Cobra Pose, also known as Bhujangasana, is one of those yoga poses that feel intense and gentle at the same time. This foundational backbend yoga helps open the chest, stretch the spine and strengthen the back muscles. It is a beautiful way to release tension in your back and invite deeper breaths into the body. Often practised as a warm-up or as a part of Suryanamaskara, this pose encourages flexibility and energy flow throughout the body.
Named for the way the body imitates a serpent with its hood raised, Cobra Pose can be both energising and therapeutic. This makes it a suitable pose for practitioners of all levels. Whether you’re looking to improve posture, relieve tension or build spine mobility, Cobra Pose helps to reconnect with your body. Diving deeper into this asana, we will discuss its steps, benefits, contradictions and precautions of this pose.
How to do the Cobra Pose (Bhujangasana)
Let’s learn how to practice Cobra Pose with ease, as you gently strengthen your spine and open your heart.
1. Start by lying on your belly
- Lie on your stomach with your legs stretched and the tops of your feet gently pressing into the mat.
- Let your forehead rest on the floor, keeping your legs hip-width apart.
2. Place your hands under your shoulder
- Keep your elbow close to your side.
- Spread your fingers wide and ground your palms into the mat.
3. Engage your lower body
- Now press the tops of your feet, thighs and pelvis gently into the floor.
- This helps support your lower back, keeping your movement safe.
4. Lift your chest
- Inhale and, using the strength of your back, slowly begin to lift your chest.
- Keeping your neck long, gaze forward.
- Stay there for a few breaths, feeling the stretch across your chest and spine.
5. Release
- To come out of the pose, exhale and slowly lower your chest back down to the mat.
Benefits of Cobra Pose
Cobra Pose is not just an asana; it is a full-body invitation to strengthen, open and energise the practitioner from the inside. Let’s discover some more benefits of this dynamic pose.
Strengthens the Spine and Back Muscles
Bhujangasana activates the muscles that run along the spine. When you gently lift your chest, engaging your back muscles to support the movement, it helps to improve posture alignment. It also helps to reduce the stiffness in the lower back and can help prevent injury by creating stability in the spine. It especially helps people with back discomfort due to prolonged sitting.
Opens the Chest and Shoulders
Cobra Pose creates a deep stretch across the front body, especially in the chest, shoulders and abdomen. Many people feel tightness in their chest because of hunching over desks, steering wheels or phones. Bhujangasana counterbalances this habitual rounding through stimulating the shoulders to roll back and the chest to expand.
Improves Spinal Flexibility and Mobility
Practising Bhujangasana regularly aids spinal extension. This helps to restore and maintain a healthy natural curve in the lower back. This also enhances overall spinal mobility, making daily activities like lifting or twisting feel easy and less restricted.
Stimulates Abdominal Organs
The gentle pressing of your abdomen in Cobra Pose can stimulate abdominal organs. The compression of the stomach, liver and intestines enhances the blood circulation in the digestive tract. This stimulation helps improve digestion, relieve sluggishness, support detoxification and address other digestive problems.
Calms the Mind
Bhujangasana calls for slow and deep breathing. This engages the parasympathetic nervous system, which is the body’s natural relaxation response. It can help reduce stress hormones, calm anxious thoughts, and bring a sense of tranquillity. The heart opening sequence can also help emotional release while easing the tension stored in the chest and shoulders.
Boosts Mood and Energy Levels
Cobra Pose is considered a heart-opening pose, associated with a feeling of courage, openness and liveliness. Practising this pose can create a subtle shift in your mood. Whether it’s a feeling of heaviness, fatigue, or emotional dullness, Bhujangasana can visibly improve your mood.
Supports Lung Function
Lifting the chest and drawing the shoulders back in Bhujangasana helps to open the rib cage and increase the space for the lungs. This contributes to fuller and more mindful breathing that improves the respiratory function. This conscious breathing also helps you feel more present and aware.
Enhances Body Awareness and Connection
Since Bhujangasana is a gentle backbend, it allows practitioners to listen to their body closely. This helps to build a deeper awareness of breath, spinal movement, and muscular engagement. This develops a more mindful and intuitive approach towards your practice.
Cobra Pose Benefit for Height
The Bhujangasana is believed to be one of the best poses for increasing height. This pose tones your stomach muscles, helping reduce your back strain and stretching of the spine. It further, helps maintain a correct posture and look taller. Additionally, the Bhujangasana stimulates the release of growth hormone, essential for an increase in height.
