Cobra Pose

Bhujangasana

"It is through your body that you realize you are a spark of divinity." - B.K.S. Iyengar

Cobra Pose

HOW TO PRACTICE Cobra Pose IN YOGA (Bhujangasana)

Benefits, How to Instructions, Modifications, and Common Alignment Mistakes for Cobra Pose

 

Cobra Pose (Bhujangasana)

Cobra Pose is a staple pose in yoga classes around the globe, and for good reason. With many ways to modify the height of the torso, and arm variations, this pose can be beneficial for yoga students of all body types and levels of spinal flexibility.

By grounding firmly in the lower body, the upper body can rise toward the sky, like a dancing cobra charmed by the sinewy music of the snake charmer. 

Bhujangasana (Cobra Pose) is yoga’s ode to the sacred snake. The yoga pose looks like a cobra raised to strike—or to dance. When cobras dance, they raise one third of their body length, while the other two thirds stay grounded. It’s that grounding of the majority of the lower body that allows the upper body to rise toward the sky. The same is true for humans practicing Cobra Pose. It is the grounding of the lower body that creates the lightness in the upper body.

Practiced with care, Bhujangasana can strengthen the muscles around the spine, help to stabilize the sacroiliac joint, and simultaneously energize and calm the nervous system. Practiced with aggression, it can also bite, contributing to back strain and wear and tear in the hip joints.”  ~ Charlotte Bell

Backbends are visually stunning and can be mind bending to behold. From Urdhva Dhanurasana (Upward Bow or Full Wheel Pose) to Natarajasana (King Dancer Pose), a beautifully executed backbend can elicit awe. To gain the multitude of benefits, however, the way the yoga pose looks should take a back seat to the strengthening of the spinal support muscles. Instead of focusing on taking on a challenging backbend too quickly, or pushing past the point where the spinal muscles are doing the majority of the job, work on creating a smooth arch in the back. It’s better to build slowly over time from a less extreme pose, like Salamba Bhujangasana (Sphinx Pose) or Baby Cobra Pose, to more challenging backbending yoga postures. That way you will have the strength, flexibility, and subtle body awareness necessary to perform Cobra Pose with ease.

Benefits of Cobra Pose

Cobra Pose (Bhujangasana)

Cobra Pose strengthens the muscles of the back and creates more flexibility in the upper and lower back. It also stretches the belly and expands the upper chest. Cobra, like all backbending yoga postures, is energizing to the body and mind. 

Cobra Pose strengthens the spinal muscles that allow the spine to hold itself upright. So if you are working to improve your posture, Cobra should be one of your go-to poses. 

Cobra can also help balance overly strong pectoral muscles that some athletes and bodybuilders develop from focusing their training on building the muscles in the chest. Cobra draws the shoulders back and toward one another, expanding the chest and collarbones, and creating space for the sternum to rise. When practicing Cobra Pose it’s important to keep the back of the neck long to avoid straining the muscles in the cervical spine and compressing the upper cervical vertebrae.

Basic Cobra Pose

Cobra yoga pose (Bhujangasana) baby cobra with blocks under ankles

  1. Start by lying on the front of your body with your feet in plantar flexion (the tops of your feet should touch the ground.)
  2. Separate your feet hips-distance apart, and place your hands on the ground by your shoulders (or in line with your ribcage, depending on your shoulder mobility). 
  3. Start by grounding down through your lower body, pressing the knees and the tops of your feet firmly into the ground. 
  4. Reach your tailbone toward your heels to lengthen your lower back. 
  5. Keeping your lower body and hands grounded, pull your chest forward and up, allowing your shoulders to lift and your head to follow the line of your spine. You should feel an engagement of your back muscles from foot to crown. Come up only as high as you can without straining your back, neck, or shoulders. 
  6. Make sure you engage your abdominal muscles to support the lifting and lengthening of your chest and spine. Extend the base of your skull away from your shoulders, lengthening the back of your neck. Your neck and head should follow the trajectory of your thoracic spine. If you feel a sensation of compression in your low back, lower your torso a bit and focus on lengthening your spine while maintaining core support.
  7. Once you’ve found your Cobra, you may now wish to leverage your arms more fully by bringing your upper arms toward your chest and drawing the heels of your hands isometrically toward your feet.
  8. Hold for several breaths, thinking about lengthening outward through the crown of your head, keeping the back of your neck long. 
  9. On an exhalation lower down, or move to Bharmanasana (Tabletop Pose) or Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward Facing Dog Pose).

