Along with bridge and chair pose, cobra is another āsana that I teach in just about every class and practice myself daily. It is one of the best postures for improving back strength, and with many ways of changing the position of the hands and arms it can be beneficial for students of all levels of spinal flexibility and body type.
The Benefits of Cobra Pose:
- strengthens the back muscles and improves flexibility in the upper spine
- strengthens the spinal muscles that hold us upright, therefore is useful in improving posture
- stretches the front of the body and expands the upper chest
- can help to stabilise the sacroiliac joint
- is energising and uplifting
- good preparation for stronger backbends such as locust (śalabhāsana)
Often, I see people practising cobra by pressing their hands into the floor to increase the lift, making it more like an upward facing dog pose. However, this will reduce the strengthening effect of the pose as the back muscles will not engage to lift and hold you in the posture.
How to Practice Cobra:
- lie on your belly with your head down and forehead rest in on the floor.
- place your hands palms down and elbows towards the sky. The hands can be placed anywhere from beneath the shoulders to further down by the mid ribs, depending on your comfort.
- have the legs comfortably close together and stretch all the way to the toes.
- engage your core with an exhale.
- inhale and without placing weight through the hands, lift the upper torso from the floor. Try to keep the neck in a neutral position to avoid hyper-extending the cervical spine.
- exhale and slowly release the torso and forehead back to the floor; be sure to relax the shoulders once down.
- repeat a few times to warm the back muscles up and then perhaps experiment with staying in the pose for some breaths. On the exhale you would relax slightly, perhaps releasing about 30% of the effort and on the inhale lift again.
- balance this posture by moving back to a deep crouch, or perhaps moving to all fours and then downward facing dog.
Please remember, if you have any pain or discomfort practsing this, or any posture, come out of the posture straight away. Check with your teacher, or contact me for assistance.
Common Variations of Cobra Pose:
1) Forehead resting on elbows
I find this version very useful for learning to keep the chin slightly tucked and the neck in a neutral position. Keeping the forehead resting on the folded arms inhibits the tendency to lift the chin and hyper-extend the neck.
Instructions:
- lie on your belly with your arms folded beneath your forehead.
- have the legs comfortably close together and stretch all the way to the toes.
- engage the core with an exhale.
- inhale and lift the folded arms and upper torso from the floor, keeping the forehead resting on the arms.
- exhale and slowly release the torso and forehead back to the floor; be sure to relax the shoulders once down.
- experiment with staying in the pose (as above) for a few breaths after warming up.
2) Cobra with cactus arms – version 1
Often referred to as ‘baby cobra’, this version is useful when you are having a quieter practice or are still building up the back strength to do cobra with hands by the rib-cage. You may find that you don’t lift as high, but it still works the back muscles well.
Instructions:
- lie on your belly with your arms resting on the floor in a cactus arms position – upper arms in line with the shoulders and forearms at a right angle to the upper arms.
- rest the forehead on the floor, or turn the head to one side.
- have the legs comfortably close together and stretch all the way to the toes.
- engage the core with an exhale.
- inhale and lift the upper torso from the floor, leaving the arms resting on the floor. If you have started with the head turned to one side, turn it to the centre as you lift being careful to keep the neck in a neutral position.
- exhale and slowly release the torso and forehead back to the floor, turning the head to the opposite side as you lifted from; be sure to relax the shoulders once down.
- experiment with staying in the pose (as above) for a few breaths after warming up.
3) Cobra with cactus arms – version 2
This version of cobra is slightly stronger than cobra with cactus arms above as lifting the arms from the floor demands more effort from the back muscles. You are also engaging in between the shoulder blades here but careful not to tense the shoulders when lifting. The effort must come from the back muscles.
Instructions:
- lie on your belly with your arms resting on the floor in a cactus arms position – upper arms in line with the shoulders and forearms at a right angle to the upper arms.
- rest the forehead on the floor, the chin will be slightly tucked.
- have the legs comfortably close together and stretch all the way to the toes.
- engage the core with an exhale.
- inhale and lift the upper torso from the floor, lifting the arms at the same time, and keeping the neck in a neutral position.
- exhale and slowly release the torso and forehead back to the floor; be sure to relax the shoulders once down.
- experiment with staying in the pose (as above) for a few breaths after warming up.
Practice & Teaching Tips:
Making the posture more comfortable for the lower back:
- try placing a folded blanket underneath the hips. This will lift the pelvis slightly off the floor and create more space in the lower spine which will help avoid compression in the low back.
- making sure that you activate the glute muscles will help stabilise the sacrum and low back.
- be careful to keep stretching through the legs as you practice – the extension from head to toe will help avaoid any low back compression.
Practice with a bolster under the hips and belly:
- have a bolster length-ways from the hips to the chest.
- this will make the posture less intense.
There are a number of reasons why the traditional version of cobra lying on the floor may not be suitable for some people. Larger breasts, recovering from surgery, or challenges getting downto the floor are just a few factors that make the floor version a poor option.
However, we can access the same benefits of the pose in either a standing or seated position:
- Cobra to a wall:
- this version is useful for people who are uncomfortable lying on their belly, it also reduces the effort required from the back muscles.
- stand firmly on your feet, facing a wall with your hands placed on the wall at around shoulder height – you may have to experiment with how far from the wall you stand.
- as you inhale, lift the sternum and chest towards the ceiling, coming into upper back extension.
- as you exhale, relax and softly round the shoulders.
- keep the back of the neck long & neutral to avoid hyper-extending the cervical spine.
- Cobra on a chair:
- very similar to cobra to a wall (above) in this version you sit on a chair, facing the wall.
- sit on the edge of the chair, ensuringthat your hips are above your knees – you may need have a folded blanket beneath your hips. This will ensure that your low remains neutral.
- as you inhale lift the sternum and chest towards the ceiling and exhale relax and softly round the shoulders.
Contraindications for cobra pose:
- pregnancy
- back injury
- wrist injury – try a version of cobra where you don’t place any weight through the wrists
- abdominal injury or recent surgery
- shoulder or neck injuries
Working with a yoga therapist will help you to practice this posture safely if you have an injury.
