Cobra Pose - Bhujangasana

Cobra Pose - Bhujangasana

• Lie on your abdomen, with your forehead on the floor and legs back.  Bring your hands directly underneath your shoulders with your fingers spread wide, thumb pointing inward directly under your breast.
• Hug your triceps and elbows in toward your body.
• SLIGHTLY tuck tailbone in and upward, stretch toes back, engaging the quads (knees will be slightly off the floor)
• INHALE - Roll your shoulders back, squeezing your shoulder blades together.  Open the heart space forward.
• For added bonus - lift your hands slightly, to tune into the strength of the back.

*** Keep the buttocks soft. You may lift higher, however, keep the hip bones rooted to the mat.

Benefits:

This is a heart opening posture.  All back bends are heart opening postures.  Take back bends on an inhale.  Heart Openers are heating to the body and may cause shortness of breath. They may make us feel vulnerable.  They creates feelings of joy, however, it may cause increased anxiety if you are suffering from this already.  Gentle heart openers such as Cobra Pose, will be less intense and is a great modification to Up Dog.  Heart Openers can be very rejuvenating and creates great flexibility in the spine.  A wonderful counterpose is DownDog, or Childs Pose.