Every class always has a few sun salutations which combine several yoga poses. Cobra, or bhujangasana, is one of those poses that we often flow through quickly. But it’s quite a useful pose for stretching the front of the body and strengthening the back, even gently, if you pay attention to the minor alignment cues.
- Lie down on your belly with no shoes on. Feet hip width apart. Bring your hands alongside your rib cage, palms on the floor.
- Roll your shoulders down your back.
- Press the tops of your feet and your pelvis into the floor. You should feel the muscles in your thighs begin to work and your knees may slightly rise off the floor.
- On your next inhale, gently lift up your chest without pushing in to your hands to low cobra. This version requires you to use muscular strength in your back to lift the body rather than your hands which can over-compensate. Exhale down to the floor.
- You can repeat this a few times. Or to increase the strength work, lift your hands off the floor to hover without letting your chest lower and hold for a few breaths before lowering.
- Afterwards press your way back to child’s pose to counter the action of back-bending.
Using the back muscles in cobra pose
