Cobra Pose - Bhujangasana

Cobra pose, or bhujangasana, better known as cobra pose, builds strength and flexibility in your upper back and spine. Cobra pose is taken in many yoga classes, either on its own or as part of sun salutations A & B or vinyasa transitions. It can also be practiced in place of upward facing dog.

Getting into Cobra Pose (Bhujangasana):

• Begin face down on the mat. Bring your palms beside your ribs with your elbows bent toward the ceiling. 
• Extend your legs back, hip-width distance apart, and press the tops of your feet into the mat. 
• Curl your shoulders back as you lift your chest and upper back off the mat. Press very lightly through your palms, creating most of the lift with your back muscles. 
• Relax your shoulders away from your ears and spread your collar bones to open your chest.
• Keep pressing your feet, legs and pelvis into the mat for support. 

Modifications:

Cobra pose is a backbend and should be practiced with care to not compress the low back. It can be easily modified by not lifting the chest up as high off the mat. It can also be deepened by lifting higher and straightening your arms a bit more. Always find the depth that feels right to your body.

• For less of a backbend: curl the shoulders and chest just a little off the mat, keeping your lower ribs down (baby cobra)
• To strengthen your back: trying lifting your palms to hover above the mat. This lets you test that you are using your back muscles to lift and not relying on your arms to hold you up. 
• To deepen the backbend: bring your palms a bit more forward, and carefully straighten your arms without lifting your pelvis off the mat

Variations: 

You can take cobra pose on its own or part of sun salutations A & B. During sun salutations, you can substitute upward facing dog to get a deeper backbend or sphinx pose for a more gentle backbend which takes weight out of your wrists. 

Things to think about:

Even if you can take a deeper backbend, there are many benefits to not finding your full range of motion. Cobra is a great pose for warming up at the beginning of practice and gently finding more depth over time. It is also good for building back strength and that may be more effective with less depth. Always listen to your body and tailor the pose to fit your needs on any given day.