Bhujangasana Yoga (Cobra Pose) – Steps And Its Benefits | Styles At Life

Look at how fit people in the days gone by were!! Perfect curves, well shaped and toned muscles, flat stomachs and what not. Now take a look at the bodies we live in, out of shape, badly maintained and a sad story to deal with.

By not exercising, at least for thirty minutes everyday, the body gets into the mode of sedentary living. This brings along a host of health issues, some of which can paralyse us or can take our lives away. Is this what we want? NO

So let’s take a pledge today, a pledge to take care of our body, mind and soul. We will now learn and read more about what yoga can help us with. The ancient art and science of yoga has been around for many centuries. People across the globe have benefited in more ways than one, practicing the varied asanas and postures of yoga. So why not you?

Experts say, most of the ailments and sicknesses in the body happen because of the lack of care or the pretentious ways of ignoring the needs of the body to be exercised everyday. Our body resembles a machine, which if not oiled and serviced well, would give way in time. This is surely what we do not want happening to our human self!! Hence, eat well; drink a lot of water and exercise daily.

Today we would like to speak about one particular asana, Bhujangasana. The posture is known top replicate poses of a snake, which can help the spine and the chakras of the body. Hence, please read on and be well-informed for the same.

Bhujangasana Yoga (Cobra Pose)

The name Bhujangasana comes from the Sanskrit word “bhujang” meaning snake or serpent. Therefore the asana is called the Cobra pose. This asana is a backbend pose, with the person in a pose resembling a serpent with its hood raised. The asana is a part of the sequence of Surya Namaskar (sun salutation) and also asanas in Padma Sadhana. The asana is highly beneficial and known to awaken the kundalini, destroy diseases and also increase body heat.

Bhujangasana Yoga (Cobra Pose) – Steps And Its Benefits:

Here we given below detailed explanation for how to do bhujangasana yoga or cobra pose with step by step instructions and their benefits, modifications, tips for beginners and other tips to follow easily this yoga posture.

Bhujangasana Yoga (Cobra Pose) Steps:

1. Begin by lying on your belly, with your palms placed under the shoulders. Your elbows must be tucked close to your torso. The tops of your feet must be pressing down on the mat, thereby lengthening your legs.

2. Press your pelvic bone downwards and also activate your thigh muscles. While doing this, you must feel your tailbone tuck under, when your abdomen contracts and supports the spine.

3. Now inhale and press your hands to the ground, lengthening your arms so that your chest is lifted forward and up.

4. Keep your tailbone tucked under, as the pelvic bone moves towards your navel. This pelvic tilt would aid you maintaining the openness in the lower spine as you arch.

5. Lift yourself only to the point where the pelvic bone remains on the ground and you don’t feel pressure is felt in your lower back.

6. Press your shoulder blades into your back without being hard in the back muscles. Place your elbows close to your ribcage, with the elbows slightly bent. Make your back muscles and your arms work in this position.

7. Raise your eyes and chin, maintaining a comfortable space through the back of the neck. Hold this pose for 20-30 seconds, taking deep breaths.

8. During the last breath, slowly exhale bringing your head and chest down. Feel your spine lengthen, by pulling your torso forward with your hands.

9. Inhale and raise yourself up to your hands and knees, and go back to child pose by exhaling.

Benefits Of Bhujangasana Yoga (Cobra Pose):

Physical Benefits:

1. This bhujangasana aims to increase the flexibility of the spine and also strengthens it.
2. It stretched the various parts of the body like the chest, shoulders, lungs and abdomen.
3. Cobra pose strengthens the back muscles and the arms.
4. The internal organs are stretched and also massaged by doing this asana.
5. Performing the asana helps to open the lungs and heart.
6. It helps to stimulate the abdominal organs and also firms the buttocks.

Therapeutic Benefits:

1. Bhujangasana is known to benefit people who suffer from asthma.
2. Performing this asana is known to soothe sciatica.
3. It aids in relieving stress and fatigue.

