Yoga Practice:
Cobra Pose

Overview:

Cobra Pose is commonly integrated into yoga flows such as the Sun Salutation flow. Cobra Pose is a heart opening backbend that allows you to stretch your entire upper body. Emulating the dynamic movement of a Cobra, your legs become the snake’s tail as you curve your spine and lift your chest.

Potential Effects:

 

Stretches the abdomen

Strengthens the shoulders, arm and back muscles

Can improve posture

Instructions:

 

  1. Releasing the weight of your body onto the mat, lie face down.

  2. Bring your hands underneath your shoulder blades.

  3. Press the pelvis down into the mat evenly and the press down through the tops of the feet.

  4. Gently lift your upper body, looking slightly upward if comfortable on an inhale, keeping the back of the neck long and lifting your sternum instead of your chin. Roll your shoulders back and down.

  5. Straighten your arms while keeping your shoulders down from the ears, keeping a slight bend in the elbows.

  6. Exhale to gently lower the upper body and face down.

  7. Pause to integrate and notice how you feel.

 

Contraindications:

 

Injury and surgery of the wrist, abdomen, or ribs: modify or avoid

Pregnancy: modify or avoid

Having a bout of asthma: modify or avoid

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: modify or avoid

Options

 

You can place a folded blanket underneath your hips to take some pressure off of the lower back and you can widen the distance between your feet.

You can try Cobra against a wall with your feet a foot or so from the wall, as a modification.

As a modification, you can try Cobra in a chair, resting your hands onto your lap.

You may take gentle movements of the neck shaking the head yes and no, and blowing air through the mouth with lips closed to relax and release the mouth and jaw.

If doing more than one Cobra, it may feel nice to make a pillow with the palms stacked on on top of each other and move the forehead gently side to side, giving a little massage.

Helpful Hints

 

If you feel compression in the lower back, try a Sphinx Pose, resting the forearms on the floor with the elbows underneath the shoulders, reaching the heart up and drawing the shoulder blades away from the ears.

Squeezing the buttocks can compress the lower back. Use a breath to bring relaxation there.

To make more space for your spine to arch, place your hands a few inches farther forward.

Move only within a space of comfort.

  • Content from NYCDOE YMTP² curricular materials