Bhujangasana – The Cobra Pose
Bhujangasana or Cobra Pose is a reclining back-bending asana in hatha yoga and modern yoga as exercise. It is commonly performed in a cycle of asanas in Surya Namaskar (Salute to the Sun) as an alternative to Urdhva Mukha Svanasana. The name comes from the Sanskrit words Bhujanga, “snake” or “cobra” and asana, “posture” or “seat”, from the resemblance to a cobra with its hood raised.
Bhujangasana is the Sanskrit name for a popular yoga asana, otherwise known as Cobra Pose. It is a gentle backbend most commonly performed as part of a Sun Salutation in which it can be used as a less strenuous alternative to Urdhva Mukha Svanasana (Upward-Facing Dog).
Table of Contents
Origin of Bhujangasana
The pose is described in the 17th-century hatha yoga text Gheranda Samhita. In the 19th century Sritattvanidhi, the pose is named Sarpasana which similarly means Serpent Pose.
How to Do Bhujangasana
Some of the steps of doing Bhujangasana are:
- First of all, you should lie on your stomach with your toes flat on the floor and forehead resting on the ground.
- You should keep your legs close together, with your feet and heels lightly touching each other.
- You should place your hands (palms downwards) under your shoulders, keeping your elbows parallel and close to your torso.
- You should take a deep breath in slowly lift your head, chest, and abdomen while keeping your navel on the floor.
- You should pull your torso back and off the floor with the support of your hands. Checkpoint: Are you putting equal pressure on both the palms
- You should keep breathing with awareness as you curve your spine vertebra by vertebra. If possible, straighten your arms by arching your back as much as possible, tilt your head back and look up.
- You should ensure that your feet are still close together. Keep smiling and breathing. Smiling Cobras! Don’t overdo the stretch or overstrain yourself.
- You should breathe out gently bring your abdomen, chest, and head back to the floor.
Benefits of doing Bhujangasana
Some of the benefits of doing Bhujangasana are:
Muscles
Bhujangasana bends your neck and head region backward while the body lies straight on the floor upside down. This bend is a windfall in treating firm muscles of the shoulder, chest, and neck by making them extremely flexible by the regular practice of Bhujangasana. Bhujangasana benefits the practitioner by opening up the chest.
This cobra pose not only makes your body flexible but also fills the muscles with great physical strength.
Digestive System
The Cobra Pose is a natural stimulator for good gastrointestinal functioning. While practicing the pose, there is a backward bend of the neck and chest region that gives a gentle stretch to the body thereby encouraging the efficiency of abdominal organs. The cobra pose is an indirect massager.
Cobra pose benefits to the digestive organs by giving them a mellow massage that activates the proper functioning of digestive organs, optimum secretion of digestive fluids, and better absorption of food thereby making the gut happy.
Respiratory System
The benefits of cobra pose lie in its multidimensional virtues that heals the human body with its natural touch. Bhujangasana gives your body good flexibility that opens up the chest cavity giving a good room to your lungs to expand. Therefore, this asana of yoga ensures a good functioning of the respiratory system.
Furthermore, Bhujangasana heals lungs and respiratory disorders like Asthma, allergies, and other such disorders.
Circulatory System
The circulatory system is a web of blood vessels, blood, and heart. The unhealthy lifestyle in modern times has brought a heavy percentage of the population in the ring of heat diseases. The benefits of Bhujangasana are profound in yoga in healing the body naturally.
Bhujangasana ensures a good supply of oxygenated blood smoothly through the blood vessels to the heart and every organ of the body. A good blood circulation ensures a good transport of nutrients, hormones, and oxygen removing unnecessary waste products. Bhujangasana benefits the human body with a healthy circulatory system.
Central Nervous System
The central nervous system is the administrative department of the body. The brain and the spinal cord rules the body functioning where the brain works as a boss managing the functioning of all the organs and the spinal cord works as the messenger of stimulus and response, but sometimes the leader also needs aid. Bhujangasana being a good stretcher and a gentle massager heals the spinal cord and brain to ensure better functioning of the central nervous system.
Furthermore, Bhujangasana is a natural reliever from backache, neck ache, and other such ailments.
Cushion to Body
Bhujangasana works as a natural cushion to the body that protects the body from various injuries. Bhujangasana stretches frontal planes and hips making them flexible and protecting them from injuries. Further, the Bhujangasana relieves the leg from sciatica pain by softening the spinal impingement.
Urinary System
The benefits of Bhujangasana also include better functioning of the renal system. This pose of yoga in numerous ways to the human body. Being a good stretch and massager, Bhujangasana heals the kidney while compressing the lower back in this yoga asana.
Moreover, Bhujangasana simply kneads the abdominal organs certifying a healthy urinary system and proper waste elimination.
Kundalini Awakening
The cobra pose is a key to kundalini awakening. This yoga asana results in kundalini Jagran that connects oneself to the higher self-giving an immense peace to body, soul, and mind. The cobra pose or Bhujangasana is a source of cosmic energies to the human body.
It is a way to experience a divine soul inside the body that takes you back to the Vedic era. Furthermore, kundalini awakening infuses the muscle and body with extreme strength ensuring a natural remedy for various physical ailments, liver, and stomach related problems.
Chakra Healer
The cobra pose is a chakra healer, performing cobra pose can open up the chakras or nerve centers associated with your body. Bhujangasana keeps the seven chakras of the body balanced thereby balancing the whole body naturally and spiritually.
Overall Wellbeing
The cobra pose is a package of unlimited benefits of yoga. Bhujangasana also is known as cobra pose extols mental, physical, and spiritual benefits. This asana of yoga relieves one from anxiety, stress, and other mind-related ailments giving good mental hygiene.
Therefore, the benefits of Bhujangasana are associated with the overall wellbeing of humankind.
Spiritual Awakening
Cobra Pose is an advanced yoga asana that reconnects your inner self to the supreme by redefining your limits. Cobra pose recreates your bars widening your possibilities. Cobra poses servers you with serene peace that awakens you.
Cobra Pose sets you towards self-awakening.
Precautions of Bhujangasana
Some of the precautions of Bhujangasana are:
- You must avoid keeping your body stiff.
- Pregnant women should not practice it.
- Do not force yourself too much practicing it.
- Keep your buttocks loose as they tend to tighten up naturally during Cobra pose.
- Don’t keep your arms straight. Keep your elbows outwards.
- Consult a yoga specialist if you’re suffering from a hernia, peptic ulcer, hyperthyroidism, or intestinal tuberculosis.
- You must avoid raising your body too up making L-shape.