Cobra Yoga Pose (Bhujangasana) Meaning, Steps and Health Benefits

Cobra pose (Bhujangasana) Introduction

The meaning of Bhujang is cobra and asana means yoga pose. Bhujangasana is the stretching yoga exercise of the front torso and the spine. Bhujangasana is the final stage when the cobra is ready to attack its prey by raising its hood; hence the name is cobra pose. Cobra pose is one of the most important back-bending yoga asanas, which has numerous health benefits ranges from head to foot.  The cobra posture and its variation are just like a boon to those who have back problems.

How to do cobra pose (Bhujangasana)

How to perform the cobra pose with the right techniques is one of the important aspects to extract its health benefits. The steps to do the cobra pose is being mentioned here.

1. Lie down on the stomach by keeping your legs together. Make a gap of 1-2 feet between the legs if somebody has a backache.
2. Put your palms beside your shoulder and the head should rest on the ground.
3.  With inhaling raise your head up to your navel region and try to see the roof.
4. Maintain the position for 10 to 60 seconds with steadily inhaling and exhaling.
5. Come to the original position slowly with a deep exhalation.
6. Repeat the process 3 to 5 times.

Types of Cobra pose 

There are four types of Bhujangasana.

1. Cobra pose (Saral Hasta Bhujangasana): This is the advanced form of Bhujangasana when the head is raised just like the hood of a serpent or cobra.  Cobra pose has been given special significance in Hatha Yoga and covers all the body systems of the body from the health point of view.
2. Curved hands cobra pose (Vakra Hasta Bhujangasana) is an effective cobra pose that helps to enhance the efficiency of the digestive system.
3. Ardha Bhujangasana (Half cobra pose) is also known as sphinx pose because the final asana resembles an Egyptian sphinx. This asana is particularly beneficial for those who have a stiff back and helps to provide flexibility to the body.
4. Cobra poses with raising palm– This is a good yoga exercise for the buttock. It can be practiced to reduce fat from the waistline as well as for buttock beauty.

Cobra pose benefits

The cobra pose more or less affects all the body systems of the body either directly or indirectly. The top 10 health benefits of cobra pose are given below.

1. Relieves backache: This is the most effective asana to increase flexibility thereby reduces the stiffness from the lower spine region. Bhujangasana helps to loosen up the spine, removes impure blood from the back region, and tones up the nerve. In nutshell, it facilitates the effective coordination between the brain and rest parts of the body thus ensuring better health.
2. Good for kidney: Cobra pose helps to compress the kidney thus removes the stagnated blood thereby helps in improving the efficiency of the kidneys.
3. Stress buster: The cobra pose gives a good massage to the adrenal gland, which produces adrenaline hormone. This hormone is good to ease stress and reduces the tension of the body.
4. Alleviates rheumatism: Cortisone is a hormone that is secreted by the adrenal gland. This hormone is considered a leading factor for rheumatism. The cobra pose regulates the secretion of this hormone thus helpful in alleviating rheumatism.
5. Good for Digestion: Bhujangasana is a good yoga exercise that gives a proper massage to the organs of the abdominal region such as the stomach, pancreas, liver, and gallbladder. It is helpful in treating many digestion relation conditions such as constipation, indigestion, etc. It removes flatulence after a meal.
6. Gynecological disorders: This asana is good in treating many gynecological disorders by toning the ovary and uterus. The cobra pose affects leucorrhea, dysmenorrhea, and amenorrhea.
7. Slipped disc: If it is being performed under as supervision of a yoga therapist, it is beneficial against slipped disc or sciatica.
8. Remedy for thyroid gland: Bhujangasana regulates the thyroid gland thus helps to maintain good health.
9. Improves lung capacity: The cobra pose helps to expand the chest thus beneficial for breathing-related problems.
10. Activates Kundalini: Bhujangasana helps to stimulate the bio-energy potential of kundalini by direct influence upon various plexuses, nerves, and nerve cells.

Cobra pose precautions

The cobra pose has some limitations and contradictions. These precautions have to be taken care of. The person who is suffering from peptic ulcers, hernia, intestinal tuberculosis, and hypothyroidism shouldn’t practice this asana. If you have other serious problems, it is better to consult a Yoga therapist or expert before performing bhujnagasana. One having abdominal injuries should also avoid doing this. Patients with sciatica, slip-disc, and ulcerative colitis should take extra precautions. It also shouldn’t be performed during pregnancy.