BHUJANG ASANA

Bhujang Asana or Cobra Pose is excellent for people with hunched back, cervical, spondilytis, shaping up the shoulders and strengthening the arms. Shoulders and upper back are the 2 major parts of the body which mark the posture of a person. Posture correction and strengthening the two muscle group is one of the primary benefits of the Bhujang Asana.

TECHNIQUE

Bhujang Asana

Keep both the hands by the side of the chest with palms down.

Raise the elbows up like a grasshopper.

Try to bring them closer, with forehead on floor.

Now slowly as you breathe in, lift head, nose, chin, neck and chest cavity off the mat or floor rolling back like a mattress till the navel is on the floor.

While breathing out come down vertebra by vertebra from navel to forehead.

Bhujang Asana

Duration should be 30 seconds to 1 minute.

Do not raise body above navel.

Keep the palms exactly under the shoulders.

Push your hearts out as you curl back.

Not to be performed in menstruation, pregnancy, ulcer, colitis, diarrhea, dysentery, tennis elbow, weak wrist.

Variations of the Asana is Sanp Asana/ Snake Pose in which head is raised up with elbow straight.

Interlock fingers at the base of spine and lift the head up (tennis elbow).

Supporting the lower back with palm down and lift head up (lumbago).

Lift your head and torso up till navel and coming on palms with elbow straight in Sarp Asana.

Another variation is King Cobra Asana - Folding the legs and curling head back to touch them to each other.BENEFITS

It corrects the bad effects of poor posture of the upper back.

It is excellent pose for dealing with cervical spondilytis.

It builds up and tones the muscles of shoulders, neck and upper back.

It increases lung capacity by opening up the rib cage and allowing lungs to expand and contract to maximum.

It brings luster and shine to the face.

It regulates the metabolic rate of the body and digestion process.

It strengthens the arms.

This Asana massages the liver, pancreas, stomach and gall bladder.

It increases the flow of blood and oxygen to brain, mental nerves and capillaries.

During this Asana nerve current flows freely from nerve ending to spine and vice versa.

It sharpens the memory and increases the efficacy of sensory organs to perceive things better and passing on the filtered information to brain to act and react.

During this Asana the vital current flows from mooladhara to Manipur and settles here slowly, directing it towards the head to energize, harmonize and stabilize the ajna chakra.

It regulates the Samaan, Apaan and prana vayu.

It opens up the Anahata and vishuddha chakra.

It cures cervical, poor posture, asthma, bronchitis, decreasing rounding of the shoulders, diabetes, blood pressure, sluggish liver and intestines.