips of your toes touch the mat.Literally press your toenails into the mat
- Move your hips from side to side once or twice to release tension and stabilize your lower back.
2. Stabilize your pelvis and legs (here’s how):
These steps will help you find comfort and ease within the poses.
- Lift your right leg and extend it behind you, returning it to the mat
- Repeat with left leg
- Press your hip points into the floor while lifting your lower abdomen and activating your core muscles.
- Keep your legs in a neutral position and press your upper thighs and feet firmly into the mat below
3. Check arm position.
This is a great tip for positioning, as students often place their hands too far in front or to the sides.
- Release your hands and slide your elbows back along your ribs
- Place your hands next to or below your shoulders
- Slowly squeeze your elbows toward each other and cross your arms, moving your shoulders away from your ears and getting ready for the lift.
- Stretch along the spine to the top of the head
4. Lift your body into cobra pose:
Now you are ready for liftoff.
- Maintaining the length you found in the last step, inhale and press your hands to lift your chest off the mat.
- You can lift your shoulders as much as is comfortable and sustainable for you.
- Although your arms and hands take some of the weight, your back and shoulders do most of the work in Bhujangasana.
- Open your chest by rolling your shoulders back (remember to squeeze your shoulder blades together) and widening your collarbones and ribs.
- Keep your neck neutral and your gaze (drishti) directed forward, where the front of your mat meets the floor.
- Slowly relax while exhaling. Or you can enjoy the pose by doing several slow breathing cycles in a row.
Have fun with variations of the Cobra Pose:
Finding a movement that feels good for your body is much more important than forcing yourself into a certain shape. Experiment with these variations to find the version of Bhujangasana that you like best.
1. Low Cobra Pose (also known as Baby Cobra):
- This pose is similar to a cobra, but keep your elbows deeply bent.
- Follow all the steps above, but only lift your chest a few inches off the ground.
- With this variation, focus on lengthening your body from head to toe rather than lifting your chest off the ground.
2. Cobra with hand hovering:
- This is a great variation to focus on strengthening your back or reducing tension in your hands (great for anyone with hand or wrist pain!).
- Set up similar to Cobra pose, but lift your hands off the ground as you place them on the outside of your shoulders.
- Keep your hands in the air as you lift your shoulders off the ground. Bonus!This will further strengthen your back muscles
3. High Cobra:
- For High Cobra pose, start with your hands slightly in front of your shoulders. You may also find it more comfortable to hold your hands a little wider than you would with a traditional Cobra.
- Begin to lift your chest off the mat using your back strength.
- Once you reach the point where you feel your back can’t lift any further, extend your arms and begin increasing the depth of your backbend.
- Straighten, but keep your elbows slightly bent and don’t lock out your arms.
4. Fingertip Bhujangasana:
- This is a great option to prevent wrist strain or if you have difficulty with wrist flexion (mobility).
- For this variation, place your hands in line with your shoulders but far away from the sides of your mat.
- Place your fingertips on the mat, but keep your palms up (imagine you’re trying to grab a frosted cupcake from the top to avoid getting icing on your palms).
- From here, peel your chest off the mat in waves through your spine.
- Slowly lower and release your chest
- This variation feels great as you move with your breath, lifting while inhaling and releasing while exhaling, repeating several rounds.
Ready to explore deeper backbends? Read: Learn how to safely access wheel pose (photo tutorial)
Bhujangasana Cobra Pose Safety Tips and Final Guidance
Avoid Cobra Pose if you are pregnant, have had recent abdominal surgery, or have shoulder or back injuries. Instead, try cow pose to open your chest very gently. If you’re pregnant, try camel or half-camel pose for a similar way to open your chest without putting pressure on your abdomen.
Learn more about Camel Pose here: Camel Pose Details and Key Placement Tips
One last tip about this pose:
- Think more about creating space within your body than finding a specific shape
- Rather than finding the height of your backbend, focus on stretching and opening the front of your body.
- If your lower back feels constricted or compressed, reduce the force with which you lift your shoulders.
- Even when the pose is at its fullest expression, the hips must remain firmly planted on the ground
- If you’re looking for a deep prone backbend that lifts your hips off the ground, try Seal Pose or Updog instead.
All of these Cobra Pose variations are great options to help improve your posture and improve your counters. Text/technical bottleneckor recovering from spending too much time sitting at the computer or binge-watching your favorite show.
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Remember to open the front of your body and focus on breathing slowly in this pose. Along the way, you may find that Bhujangasana helps reduce stress and anxiety, calms your mind, and refreshes your spirit.
Bhujangasana is more than just a feel-good yoga pose. This is a powerful and versatile asana that has many benefits for the body and mind. Named after the majestic king cobra, this pose symbolizes strength and authority, and its practice reflects those qualities.
A beginner-friendly pose, Bhujangasana is a foundational pose in your yoga practice that will serve you throughout your life.
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