Cow Face Pose

Cow face pose, popularly known as gomukhasana stretches your arms and shoulders.



It releases tension from the shoulders and opens the chest to facilitate deep breathing. It also helps in eliminating rounded shoulders. Your sitting bones should be on the floor and the knees one over the other. Do not do this exercise if you have problems of neck hip and knee as well as shoulders. Hold the strap with your hands as close together as possible if you cannot clasp the hands behind the back.



You can perform the upper body stretch of this pose in easy pose or thunderbolt pose. To deepen the pose, relieve headaches and breathe easily, pull the abdominals toward the spine, bend forward through the hips and gently press the chest to the floor.

How it is to be done – sitting.

Suitable for – Everybody.

Steps - Actual procedure for that asana.

1.



Perform staff pose.

2. Bending your left leg, bring its heel under the right thigh, close to right hip.

3. Bend your right leg over the left knee and let your right heel come close to left hip. Your right knee should be positioned directly above the left knee.

4. Place your palms on the feet.

5. Press the sitting bones in the floor and point the crown of the head to the ceiling.

6. Bend the left elbow. Bring your left forearm behind your back.

7. Position the back of the left hand in the middle of your back, close to shoulder blades. The left forearm and the fingers of the left hand should point upward.

8. Inhale while extending the right arm over you head.

9. Bending the right elbow, keep your right elbow between the shoulder blades. The right palm should face your back and the fingers of the right hand should be pointed downward.

10. Clasp the fingers of the left hand with the right hand.

11. Pull your shoulders away from each other to experience the stretch in the shoulders and opening up of chest.

12. Remain in this pose from 10 seconds upto half minute before releasing the hands to returning to staff pose.

13. Repeat steps 2 to 12 for the other side.

Benefits to body parts - Stretches arms and shoulders. Relaxes shoulders. Opens the chest. Improves posture.

Other benefits - Teaches deep breathing.

Precautions - Knee, neck or hip problems.