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Asana · Practise on your own

Bhujangasana

Cobra pose

Cobra pose. Lying on the front, lifting the chest with the hips and legs on the floor.

Awaiting subject reviewWritten from our source material and not yet checked by a teacher of this practice. Read it as reference, and learn the practice from someone who teaches it.

Meaning
bhujanga = serpent, cobra; asana = seat or posture
Family
Backbend
Level
Beginner
Gaze
Nose

Take care

Lift only as high as the low back is comfortable. Avoid in pregnancy.

How it is done

  1. 1

    Breathe out

    Lie on the front, legs together, hands under the shoulders and elbows close.

  2. 2

    Breathe in

    Lift the head and chest, using the back more than the arms. The lower ribs and hips stay down.

  3. 3

    Breathe freely

    Stay for several breaths, then lower on an exhale.

Holding it

Several breaths.

Making it easier

Sphinx: rest on the forearms with the elbows under the shoulders.

What the tradition says it does

  • Strengthens the back
  • Opens the chest

As our source describes it. This is not a medical claim.

Sources and tradition

  • YOG Union App Content Map, 2 November 2026, p. 4

Also known as Cobra, Cobra pose.

Awaiting subject review · revision 1 · updated 5 November 2026