Bhujaṅgāsana
Lie prone and lift the chest like a rising serpent, a moderate, invigorating backbend that opens the heart and fires the digestion.
How to practice
Inhale to rise, exhale to lower; breathe evenly across the open chest while holding.
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Lie face down, forehead on the mat, hands under the shoulders, elbows drawn in.
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Press the tops of the feet and the pubic bone into the floor.
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Inhale and peel the chest up, leading with the sternum; a low cobra is plenty.
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Draw the shoulders back and down; keep a slight bend in the elbows and the neck long.
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Hold 3–5 breaths, then lower on an exhale; rest the forehead and repeat 2–3 times.
Benefits
- Strengthens the spinal muscles and opens the chest and shoulders
- Stimulates the abdominal organs and appetite
- Invigorates the body, a morning posture for dull, heavy mornings
- May ease mild sciatica and menstrual discomfort in tradition
Contraindications & cautions
- Pregnancy, practised only in modified, gentle form early on, otherwise avoided
- Wrist or elbow injury, practise a sphinx variation on the forearms
- Recent abdominal surgery or hernia, wait for medical clearance
- Severe disc problems, keep the lift small and even along the spine
Skip or modify the pose on days a caution applies to you, and work with a qualified teacher for injuries, pregnancy or health conditions.
Watch a free guide
A free video walkthrough from a public teacher, loaded only when you scroll to it, via YouTube's privacy-enhanced player.
In the tradition
The serpent rising with hood spread is one of haṭha yoga’s oldest images, kuṇḍalinī herself is pictured as a cobra. As a chest-opening, heat-making backbend, Bhujaṅgāsana is natural medicine for kapha’s heaviness; pitta bodies should keep the lift modest and the breath generous.
Sources & further reading
- Gheraṇḍa Saṃhitā , Gheraṇḍa (chapter 2, the serpent pose among the thirty-two āsanas)
- Cobra Pose (video guide) (opens in a new tab) , Yoga With Adriene, Foundations of Yoga
Classical citations mark where a tradition is drawn on; modern books and videos are shared as further guidance, not as prescriptions.