Move-It Monday~Yoga Pose: Cobra Pose (Bhujangasana)

Difficulty level: Easy

Benefits:

  • Strengthens the back
  • Opens the shoulders, chest and abdomen
  • Stimulates the abdominal organs

Cobra Pose is a beginning backbend, often offered nestled in a Sun Salutation.  With additional variations, Cobra can also help to relax the neck.

Begin in Down Dog .  Exhale and move into Plank Pose.  On your next exhale lower your body to the floor in a prone position.  Stretch your legs long on the floor, pressing your inner legs close together and your toenails into the floor.  Place the palms of your hands on the floor between your shoulders and your waistband so that your elbows line up over your wrists.  Inhale, roll your shoulders onto your back and begin to straighten your arms lifting your upper body off the floor.  Focus on pulling the front body up using your back muscles (especially between your shoulder blades).  Keep a slight bend in your elbows, lift your gaze, and draw your ears back moving them over your shoulders.  Hold this pose for 2 – 3 breaths.

To exit the pose, on an exhale, lower your body slowly back to a prone position on the floor.  Tuck your toes, exhale and press back and up to Down Dog.

Variations:

To confirm that your back is fully involved in this pose, lift your hands from the floor using your back to keep your front body lifted.

For relaxation of the neck, from the prone position on the floor:  Draw your hands out to the side at shoulder level, coming up onto your fingertips.  Keep your elbows pointed towards the ceiling.  Inhale and lift up into fingertip cobra.  Exhale and look to the right.  Inhale back to center.  Exhale and look to the left.  Inhale back to center.  Exhale and return to the prone position.

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