Day 18 of the #wildlove30days yoga challenge!
Cobra pose is a gorgeous posture that will introduce you to the world of backbends, we take our time to open the heart while strengthening the back body. As we are close to the ground we have support and plenty of time to grasp the alignment and layers of the posture. Take your time with this one, and enjoy including it into your daily practices! Wonderful for connecting to the heart chakra, grounding and releasing lower back pain.
Cobra pose - Bhujangasana
1. Laying down on your belly, guide your hands beneath the shoulders. See if you can wiggle the length of the belly along the mat to lengthen the waist & release the lower back.
2. Still with the hands beneath the shoulders, spread the fingers. Take an inhale and feel the belly inflate, as you exhale press the shoulders towards the back edge of the mat.
3. On your next inhalation lift through the crown of the head lifting the chest away from the floor. Hugging the elbows in, press little toes towards the mat, slight engagement of the core and tailbone down.
4. Take your time here and try not to over dominate with the hands, use the whole body to experience the expression of the posture. 5-10 long breaths, listening to how you feel and enjoy opening the heart.
+ Strengthens the back muscles.
+ Articulates the spine and creates flexibility.
+ Stretches the belly and massages internal organs.
+ Opens heart and lungs.
+ Soothes stress and fatigue.
Tips & adjustments:
When lifting into any variation of backbend we need to ensure front of the body is open and the mobility of the shoulders allows us to lift and support the upper back, try these three movements and notice how the shoulders adjust. In cobra, sphinx, upward facing dog you want it to feel like picture 3! Do not compromise your lower back to lift higher, always notice
the space around the ears and shoulders, if there isn't any there you are pushing yourself to far.
✨ Take a photo of your posture and share it on Facebook/Instagram with the tag @wildlove_yoga #wildlove30days
Have fun and enjoy!
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