By ‘Bhujanga’ implies a ‘snake’ and ‘asana’ means ‘pose’ and so ‘Bhujang asana’ stands for taking the pose of the serpent. In English, it means taking a cobra pose. Here the head of the person is raised while the body takes the posture of a snake called cobra. The pose is such that the person bends backwards, and hence it is a wonderful remedy for back pain. It strengthens your spine and provides an array of benefits like relieves constipating, improves appetite and massages the abdominal muscles. Let us check out how to do Bhujangasana and then we will discuss the benefits in detail.
Steps to do Bhujangasana
You need to follow the steps properly for any mistake can lead to harmful results:
- Here you have to lie straight on your belly with feet joined together, legs straight and the toes pointing.
- Now take the palms to the sides of the chest and point elbows outwards while the arms are closer to the elbows.
- Just rest the forehead on the ground and take a deep breath and relax.
- Start inhaling and raise the forehead along with the neck followed by shoulders. With the back muscles raise the chest while with arms raise the trunk. Here you need to use the pressure of your back muscles and the strength of your arms. Now breathe normally and lookup.
- The pubic bones touch the ground and the navel not to be raised above 3cms.
Maintain this position for at least 20 seconds. To return to the normal pose, just exhale slowly and lower your body, including the neck, the shoulders, the back and forehead. Take a deep breath and relax.
Benefits of Bhujangasana
Regular practice of Bhujangasana straightens arms and arches the spine. Owing to its magnificent benefits, Bhujangasana is one of the postures of Surya Namaskar as well. Here are the key benefits:
- If you crave a well-shaped flat stomach, practice Bhujangasana regularly. This asana is perfect for beauty lovers for it stretches the abdominal muscles.
- It improves blood circulation, which is so important to live a healthy life. Merely doing this asana, you stay active and energetic throughout the day. Due to improved blood circulation, the body cells get proper nutrients. It even helps to maintain hormonal balance.
- Anxiety, stress and depression are common complaints of people of all ages. During this lockdown due to the Corona pandemic, people seem to be stressed. The best way to relieve stress would be practicing Bhujangasana. It also curbs stress-related symptoms like headache, fatigue and insomnia.
- Bhujangasana is a perfect asana for those having back pain. It strengthens the spine by extending the back. However, if you suffer from severe backache, then it is good to consult with a doctor. With regular practice of Bhujangasana, your spine remains strong and flexible. It improves the functioning of vital organs like liver and kidney
Given that there are so many benefits of Bhujangasana, you must do it regularly. However, it is good to find a yoga expert to do asana. Practicing correctly can reap early results.
