Yoga is an ancient Indian science of living well. One aspect of yoga is the practice of asanas, or postures. The cobra pose, one such posture, benefits the spine and lower back while stretching the abdomen. In Dhyana yoga, asanas are practiced deliberately to foster meditation.
Dhyana Yoga
I Love India translates the sanskrit "dhyana" as a cognate of a word meaning "to think of." Thus, Dhyana is branch of yoga that is centered on mindfulness and meditation. Though this need not necessarily include the practice of asanas, each asana is a powerful meditative tool in addition to being a potential exercise.
Bhujanga
The sanskrit word "bhujanga" means "serpent" or "snake." Bhujanga asana is usually translated as the cobra pose, however, because in the posture the arms resemble the hood of a king cobra. Bhujanga is itself derived from the Sanskrit root "bhuj," which means to bend or curve. Bhujanga asana causes the practitioner to mold her body into a curved shape resembling a snake.
Bhujanga Asana
Begin bhujanga asana by lying flat on your stomach with your head to one side and your arms beside you, palms up. On an exhale, turn your head so your chin touches the floor and swing your arms around so your hands are palm-down near your chin and your elbows are on the ground. On another exhale press down with the hands, arcing the back and lifting the elbows off the ground. Lift your head as high and as far back as possible and hold the pose.
Benefits
Star Yoga reports that bhujanga asana strengthens the spine, chest, shoulders and lungs. It also firms the buttocks, stimulates the abdominal organs, and is therapeutic for sciatica and asthma. Ancient yoga texts consider the pose stimulative of kundalini energy. To come out of the pose, lower your elbows on an exhale and slowly return to the original position.
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