Bhujangasana Step by Step:
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lie on your front, face down, with legs straight and feet together;
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place the palms below the shoulders finger tips together and stretching forwards, elbows pointing back, arms against the sides of the chest;
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draw your shoulder blades back and down towards your waist to create space between your neck and your shoulders;
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narrow the hip points to protect the back;
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firm the buttocks but not too much;
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activate your legs by lengthening them out of the hip sockets;
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press the top parts of the feet, the thighs and the pubis down firmly into the floor; press the tailbone (coccyx) toward the pubis and lift the pubis towards the navel to create space in your lower back and widen your sacrum;
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inhale and slowly lift your head, chest and upper abdomen off the mat;
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lift the sternum but stay soft in the front ribs or you will put pressure on the lower back;
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lift through the top of your head to extend your spine, do not allow your head and neck to collapse into your shoulders; keep the back of the neck long and in line with the spine;
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do not put any weight on your hands, the hands are just resting on the floor and not doing the work of the upper back;
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an alternative is to lift the hands off the floor, elbows still bent, arms hugging the sides of your chest which will give you the true measure of your upper back lift;
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(Remember that cobra is not so much a going up posture as a lengthening of the spine and a broadening of the chest.)
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stay in the posture for up to a minute if you can, letting your mind ride on the back of your breath, following its tidal rhythms;
- you lift and arch the chest as you inhale and as you exhale you draw in the abdomen to create length in the lower back without jamming it; feel the lightness, the buoyancy of the pose;
- with each inhalation that you take in Bhujangasana, feel that you are breathing compassion for yourself and as you breathe out let the compassion extend to the rest of the world; in cobra you lead with your heart, not your head;
- keep monitoring the body and release any tension as soon as you notice it creeping in;
- feel what is happening in the posture; notice and observe but do not judge.
- try and feel the beauty and harmony of the pose as a whole; keep your attention broad;
- practice dristi (still point to focus on) to the third eye; do not let your eyes wander about; when the eyes are busy, so is the mind;
- see if you can relax in the pose and receive the gift of heart opening it has to offer;
- when you are ready to come out of the pose, exhale down, slowing bringing the body back down to the floor, one vertebrae at a time. Bring your head to one side, your arms alongside your body palms up and enjoy the echoes of the posture. Become aware of the vibrancy of the body, of the inner radiance that stems from opening its front. Observe the new sensations as they arise, let go of any effort and become aware of the different quality of your energy flowing through you, the joy, the strength, the ease, the lightness, the freedom.
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