51 Days Yoga Consciousness Series 2nd May-21st June 2021

Knowledge of Yoga is infinite, boundless and timeless. “Learning Yoga is an everlasting journey that leads you within and Within is where you find the world of immortal bliss”. –Mitraasha

Namaste All My Yoga Yaatris! May Yog Bless You!

The idea behind running this 51 Days Yoga Consciousness series is to proffer my modest learnings and share the divine pearls of Yoga science with people at large. Let’s have a conjoint intent to learn, implement and extend the wisdom of Yoga with a positive co-action and harmonious reverberation amongst each other.

Asana For Backward Bending Of The Spine-Bhujangasana

Bhujangasana-The Cobra Pose

In Sanskrit, Bhujang means the cobra and the way in which the head is held raised in the final position of this asana, is like an aroused cobra and that is how its name is the cobra pose. The intention while performing this posture remains to inculcate the characteristic of a cobra: purposefulness, vigilance, insight and accuracy which are the most helpful qualities for a sadhaka to progress in the journey of yoga. 

Limitations / Contraindications 

  1. People suffering from hypertension, heart ailments, hernia, peptic ulcers and hyper thyroid should avoid doing this. 
  2. Pregnant women should also not do this asana.
  3. People with a protruding belly may find it challenging to assume the prone position. 

How to practice?

Bhujangasana step2
Bhujangasana step1
  • Lie down prone(on your stomach) on a mat with your hands at the sides of your body, legs pulled out straight and feet together with toes extending outwards. 
  • Keep your palms facing downwards beside your chest, with elbows bent and close to your body.
  • Place the forehead on the mat.
  • Now gently raise the head and the neck a few inches from the ground,and then inhaling in 3 seconds, with the help of your hands, unhurriedly raise the shoulders, thorax and the upper part of the abdomen gradually and evenly.  
  • Make sure the body below the navel region is fixed to the ground and only the upper portion of the body above the waist until the navel is raised and not more, just like the hood of a cobra.
  • Hold the elbows in the posture ensuring they are not sticking out.
  • Maintain your feet steady and together in place.
  • Feel the pressure on the spinal column and observe the backward curve of the spine gradually rising vertebrae by vertebrae. The spine goes through a distinct contraction beginning first at the cervical, reaching to thoracic, then lumbar and then at the sacral portions of the spine, ultimately creating intense pressure of the tail-bone.
  • Holding your breath, stay in this final position for six seconds. 
  • To release the posture, exhaling in 3 seconds, slowly and carefully bring your head, neck and torso down to rest on the mat to return to the starting position.
  • It is utmost important to relieve the spinal pressure gradually by stages in a way that the coccygeal and sacral curves are absolved first by steady and synchronous bringing down of the trunk until the upper portions, the lumbar, thoracic and cervical curves progressively comes down stage wise.
  • It is suggested to practice 3 rounds of this asana, with a pause in between the rounds. 

Note: For those who are not comfortable initially to retain or suspend the breath as suggested, may do the entire flow of asana with normal breathing.

  • Same asana can be done in a static manner also after perfecting the dynamic posture. For this hold the final position which is raised like a cobra, for a maximum of 2 minutes (start with 30 seconds) with normal, slow and rhythmic breathing. 

Benefits

It exercises and tones up the trunk and the deep muscles that hold the spinal column.

It stimulates spinal nerves and increases body heat, promotes the spinal circulation and makes the spine pliable.

Due to the repeated contraction and relaxation, minor displacement of vertebra gets corrected and it also relieves muscular back pain.

It is a very beneficial posture for relieving a slipped disc, ankylosing spondylitis and kyphosis.  

It massages and stimulates the adrenal gland.

Through the posterior stretch, it tones up the abdominal muscles and impedes ailments by boosting elimination through intra-abdominal pressure.

It improves and deepens breathing and restores appetite.

It alleviates constipation, flatulence and abdominal adhesions. 

It is relieving in menstrual and gynaecological problems.

It instills faith, self-confidence, determination and brings about alertness and methodicalness in actions.

It strengthens the willpower and produces a calm, serene state of mind.

Thought of the day:  “Curving back within myself I create again and again.”-Bhagvad Gita

Link to day 30: https://kreately.in/day-30-hastapadasana-paschimottanasana-mitraasha/

Link to day 32: Shalabhasana-The Locust Pose https://kreately.in/day-32-shalabhasana-mitraasha/

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