- Sun Salutation
- Headstand
- Inverted Triangle Pose
- Hand to Foot Pose
- Lion Pose
- Head to One Knee Pose
- Head to Knees Pose
- Camel Pose
- Sage Marichi Twist Pose
- Half Lord of the Fish Pose
- Inverted Leg Stretch Pose
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- Yoga Balance Asanas
- Yoga Asanas For Spine
- Yoga Asanas in Chair
- Basic Yoga Asanas For Stomach
- Yoga Asanas For The Neck
- Yoga Asanas For Depressed
- Yoga Asanas For Beginners
- Sequencing Yoga Asanas
- One Legged King Pigeon Pose - Eka Pada Rajakapotasana
- Reclining Bound Angle Pose - Supta Baddha Konasana
- Eight Angle Pose - Astavakrasana
- Hand Clenching
- Side Crane Pose - Parsva Bakasana
- Ankle Rotation
- Circle pose - Mandalasana
- Dolphin Plank Pose
- Half Frog Pose - Ardha Bhekasana
- Four-Limbed Staff Pose - Chaturanga Dandasana
- Extended Puppy Pose - Uttana Shishosana
- Supported Headstand - Salamba Sirsasana
- Pendant Pose - Lolasana
- Shoulder-Pressing Pose - Bhujapidasana
- Ankle Bending
- Wrist Bending
- Standing Half Forward Bend
- Side-Reclining Leg Lift
- Standing Yoga Seal
- Shiva Twist
- Upward Salute
- Intense Side Stretch Pose
- Wild Thing
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- Upward Bow
- Warrior Seal
- Spread Leg Forward Fold
- Legs-Up-the-Wall Pose
- King Pigeon Pose
- Arm Pressing Posture
- Upward-Facing Dog
- Crocodile Pose
- Feathered Peacock Pose
- Reclining Angle Pose
- Reclining Hero Pose
- Half Headstand Pose
Cobra Pose (Bhujangasana)
Cobra Pose (Bhujangasana) is a back bending pose, which is excellent for strengthening both the back and the abdominal muscles.
It gets its name from two Sanskrit words 'bhujanga' which means 'snake' and 'asana' which means 'posture'.
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This yogic pose is known to increase the body’s heat and protect against diseases. However, from a fitness point of view it is ideal for those looking to strengthen the back, core, and abdominal muscles. This pose is also said to awaken the Kundalini.
This pose has a number of benefits associated with it. The yoga Cobra Pose is usually performed as a part of the Sun Salutation series, albeit it can also be performed as a separate pose in any yoga routine. As mentioned earlier, this is a great exercise for people who suffer from lower back pain.
Steps
The Cobra Pose steps are as follows:
- Lie down on the floor facing downwards. Now, stretch back your legs with the top portion of the feet touching the ground. Next put your palms on the floor and spread your arms such that your hands are just under your shoulders.
- Press your thighs and the feet firmly on the ground.
- Take a deep breath and simultaneously start straightening your arms in order to lift your chest off the floor. Keep going up until you reach a height where your legs are just touching the ground but not pressing onto the floor.
- Puff the side ribs in the forward direction and firm the shoulder blades against your back. While avoiding pushing the front ribs forward, you have to lift your torso through the top of your sternum. This helps in hardening the lower back only. Make sure that the bend of the back spreads uniformly along the whole length of the spine.
- Hold the pose for about 15 to 30 seconds and then come back to the floor, exhaling simultaneously. You can start by holding the pose for lesser time and slowly increase the duration when you become more flexible and comfortable with the yoga pose.
Precautions
There are a few cobra pose precautions which one must follow while practicing this pose.
- Those who have a stiff neck or are suffering from neck injuries should not force their head back beyond their comfort level.
- People who have back injuries or have pain in their back must not bend their spine beyond their level of comfort. These people can also keep their elbows bent if this is comfortable for them.
- This pose must not be practiced by pregnant women.
- Those who are suffering from carpel tunnel syndrome should also avoid practicing this pose.
- People who have weak wrists or their wrists are injured must avoid practicing cobra pose as it will exert more pressure on their already weal wrists.
Beginner's tip
It is best to increase the bend slowly, only as when you become comfortable with the pose and not overdo anything. Also, you need to find the height at which you can comfortably practice the pose without straining your back. Other pointers include holding the pose for a duration of only 5 to 10 seconds in the beginning, and keeping your elbows bent, depending on your level of comfort.
Benefit to body part
The benefits to body parts of this yoga pose are many, such as the following:
- It helps in strengthening the spine.
- It stretches the lungs and chest.
- It firms the buttocks, thus giving them a better shape.
Therapeutic applications
The therapeutic applications of the Cobra Pose are many, and it can help in relieving a number of conditions such as:
- Neck pain and backaches
- Constipation
- Gynecological disorders (such as leucorrhea, dysmenorrhea and amenorrhea)
- Stress and anxiety
- Slipped disc
The pose can also be used for the following:
- Helps in regulating the function of the liver.
- Helps in relieving the pain associated with sciatica.
- It has therapeutic properties that are very helpful for asthma patients.
- Helps in destroying disease causing agents, thus keeping the body overall healthy.
Variations
There are some variations for the Cobra Pose which one can try. As doing the full cobra pose can be a little difficult for some people, one can try performing the some modifications such as those listed below:
- If your body is not very flexible, then it might be difficult for you to perform this pose on the floor and you must also avoid it. You can use a folding chair that is kept against a wall and perform the pose with your hands kept on the front edge of the seat of the chair.
- You can set the height to which you have to rise according to your comfort. You can try coming up to only a part of the height instead of coming up all way.
- For a much more comfortable, position you can also try placing your elbows on the ground and raising yourself only half way. Preparatory poses
There are two preparatory poses for cobra pose, which will help you gain more flexibility for the pose.
- Bridge Pose (Setu Bandha Sarvangasana) – This pose is very effective in relieving stress.
- Upward-Facing Dog (Urdhva Mukha Svanasana) – This preparatory pose helps in improving the posture and has therapeutic applications in treating sciatica.
Cobra Pose