Try Us Free! Get a Sample Pose Report to Experience the Full Benefits of the YogaU Pose Library.

Click Here

Check out our premium content

Video practice examples

For every yoga pose

Learn Common Alignment issues

And how to deal with them

Tips for beginners

Learn the best prep poses for each yoga pose

sign up now

Try Free for 7 Days

FAQs

Curious to learn more?

See all FAQs

FAQs

How to personalize my practice?

The Yoga 2.0 Pose Library helps you fit yoga poses to your individual body. It provides tools for you to customize yoga poses to your body's needs in order to gain the benefits of each yoga pose. 

When working your way through the Yoga 2.0 Pose Library, pay particular attention to the Yoga 2.0 Poses section as well as the Preparatory Poses under the Teaching Tips tab. This is where you will find some of the juiciest content in the Yoga 2.0 Pose Library!

What do I get When I sign Up?

When you register for a basic account, you get access to basic pose information about each yoga pose. You can also view three Pose Library blog articles or three yoga pose video tutorials each month. 

If you choose to register for a premium account, you will have access to our library of 1000s of unique Yoga 2.0 pose modifications, video tutorials for each yoga pose, preparatory yoga poses and common misalignments for every yoga pose, precautions, and more!

If you choose to subscribe to our premium Plus membership, you will also get access to our Yoga Sequence Builder, which allows you to create a yoga practice sequence with any and all of the yoga poses featured throughout the Yoga 2.0 Pose Library!

What are Yoga 2.0 Poses?

The idea behind Yoga 2.0 is that yoga poses should be individualized for every person. 

Yoga 2.0 Poses give you a foundation to begin designing your own customized yoga practice that suits your body's needs.

Choosing the right Yoga 2.0 Pose begins with your relationship with your body and making healthy choices that respect your personal boundaries. 

Is this for beginners too?

The Yoga 2.0 Pose Library is for every body! 

Whether you are a beginner or already far along on your yoga journey, the Yoga 2.0 Pose Library has something for everyone. 

Are you looking for creative, fun ways to modify yoga poses? Check out our collection of Yoga 2.0 Poses, which features 1000s of Yoga Pose Modifications. 

Looking to expand your practice or teaching? The Teaching Tips and Deepen the Pose sections provide fun ways to challenge your yoga practice as well as practical tips for learning and teaching new yoga poses. 

Can't find a certain pose

Our Yoga 2.0 Pose Library is an ever-expanding library. 

We will be adding new yoga poses over time - keep checking back for our latest yoga poses!

Share

Check out our Mastery content!

Get access to all the Pose Library has to offer by signing up for our Mastery membership.

Includes Pose Precautions and special access to our state of the art Yoga Sequence Builder.

 

View options

Sorry, You have reached your
monthly limit of views

To access, join us for a free 7-day membership trial to support expanding the Pose Library resources to the yoga community.

Sign up for a FREE 7-day trial

You need a free account to do this

Register for a free account to save your Favorite Poses! You can return to them again and again!

Click below to join us!

Simply click below to register and join us. Your Favorite Poses will appear in your private Dashboard section of the site.

Get your free account

Login

Check out our premium content

Get access to all the Pose Library has to offer by signing up for one of our premium memberships.

 

1000s of pose modifications & more!

The Yoga 2.0 Pose Library features 1000s of yoga pose modifications, video tutorials, teaching and practice tips, best prep poses, and common alignment issues for every yoga pose.

 

View options