Bhujangasana

The cobra postures

This is a prone back bending posture, which reminds the raising the hood of cobra. Every variation of
cobra pose starts with prone laying position, keeping forehead touching the floor. Keep the both knee in
center line, tight slightly the adductors so both legs are adducted maximum.

So both medial malleolus and greater toe will be together.

Relax the spinal muscles and tight the gluteal muscles feel the raising of the body while inhaling.

Keep both hands alongside with chest , palms down and fingertips in line with nipples. apply firm
pressure towards the floor using the palm elbow flexed to activate muscles of hands.

In this posture arch the neck enough to the rear to place the forehead against the floor, creating a
reverse cervical curvature and the chin against the floor by extending the neck. On inhalation slowly lift
the head, neck, and the chest, vertebra by vertebra. Give attention to the back muscles so that the
hand is not using force, use only the strength of posterior spinal muscles, then extend the elbow and
complete the extension of neck to the maximum.

Exhale slowly and bring head , thorax and lumbar spines to normal using gravity.

Relax for few breathings by keeping head in side ways pressing to the floor.

Cobra pose should be done with no more than moderate tension in the lower extremities , that to hold
the heels and toes together.
Cervical, Thoracic, and Lumbar flexibility
The spines flexibility varies in segments to segments. Prone back extension is
done by liftng cervical thoracic and lumbar segments against gravity by the deep back
muscles which lifts actively the spine, or by arms and shoulders.
The erector spinae are responsible for extension of spine. They run from the
pelvis to the cervical region and are composed of a complex of 3 muscles on each side
the iliocostalis, the longissimus, and the spinalis

continuing into the neck are the splenius cervicis and to the back of the head
splenius capitis Deep to them are short muscles that run more or less obliquelly
between the spinous processes and the transverse processes- the semispinalis
multifidus, and rotatores muscles
Improves strength of spine and the extensers of spine.
Improves Respiration and strengthen respiratory muscles.
Stretches abdominal muscles

Caution: acute injury to the ligaments and muscles by over stretching