Yoga pose | Musasana | Studying one Yoga Pose Month

Bhujangasana (Cobra Pose)

I have never spent much time studying Bhujangasana (Cobra Pose). I used it to warm up and strengthen my back and breezed past it whenever I was doing Sun Salutations. This month I studied it and taught it. In fact, I challenged myself to teach it each week in one class so I needed to come up with fresh information each week which necessitated new insights.

My most illuminating insight came from the importance of the core in Bhujangasana. I knew that extending the legs was important but I didn’t realize that I wasn’t using my inner thighs enough and, therefore, wasn’t engaging the core muscles in my torso. Without the core of my torso, my backbend sat in my lower back.

So? Practice this idea in Vajrasana or Sukhasana. Feel the length in your spine. Arch high up in the upper back. Now, from that position, let your belly go slack. Feel the back bend sink to your lower back.

The same thing happens in Bhujangasana (Cobra Pose) when you allow your legs to go slack (the legs support the work of the core muscles in the core – something you can feel in Tadasana (Mountain Pose)). When legs go slack, the backbend sits more in your lower back. The key to effectively activating the core is the inner thighs of the legs. Use those muscles to get the action into the torso as well.

Bruna Sakanoi
Originally uploaded by brunasakanoi

Bhujangasana (Cobra Pose)

(This post comes from Mita, an amazing student of mine who is now a talented teacher herself.  She is teaching with me in my teacher training programs and will be contributing to this blog as well.  She just got started on her own blog:  Mita's Manana.)

Yesterday for the first time I tried this pose with elbows straight. It felt amazing! I have always practiced the pose with elbows bent. Almost all books, article, teachers I have read or practiced with have taught it with elbows bent. I had never thought of practicing with straight elbows until I read instructions from BKS Iyengar in his book, Light on Yoga. I couldn't believe how light it felt in the lower back!

Some other tips to try:

• Lift one leg at a time and stretch towards the wall behind you before lifting up in the pose. This gets your legs in internal rotation so that the legs are resting on top of the thighs.
• While coming up, lead with your heart and not head. Most students bring the head up before lifting shoulders and back. Instead, keep your head and neck aligned with your spine and let it rise along with your body.

More about alignment of cervical spine in backbends next time.

Namaste!

 

Cobra (Bhujangasana)
Originally uploaded by The Yoga Instructor

Study Points: Bhujangasana (Cobra Pose)

Let's study Bhujangasana (Cobra Pose) this month! 

Here are some Study Points for you.  Feel free to add more ideas in the comments. 
You can also add your responses to these points:

1. Does where you place your hands affect how you experience the pose?
2. What is your greatest challenge with this pose?
3. It is easy to get focused on what the upper body is doing in this pose and forget the lower body.  But the lower body is essential for creating a safe pose.  Play with the position of your legs.  Put ankles together, hip width, then wider than your shoulders.  How does the position of your legs affect your pose?  Then play with the level of engagement of your legs.  You can place a block between your thighs to engage your inner thighs.

If you are a teacher, challenge yourself to teach this pose in each class this month.  Can you find something new to teach (and learn)?

Deepening Your Pose: Bhujangasana (Cobra Pose)