Cobra Pose Benefit for Belly Fat
The Bhujangasana is known as a great workout specifically for belly fat reduction, as it targets the abdominal region. Regularly practising this pose is not just good for belly fat, but it also tends to tone your stomach muscles, helping you get into shape.
Variations of Cobra Pose
If you are a beginner and hesitant about whether you can perform the pose seamlessly or have certain conditions that do not allow you to practise the pose with all the steps! Then don’t worry, you can still try the Bhujangasana, but with some variations, let’s see what they are.
Sphinx Pose
The Sphinx pose involves your neck and shoulder region, letting your lower back relax, unlike the cobra pose, which involves complete upper body stretching. This is nothing but an easier version of the Bhujangasana. Let’s learn the steps.
1. Lie down on your stomach with your legs straight.
2. Now, slowly lift your chest on your forearms and elbow directly under your shoulder.
3. Pressing through your forearms form a gentle bend on your upper back, keeping your shoulder relaxed.
4. Inhale and exhale throughout the steps.
5. Slowly come back to your stomach.
Baby Cobra Pose
The baby cobra pose, as the name suggests, is a Bhujangasana with less intensity, which can be great for beginners. This pose places less or no weight on your hands, unlike the Bhujangasana, where the complete weight is on your hands. Here are the steps.
1. Lie down on your stomach with your chin resting on the floor.
2. Place your hands underneath your shoulder with your elbow bent.
3. With minimal pressure on your arm, try to lift your chest off the floor.
4. Inhale and exhale while focusing on your back muscles.
5. Slowly come back to your stomach.
Cobra Pose in a Chair
The cobra pose in a chair is another modified form, which is curated considering the people have trouble getting on the floor. This pose can be a valuable addition for people who want to work out comfortably sitting on a chair. Let’s jump to the steps.
1. Select a sturdy chair, preferably without an armrest and back straight.
2. Sit comfortably with your hands on your lap.
3. Now slowly lift your chin, gazing at your ceiling up ahead while gently pressing your chest forward.
4. Inhale and exhale throughout.
5. Come back to the normal position.
Cobra Pose Against Wall
The Bhujangasan against the wall is another variation that one can practise smoothly. The wall can give the proper support, ensuring a proper alignment and allowing you to focus on the pose. It can be the best option for people with less flexibility or other similar issues. Here are the steps to follow.
1. Stand straight, facing a wall, with your feet away from the wall.
2. Bend your elbows, with your palm pressing firmly to the wall against your body.
3. Slowly lift your chin slightly, lengthening your neck and forming an arch.
4. Inhale and exhale slowly throughout the process.
5. Slowly come back to the normal position.
Cobra Pose (Bhujangasana) Contraindications
While Cobra Pose offers endless benefits, it’s important to understand that not every pose fits everyone. There are some situations where this pose might not be advisable, especially during injuries. Let’s discuss what contraindications one should be careful of.
Pregnancy
Pregnancy is a fragile phase where women need to be very careful. Since Bhujangasana involves lying on your tummy, this pose is better avoided, as it can put unnecessary pressure on the abdomen and the growing uterus. Deep abdominal stretches are also not recommended because they can strain the uterine and abdominal wall.
Surgery
As Bhujangasana involves a mild compression on the abdominal region, this can put pressure on the healing tissues. Attempting this pose just after the surgery can hinder the healing process, leading to discomfort or strain. Thus, it is always better to check with your doctor before starting any exercises.
Injury or Severe Pain in the Lower Back
People with conditions like herniated discs, sciatica, injuries or severe back pain must avoid doing this pose. This pose may increase the pain if the spine is overly compressed or not aligned properly.
Shoulder or Neck Injury
Lifting the chest without proper support from the back muscles can exacerbate pre-existing injuries in the neck and shoulder regions.
Wrist Pain
If you have wrist pain or carpal tunnel syndrome, it is better to avoid this pose. Since Bhujangasana puts pressure on the hands and wrists, it can worsen conditions like carpal tunnel syndrome.
Spinal Conditions
People with conditions like Spondylolisthesis, Osteoporosis, or Spinal Instability must avoid doing the Cobra Pose.
Hypertension or Heart Issues
Bhujangasana can create extra internal pressure and stimulate the nervous system for people with hypertension or heart issues. Thus, it is better to avoid it or do it under the proper guidance.
Bhujangasana Precautions
Generally, Cobra Pose is gentle and beginner-friendly. However, just like any other yoga pose, this also needs to be practised with proper form and body awareness. Here are a few precautions that have to be kept in mind before performing.
Start with Warming Up
Jumping directly into the pose with a stiff spine can lead to discomfort or strain in the muscles. Therefore, always start with gentle warm-ups to prepare your spine and activate the core for the backbends.
