Bhujangasana

Bhujangasana (Sanskrit: भुजङ्गासन; IAST: Bhujaṅgāsana) or Cobra Pose[1] is a reclining back-bending asana in hatha yoga and modern yoga as exercise.[2] It is commonly performed in a cycle of asanas in Surya Namaskar (Salute to the Sun) as an alternative to Urdhva Mukha Svanasana (Upwards Dog Pose).

Bhujangasana

Etymology and origins

The pose is named for its resemblance to a cobra with its hood raised.

The name comes from the Sanskrit words भुजङ्ग bhujaṅga, "snake" or "cobra" and आसन āsana, "posture" or "seat", from the resemblance to a cobra with its hood raised. The pose is described in the 17th century hatha yoga text Gheranda Samhita 2.42-43. In the 19th century Sritattvanidhi, the pose is named Sarpasana, which similarly means Serpent Pose.[3]

Description

Variant form with less extreme backbend

The pose may be entered from a prone position or from Downward Dog. The palms are placed under the shoulders, pushing down until the hips lift slightly. The backs of the feet rest on the ground, the legs outstretched; the gaze is directed forwards, giving the preparatory pose. For the full pose, the back is arched until the arms are straight, and the gaze is directed straight upwards or a little backwards. The legs remain on the ground, unlike in the similar Upward Dog pose.[4]

Bhujangasana is part of the sequence of yoga postures in some forms of Surya Namaskar, the Salute to the Sun.[5]

Variations

Sphinx pose, an easier variant, and a Yin Yoga pose

An easier variant is Sphinx Pose, sometimes called Salamba Bhujangasana (षलम्ब भुजङ्गासन),[6] in which the forearms rest on the ground, giving a gentler backbend.[7] It is used in the long holds of Yin Yoga, either with the forearms on the ground or with the arms straightened.[8]

Advanced practitioners may fold the legs into Padmasana (lotus).[8]

The pose can be modified, for instance in pregnancy, by placing a blanket under the pelvis.[8]

Claims

Twentieth century advocates of some schools of yoga, such as B. K. S. Iyengar, made claims for the therapeutic effects of yoga on specific organs, without adducing any evidence.[9][10] Iyengar claimed that this pose was a "panacea for an injured spine"[11] and would undo "slight displacement of spinal discs".[11]

Cautions

Common postural errors during this asana include overarching the neck and lower back. One recommendation is to keep the gaze directed down at the floor and focus on bringing movement into the area between the shoulder blades (the thoracic area, or middle back).[12]

See also

• List of asanas
• Urdhva Mukha Shvanasana, Upwards Dog pose, a similar reclining backbend

References

1. YJ Editors (28 August 2007). "Cobra Pose". Yoga Journal.
2. How To Do Cobra Pose https://www.verywell.com/cobra-pose-bhujangasana-3567067
3. Sjoman, Norman E. (1999) [1996]. The Yoga Tradition of the Mysore Palace (2nd ed.). Abhinav Publications. p. 71. ISBN 81-7017-389-2.
4. Iyengar, B. K. S. (1979) [1966]. Light on Yoga. Schocken. pp. 107–108, 396–397. ISBN 0-8052-1031-8.
5. "Surya Namaskara". Divine Life Society. 2011. Retrieved 19 July 2019.
6. "Sphinx Pose -Salamba Bhujangasana". Ekhart Yoga. Retrieved 4 February 2019.
7. YJ Editors (28 August 2007). "Sphinx Pose". Yoga Journal. Retrieved 4 February 2019. Sphinx Pose is the infant of backbends.
8. "Sphinx & Seal". Yin Yoga. Retrieved 26 July 2019.
9. Newcombe 2019, pp. 203-227, Chapter "Yoga as Therapy".
10. Jain 2015, pp. 82–83.
11. Iyengar 1979, p. 108.
12. Yoga for Chronic Pain, Part I, By Timothy McCall, M.D. Yoga Journal

Sources

Iyengar, B. K. S. (1979) [1966]. Light on Yoga: Yoga Dipika. Unwin Paperbacks. ISBN 978-1855381667.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)

Jain, Andrea (2015). Selling Yoga : from Counterculture to Pop culture. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-939024-3. OCLC 878953765.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)

Newcombe, Suzanne (2019). Yoga in Britain: Stretching Spirituality and Educating Yogis. Bristol, England: Equinox Publishing. ISBN 978-1-78179-661-0.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)