Bhujangasana: Improve Your Posture and Flexibility

Bhujangasana: Improve Your Posture and Flexibility

Bhujangasana Yoga ‘The Cobra Pose’:

The Sanskrit word Bhujang means ‘the serpent.’ The body is lifted in the same way as the Cobra snake lifts its head and the front body. That is why it has been named the ‘Cobra Pose’ in English. It is extremely beneficial for correcting your posture and inducing flexibility in the body.

The chest muscles and the shoulder muscles get a stretch. The core muscles and spinal area become strong and flexible. You must activate your body and stretch it by doing simple exercises before going for this pose. This asana is quite easy to perform but offers many benefits. It helps in activating 37% of your body’s muscles.

Steps of Bhujangasana:

Now the next thing is ‘how to do Bhujangasana?’ It is an easy yoga pose that does not need much practice but an activated and stretched body. Always do some walking and stretching before attempting this pose. The steps of doing this asana have been mentioned below:

• Lie down on a flat surface or mat on your belly. This is called the prone position.
• Your face should be touching the mat and your arms should be on the sides of the hips.
• Your legs and feet should be straight. The feet should be extended straight outwards.
• Now place your palms on the sides of the chest that is close to the shoulders. Elbows should be bent.
• Inhale and try to lift your head and upper body just like a snake. Once the chest is lifted a bit, start putting pressure on your palms and lift the remaining upper part to the navel.
• Keep lifting and holding your breath until your navel starts to touch the surface. Your lower body should remain on the surface. Do not lift it at all.
• Hold your breath and this position for at least 15-20 seconds.
• To come out of this position, start to breathe out slowly and start to lower your body. Come back to the original position.
• Take a bit of rest and repeat again. Repeat this asana 4-5 times.

Modifications:

You can do this pose in various modified ways depending upon your level of yoga i.e. if you are a novice or an expert. Here are certain modifications that you can try:

• Modifications for Novice.
• If you are a novice, then you can take the help of a chair for performing this pose. The chair must be placed against the wall. Place your hands on the chair seat and do this pose.
• As a beginner, go for a half-cobra pose where you have to lift your upper part while keeping your palms and arms on the floor i.e. you do not need to lift your arms as you do in the case of the original asana.
• Modifications of Experts:
• The experts in the pose can go for Saral Hasta Bhujangasana which is the advanced version. The arms are extended to support the body.
• Go for a hands-free cobra pose where, after lifting your body, you will have to start taking your palms away from the floor so that they are hovering in the air.
• After lifting your body, you can take your arms on the backside and extend them backward to provide more stretch to the body.

Bhujangasana Benefits:

This asana offers huge benefits. Some Bhujangasana benefits are mentioned below:

• It helps in reducing stiffness in the lower back area.
• Your arms and shoulder muscles get strengthened.
• It helps in toning up the core area muscles and the back area muscles.
• It makes you feel more energetic and improves your mood by making you feel less stressed.
• Your posture starts getting better with this pose.
• It helps in improving the flexibility of the spinal area.
• The digestive system and the blood circulation system get better with this pose.
• As this pose helps in opening the chest, the lungs are also opened up. As a result, the Asthma problems start to go away.
• It is beneficial for the health of the heart.
• It helps in reducing the problem of sciatica.
• If you are suffering from mensuration-related problems, then this asana is surely for you.
• The food is absorbed in a better way and as a result, defecation becomes easier.
• It helps in losing weight by reducing the unwanted fat accumulated in the belly area.
• It helps to make the reproductive system strong as the circulation of blood towards the ovaries and the uterus is increased.
• It makes your buttocks well-toned and firm.
• It unblocks the Kundalini chakra that is located at the base of the spine.
• It helps in getting sound sleep.
• This yoga can be particularly helpful if you have sedentary habits, i.e. you use to sit for most of the time during the day.
• It is a blessing for breast cancer survivors.
• It is helpful for ladies who are suffering from postmenopausal problems.
• It is good for the health of the kidneys.

Who should not do Bhujangasana Yoga?

Although anyone with good body conditions can do this asana, there are certain exceptions to it:

• People suffering from Carpel tunnel syndrome should avoid this asana as in the case of this syndrome numbness, tingling, and weakness in the hand and arm occur.
• The person with injured back should not go for it as it will put more pressure on his back and his back will not be able to bear the stretch.
• A person with injuries in the arm or shoulder should not do it as putting up more pressure will make the injury severe.
• Pregnant women should avoid this yoga as it can cause complications.
• A person who has gone through abdominal surgery recently should avoid this pose and should go for it only after a piece of advice from a doctor.
• People with ailments like ulcers, hernia, spondylitis, etc. should avoid it.
• Because bones become weak and brittle with growing age, senior citizens should avoid doing it.

Precautions to be Taken while doing Cobra Pose: 

While doing this pose, one must take the following precautions:

• People who have severe asthma problems should do some breathing exercises before going for Cobra Pose.
• A beginner must not go for this asana straight away. He/she should start with some standing back bending poses. Once the back becomes flexible and the abdominal area starts to bear the stretch, go for this asana.
• Alignment of the hands should be taken care of.
• Do not force your neck to bend back too much.
• First, lift the chest and then start putting pressure on the palms.
• If you feel that you are back pain has aggravated after this asana, then stop doing this.
• Keep shoulders away from ears to avoid neck compression.
• Keep the chin in a neutral position if you have neck pain.
• Do not keep your stiff and let it be flexible.
• Do not lift your body too much that it makes up an L-shape.
• Do not try to put excessive pressure on your body.
• Avoid jerks and overstretching.

Conclusion:

Regular practice of this asana, under the guidance of a qualified yoga teacher, can provide comprehensive healing benefits for the body. It is important to follow appropriate precautions while performing this pose in order to prevent any potential issues.