Cobra pose - Why do it?

 BHUJANGASANA (Cobra pose)

Whenever I hear my students complain that they had spent too much time sitting, standing, biking, driving, lifting, painting – let’s face it, living – I always say “Do some Cobra”. This one pose offers so many benefits, I cannot comprehend why it isn’t more popular. Well, actually I do know why. Often Cobra pose is done in such a way, that it actually creates problems, rather then resolving them. Sad.

Why do it?

– To strengthen upper and lower back
– To stabilize lower back and sacrum
– To strengthen glutes and hamstrings (specific variations of Cobra)
– To stretch hip flexors
– To stretch the chest by widening it
– To stretch and strengthen the neck (certain variations of Cobra)

How to do it?

Start lying on your stomach, forearms comfortably on the ground, shoulders relaxed, forehead down.
Inhale: Pull slightly back with your hands and lift the chest up, head remains in the neutral position.
Exhale: Stay up and press your pelvis into the floor, creating a stable foundation.
Inhale: Keep pulling your chest forward and your hands slightly back, arching your spine from the neck all the way to the tailbone.
Take 4-6 breaths like that, then come down on Exhale.
TRICK: DO NOT PUSH with your hands! Once you start pushing, you loose all the potential benefits and start compromising your back.

Warm up first!

It's stating the obvious I know but due to our daily activities lots of us will be habitually rounding our shoulders and backs with things like computer work, driving, texting, cycling, playing with kids etc. In Backbends we do the very opposite (one of the reasons why they are so great) so we need to start gently and give ourselves a helping hand.

When warming up think about mobilizing your spine in all different directions for example with Cat Cow variations, gentle twists and side bends. Sun salutations are great preparation as they warm the whole body - go easy on your first one so that when you go through Cobra or Upward Facing Dog you're not coming into the full expression of the pose straight away.

What poses help backbends?

Backbends are also front stretches - so they benefit from open and relaxed hips and surrounding muscles including the top of the the thighs (quadriceps) and the psoas.  Lunge (Anjaneyasana) or reclined hero pose (Supta Virasana) can give a great stretch to the front of the thigh.

The front of the chest and shoulders also need to be warmed up and open for backbends. You can practice wide legged forward bend with the hands clasped behind (Prasarita Padottanasana C) or some of the contraction style backbends such as Locust are good preparatory poses before going into stronger variations such as Wheel or Dancer’s Pose.

Core work can be helpful to do before backbends because by giving attention to those muscles on the front of the body we are more likely to use the core safely in backbends. Backbends then become a really nice counter-stretch to core work. If you have done a very strong core practice however, your muscles can feel contracted so doing something like an inversions (e.g. dolphin pose) in between your core work and backbends can help to neutralize your front and back muscles while also warming up the back and shoulders further.


Alignment in backbends

Create a solid foundation - so press down firmly through your hands and/or feet depending on the pose.
Engage your core so that it supports your back by pulling the belly in and up, your tailbone points down rather than scooping under.
Release your shoulders down your back and firm the bottom tips of the shoulder-blades in towards each other and (as if your shoulder-blades are hands gently pressing into your upper back).
Keep the neck long and happy and aim for an even arch over the whole spine.

Watch out for...

Compressing the back of the neck. In Cobra there can be a tendency to tilt the head back whereas the back bend should be coming from sending the chest forward and up. Try curling up to Cobra keeping the chin tucked, the gaze can be forwards instead of up to keep the base of the neck relaxed.

How to follow a strong backbend

In some practices strong backbends are immediately followed by strong forward bends. There is logic in this to balance the energy and practice but if we think about bending a ruler back and forward repeatedly it will start to take the strain on its weakest part. So for some people it can be more gentle for the spine to be neutralised with twists or extensions like Downward Facing Dog in between.

Physical benefits

Backbends are invigorating and strengthening. They stretch the hip flexors and help open up the shoulders and chest, an area where lots of us hold tension.  They build strength and power in the legs, arms and back muscles. By increasing mobility and awareness of the spine backbends improve posture and can help to alleviate some kinds of back and neck pain.

Psychological / energetic benefits

Our body’s natural response to danger is to curl in, protecting our most vulnerable part - our heart, both the physical heart and the energetic heart space. Backbends do the very opposite action opening us up to the world. We are exposing ourselves and that takes courage  - but also builds more of it! Overcoming our fears on the mat can give us courage off the mat too.

As backbends open the chest and upper body they stimulate the Heart chakra (Anahata) allowing us to open more fully in our lives too; to our emotions, experiences and in our relationships.
As backbends open the chest and upper body they stimulate the Heart chakra (Anahata) allowing us to open more fully in our lives too; to our emotions, experiences and in our relationships.

Strong backbends can sometimes release stored emotions: frustration, fear, anger, sadness as well as joy and love, so it’s not unusual to feel some of this again as it works through your body. I’ve felt irritated after a backbend class but I’ve also finished a practice with a real sense of love and compassion. Either way, for me I would rather have these emotions released!

So go safely and mindfully with your practice and enjoy the benefits of this release. Practice with softness stay with the breath.  

Safety

What if you have a bad back or back injury? This is really going to depend on your injury - some poses can be helpful to free up tension but others should be avoided. Take a look at individual pose descriptions for guidance and if you have any doubts speak to a physical therapist or experienced yoga teacher.

If you are pregnant substitute strong backbends, for example swap Wheel for Bridge.
As with all yoga poses during pregnancy, if it doesn’t feel good don’t do it.