Avoid Over-Arching
One of the common mistakes is arching your lower back completely during the pose. This can compress the lumbar spine, leading to pain and injury in the back. Hence, it is recommended to engage your core and glutes to support your spine and take off the pressure from it.
Keep Your Elbows Close to Your Body
Keeping the elbows outwards creates tension in the shoulders. This can reduce the stability of the pose. That’s why it is always advisable to keep your shoulders near your body.
Use Your Neck, not Just Your Back
Cobra Pose is a gentle back-strengthening pose, not a push-up. Relying too much on your arms will not only take away the benefits but can also lead to shoulder or wrist pain. So, let your back muscles initiate the lift and use your hands for gentle support.
Listen to Your Body
While you may feel a little discomfort initially, if you experience any sharp pain, especially in the lower back, neck or wrists, it is a sign to stop and start afresh. To ease out, try with a gentler pose like Sphinx Pose. Always remember that pain is not a sign of progress; hence, listen to your body and respect its limits.
Modify If Required
If you find trouble practising Cobra Pose, you can always modify the pose using props. You can make use of props such as a blanket, yoga blocks or a bolster. Or you can try with gentler versions of Bhujangasana like Baby Cobra Pose, Wall Cobra, Low Cobra or Forearm Cobra.
Conclusion
Cobra Pose is a gentle yet empowering posture. It teaches us to rise with strength, grace and awareness. Whether you want to build spinal flexibility, open your heart or simply reconnect with your breath, this pose can help you reap the maximum benefits.
Practising with precautions like listening to your body, embracing the breath and honouring your limits can make Bhujangasana more than just a stretch. With regular practice, you can notice not only improved posture but also ga reater sense of calm and vitality. Whether you’re a beginner or a regular practitioner, this pose has something for everyone.
Frequently Asked Questions Cobra Pose (Bhujangasana)
1. What is Cobra Pose (Bhujangasana)?
Cobra Pose, or Bhujangasana, is a foundational backbend in yoga where you lie on your stomach and lift your chest using the support of your arms. It helps open the chest, strengthen the spine, and relieve tension in the back and shoulders.
2. What are the benefits of Cobra Pose?
Cobra Pose offers several physical and mental benefits:
- Strengthens the spine, shoulders, and arms
- Improves posture and flexibility in the upper body
- Relieves lower back pain and sciatica
- Opens the chest and lungs
- Reduces stress and fatigue
- Stimulates abdominal organs to improve digestion
3. Is Cobra Pose good for back pain?
Yes, Cobra Pose can help relieve mild lower back pain, especially when the pain is caused by prolonged sitting, poor posture, or muscle tightness. However, it should be done with proper alignment to avoid strain. Always consult a physiotherapist or yoga expert if you have chronic back issues.
4. Who should not do Bhujangasana?
Avoid Cobra Pose if you have:
- Herniated disc or severe spinal injury
- Pregnancy (especially in later trimesters)
- Carpal tunnel syndrome or wrist pain
- Recent abdominal surgery
Consult a medical professional before practicing if you have any serious health conditions.
5. What is the difference between Cobra Pose and Upward-Facing Dog?
In Cobra Pose, the legs and pelvis remain on the mat, and the elbows can stay slightly bent.
In Upward-Facing Dog, the thighs lift off the mat and the arms are straight.
Cobra is gentler and better suited for beginners or those with back pain.
6. How long should I hold Cobra Pose?
Hold the pose for 15 to 30 seconds, depending on your comfort and flexibility. Beginners can start with 10 seconds and gradually increase duration. Focus on smooth breathing and avoid forcing the backbend.
7. Can Cobra Pose help with posture correction?
Absolutely. Bhujangasana stretches the chest and strengthens the back muscles, countering slouched posture caused by sitting or screen time. Regular practice improves spinal alignment and shoulder positioning.
8. Is Cobra Pose suitable for beginners?
Yes, it’s a beginner-friendly pose when done with proper guidance. It can be easily modified by adjusting arm placement and the depth of the backbend to suit individual flexibility levels.
9. Should I feel pain during Cobra Pose?
No, you should never feel sharp or intense pain in Cobra Pose. A mild stretch or warmth in the lower back is normal, but any discomfort, especially in the spine or wrists, is a sign to stop and adjust your alignment.
10. Can Cobra Pose help in weight loss or toning the body?
While not a high-calorie-burning pose, Cobra Pose helps tone the abdominal area, strengthens the arms and back, and improves digestion—all of which support a weight-loss routine when combined with other active yoga practices.
