Cobra Pose
By providing a conscious opening in the chest and stretch in the shoulders, Cobra Pose, called Bhujangasana in Sanskrit, fights fatigue and relieves lower back pain, boosting both the energetic and the physical body.
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Bhujangasana (Cobra Pose) is a heart-opening backbend that stretches your entire upper body and can provide relief if you’re experiencing back pain, tightness in your shoulders, or upper body soreness. You can easily adjust the intensity of the backbend by straightening or bending your elbows to suit your needs.
This pose is typically practiced early in class as a warm-up and precursor to more intense backbends, including Urdhva Mukha Svanasana (Upward-Facing Dog Pose) and Ustrasana (Camel).
Cobra Pose Basics
Sanskrit: Bhujangasana (boo-jahn-GAHS-ah-nah)
Pose Type: Backbend
Targets: Core
Why We Love It: “Sitting at a desk all day wreaks havoc on the back, and wrecks posture, too,” says Yoga Journal Senior Editor Tamara Jeffries. “Cobra is a gentle, but definitive back bend. Mindfully done—with the shoulders down and the heart forward—it reminds my body of what good posture feels like. I also appreciate it as an alternative to Upward Facing Dog when my practice needs less intensity.”
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Pose benefits
Cobra Pose can boost energy, fight fatigue, and build confidence. It improves posture and counteracts the effects of prolonged sitting and computer work.
Cobra Pose: Step-by-step instructions
- Begin on your belly with your feet hip-distance apart and your hands beside your ribs.
- Extend your big toes straight back and press down with all ten toenails to activate your quadriceps.
- Rotate your inner thighs toward the ceiling to broaden the lower back.
- Pressing down lightly with your hands, start to lift your head and chest, rolling your shoulders back and down.
- Keep the back of your neck long and focus on lifting your sternum instead of lifting your chin.
- Straighten your arms while keeping your shoulders remaining away from your ears. Keep at least a slight bend in your elbows.
- To exit the pose, release back to your mat.
Beginner’s tip
If you feel any discomfort or compression in the lower back, don’t come up as high in the pose. Focus instead on creating strength in the upper back, between the shoulder blades.
Teaching Cobra Pose
These cues will help protect your students from injury and help them have the best experience of the pose:
- If you feel compression in your low back, try Sphinx Pose: Rest the forearms on the floor with the elbows under the shoulders. To create space in the chest, press the elbows down, reach the heart up, and draw the shoulder blades away from the ears.
- Squeezing your buttocks can compress your lower back, so keep them relaxed. Roll your inner thighs up to lengthen your tailbone back.
- To make more space for your spine to arch, place your hands a few inches farther forward.
Variation: Cobra with support under your hips
Place a small bolster, pillow, or folded blankets under your hips to add a little height and to take pressure out of the lower back. If you feel any pinching or pain in your lower back, widen the distance between your feet, which creates more space in your hips and pelvis and engages the glutes.