See More: Padmasana Benefits

Modifications For Bhujangasana Yoga (Cobra Pose):

It is better to avoid doing this pose on the ground, if you are stiff. Support a metal chair against a wall, and perform this pose with your hands on the front edge of the seat and with the balls of your feet on the ground.

You could rest your elbows under your shoulders on the floor for reducing the work on you lower back muscles.

Precautions For Bhujangasana Yoga (Cobra Pose):

This asana must be avoided by people who have back injuries and carpal tunnel syndrome.
Avoid this asana, if you happen to have headaches.
Pregnant women must not perform this asana.
Those who have undergone internal organ surgery must not perform this asana.
People who suffer from arthritis in the spines or wrists must not perform this asana.

Cobra Pose Tips For Starters:

Beginners might find the backbend very difficult, so it is better to not overdo. In order to find the height at which you can perform this asana without straining your back, take your hands off the floor for a second. The height you find will be through extension.

Preparatory And Follow Up Poses:

Sethu bandha sarvangasana and urdhva mukha svanasana are the preparatory poses for this asana.
Most of the backbend asanas can be performed as follow up asanas for Bhujangasana.

Now we will come to a little more detailing about the bhujangasana or the cobra pose. Firstly let us get to know more about the ancient and original meaning and origin of it. The reference of this special pose was taken from a scripture known as the Gheranda Samhita and the meaning of this says that you need to keep your naval to big toe touched to the base and then rise like the hood of a serpent. Bhujangasana or the cobra pose is said to arouse fire in the body which in turn burns away all diseases and also stimulates ‘kundalini’. There are many other benefits of bhujangasana.

It is truly said that the perfect health can be achieved if you have the most proper digestive system and after knowing the bhujangasana steps maintaining such health conditions will be easier for you. This is because the cobra pose is one of the best for this purpose and it also ignites digestive power which in turn burns away all the bad bacteria and disease causing germs and also regulates energy in the most beneficial paths.

What Are The Preparatory And Follow- Up Yoga Poses To Cobra Pose?

Prior to practising the bhujangasana steps you can go for the simple Sahaja hasta Bhujangasana. After you are done with your cobra pose practise what you can try are a number of poses one after the other. These are the Vakra hasta Bhujangasana, Niralamba Bhujangasana, Shalabhasana, Naukasana and Dhanurasana.

See More: Paschimottanasana Steps

Let’s Take Some More Tips For Bhujangasana Yoga (Cobra Pose):

First of all do not be harsh to your body and do not force it to stretch when it cannot any more. This will not lead you to any of the benefits of bhujangasana rather it will have adverse affects on the body. There are reasons for which you will see some people have their hips right on the floor in this pose while some have it lifted. The reason is that some people are more flexible than the others. The other reason is that the length of arms and the shapes of the bodies of everyone is not the same and so there might be a difference. This however does not mean that the benefits will vary.

Secondly, do not try too hard because you will then fail to do the exact pose. This means that you need to relax mainly your back to get the correct position. If you tense or stress your back, you will not be able to get that arch needed for Bhujangasana and without which it is of no use to practice this pose. Yoga is also about calming down and so you should do that.

Thirdly, you need a balance of the body in all ways so try to make a balanced routine of the yoga postures. To balance the arches and weight of the body, you can practice Shalabhasana right after some Saral hasta Bhujangasana and then move on to another version.

When Should You Not Do Bhujangasana?

There are several precautions and contraindications when it comes to practising Bhujangasana. This pose should not be practised at all by pregnant woman and with ones who are suffering from severe spine problems, ulcers and hernia. This pose is the best for those who have a stiff back and also for the ones who are menstruating. If you have undergone a surgery for any of the lungs, heart, back, brain and the like then this cobra pose is again a strict no- no for you.

Also you are not to increase the time and duration of practise of this asana right at one go. First you will have to just do it for about 10 seconds and repeat it for about 5 times and then increase to 1 minute and then 5- 10 minutes.

See More: Anantasana Pose