High Cobra Pose

High Cobra Pose

by Steve Johansen, Hummingbird Pilates and Yoga

 

This month I will teach you High Cobra, as promised, the more advanced version of last month’s low Cobra pose. In Sanskrit, it is called Bhujangasana (boo-jang-GAHS-anna) and is a strong back bend. It requires a strong core, lengthening rather than compressing spine, and good alignment especially in the shoulders. I love this pose, but you need to be particularly mindful of your alignment in order to benefit from it.

 

The right placement of the hands beside the ribs (not under the shoulders), will make this pose more challenging but also more effective. Ensuring right distance and placement of the hands and feet, will ultimately help you to practice safely, which is especially important as we move into more demanding sequences of poses, as in the vinyasa flow Sun Salutationor (Surya Namaskar), in which Cobra Pose is towards the end.

 

I always feel that the best way to learn how to do a pose properly, is to break it down and do it as a standalone pose. Here is my how to guide:

 

Where to start

Start in Extended Childs Pose, kneeling at the back of the mat, big toes touching, you can rest forehead on the mat, stretching the arms forward, elbows off the mat, fingers spread wide, middle finger pointing forward. This will establish the right distance between the hands and feet and will provide you with a good.

Roll your shoulders and elbows, backwards towards your hips. On your inhalation, press the big toes into the mat, outwardly rotate the thighs, tuck the tail bone under pressing it into the mat, lift the shoulders and chest off the ground, as you do this lift the crown of your head to the ceiling, find your Dristi, forwards towards the front of the room, into Low Cobra Pose.

With the elbows still drawn back and into your sides, press firmly into the mat with your hands lifting your shoulders and head higher. Your elbows should be bent beside your ribs, the pubic bone should stay pressed into the mat, as you draw your serum forwards and upwards, allowing you to raise your Dristi even higher, into High Cobra Pose. Your spine should feel extended and lengthened and not under pressure with good technique, as described above.

 

This strong backbend and took me some time to master so if your new to yoga, I suggest sticking with Low Cobra pose. However, if you want to work a little harder on your inhalation, roll the shoulders back keep the elbows tucked into your sides and press through your hands into High Cobra Pose, and exhaling as lowering yourself down into a prone position.

Move in time with the breath for 3 or 5 repetitions.

 

For those of you who would benefit from seeing both high and low Cobra pose taught in action, you can find a video on our at Hummingbird Pilates & Yoga Facebook page both pinned to the top and as one of our reels. Alternatively, book now and join me at the studio using this free pass code HPYFREECLASS. My gift to you.