How to Do Cobra Pose  (Bhujangasana) Ultimate Guide + Anatomy Break Down

Beginner Yoga • Yoga • Yoga Pose
December 6, 2022

Pop! Pop! Pop!

Sometimes backbends feel like you grew 3 inches taller. Other times it feels like you snapped your back in half. And sometimes you just want to stretch your back at the supermarket. (Am i right!? 🙌)

Cobra pose (aka Bhujangasana) is a gentle backbend accessible to almost everyone. After a few cobra rolls, you stand straighter, taller, and more confident.

If you’re pregnant, have been told you shouldn’t do backbends, or any back bend feels uncomfortable, check out the variations and modifications of cobra pose below or in this video. There’s a variation available to almost everyone. Give them a try and see which one helps you look taller.

And how to do cobra pose at the supermarket? Read the contraindicated conditions here first, then skip ahead to this modification. If you’re not already and want to be the first to know new ways to do yoga inconspicuously while grocery shopping, sign up for my newsletter with exclusive tips 😉.

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• Cobra Pose 101 (Bhujangasana): How to Set It Up
• Who shouldn’t do Cobra pose? Or can they modify?
• Let’s Get Into It: How to Move In and Out of Cobra Pose
• Cobra Pose Variations: Normal, Musculoskeletal conditions, & Pregnancy
• Am I doing this Right? What you should feel in Cobra Pose
• Let’s Nerd Out: The Anatomical breakdown of Cobra Pose

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Cobra Pose 101 (Bhujangasana): How to Set It Up

Bhujangasana is one of those poses where how you do it & how it looks depends on what school of yoga your teacher came from. Like with plank pose, I’ll break down some key points that can be found across all variations.

 All variations:

• Prone (belly on the surface)
• Hands under shoulders shoulders
• Shoulders roll away from the ears
• Tops of the feet press down onto the mat
• Back muscles engage
• The chest lifts off of the floor
• There is a gentle curve in the spine
• The head follows the natural curve of the spine

The Safest Variation

On to a more detailed breakdown. These notes are for the safest (non-modified) variation of cobra pose. Bhujangasana does have some contraindications. Take a look below before you try this pose.

The Legs

• Tops of the feet connect to the mat
• Legs hip distance apart or touching
• Tops of the feet press down on the mat
• Knee caps lift
• Fronts of thighs (quadriceps) engage slightly
• Tailbone reaches toward the toes

The Torso

• Muscles of the low back engage, the back low ribs draw toward the back tops of the hips
• Spine is long
• Chest lifts off of the floor
• There is a gentle curve (arch) in the spine

The Upper Body

• Hands underneath (in line with) the shoulders
• Elbows bent and point toward the toes
• Arms hug the sides of the body
• Shoulders move away from the ears
• Chin tucks slightly, so the neck is long
• Neck follows the natural extension of the spine
• Gaze is at the floor about a foot or two in front of the hands, at the top of the yoga mat for most situations

Important Notes

• Hands and arms do NOT press into the ground to assist in the lift.

Who shouldn’t do Cobra pose? Or can you modify?

Cobra pose is for almost everyone. If you have any of the conditions below, speak with your doctor before doing any modifications.

• Osteopenia
• Osteoporosis
• Spondelothesis
• Fused lumbar discs
• Any spinal hardware

If you are pregnant, any modified version of cobra pose to accommodate your belly is fine as long as you don’t have any of the other conditions above.

Let’s Get Into It: Moving In and Out of Cobra Pose

The safest way to move into cobra pose is from the prone position (face down on the mat). 

Moving In

1. Start lying on your belly
2. Legs stretch out straight behind you hip distance apart with tops of the feet on the mat
3. Hands underneath your shoulders
4. Lengthen the tailbone towards the toes
5. Inhale engage the muscles of the back to lift the chest, shoulders, and head
6. Head stays in line with the curve of the spine
7. Gaze is a few feet in front of the hands or at the top of the mat
8. Breathe

Moving Out

1. Exhale
2. Lower the upper body down

Cobra Variations: Normal, Musculoskeletal Conditions, & Pregnancy

Cobra is often used as a warm-up at the beginning of class before you move into deeper backbends. If you feel like a dinosaur hunched over your desk all day, cobra pose is a great way to get rid of those t-rex typing arms and stand 10 ft tall after an eon of work. 

But, what if you have one of the contraindications above? 

Here are a few variations to ensure everyone can get a safe little heart opening in every class.

At the Wall

Reason: You’re pregnant or you don’t/can’t/won’t lay down on the floor (like at the grocery store).

How to do it: 

• Stand with the front side of your body lightly touching the wall
• Hands go to the wall at shoulder height
• Upper arms hug tight to the body with the elbows pointed toward the ground
• Lengthen the crown of the head toward the ceiling (tuck the chin slightly)
• Draw the shoulder blades together and down the back
• Engage the muscles of the low back and lift the heart center toward the ceiling
• Arms are only there for (proprioceptive) feedback and do not assist in back extension
• Keep the neck long
• Breathe

Important notes

• Arms are for stability (or lack of other things to do with them). Keep them relaxed and there for assistance.

For Spondylolisthesis, Osteoporosis, or Osteopenia

Reason: You have spondylolisthesis, osteoporosis, osteopenia, or backbends are contraindicated for you.

How to do it: 

• Do the version above
• Focus on a heart opening from only back muscle engagement
• Slight tuck in the chin to keep the neck long

Important notes

• It’s important to keep the lower spine in as neutral of a position as possible

Cobra with Arms

Reason: You have no contraindications, and you want a deeper back bend/heart opening

How to do it: 

• Follow steps 1-5 above
• Press the hands into the ground to help the back muscles lift the torso (only lift as high or an inch or two more than what your back muscles can do alone)
• Head stays in line with the curve of the spine
• Gaze is a few feet in front of the hands or at the top of the mat
• Breathe

Important notes

• It’s essential to keep the lower spine in as neutral of a position as possible.

Extended Cobra

Reason: You want a deep back bend and hip flexor (psoas) stretch and have no contraindications

How to do it: 

• Follow steps 1-5 above
• Press the hands into the ground to straighten the arms
• Press the ground down and the shoulders move away from the ears
• Tops of the feet, knees, and thighs stay connected to the floor
• Head stays in line with the curve of the spine
• Gaze is a few feet in front of the hands or at the top of the mat
• Breathe

Important notes

• Unlike in upward-facing dog, in this variation of cobra pose the legs do not press down into the ground to help lift the torso. The hip extension and low-back bend are deeper in this version of cobra versus upward-facing dog.

Propped

Reason: You need/want to pad any surface connected to the mat for any reason (bursitis, allodynia, fibromyalgia)

How to do it: 

• Do any of the above cobra variations
• Place a soft folded blanket under the sensitive areas

Am I doing this Right? What you should feel in Cobra Pose

There are a variety of cobra poses listed above 👆 and as different as they all may appear to be, here are the few things you should feel in all of the variations:

Lower Body:

• Tops of the feet, knees, and thighs are connected to (touching) the floor. How firm? That’s up to you, your body (bursitis of the knees anyone?), your teacher, or your yoga practice lineage.

Trunk of the Body:

• The muscles of the low back are engaged (you should feel the effort of those muscles)
• Chest is lifted (only a little bit for most variations) off of the surface

Upper Body:

• Hands in line with your shoulders connected to the ground
• Shoulders (and shoulder blades) move towards one another and away from the ears (you’ll feel the muscles in your middle back working)
• (See below) your neck is neutral (you don’t feel the back of your neck engage or shorten)

Gaze

• (See above) should be wherever the neck leads it. For most it’s at the top of your yoga mat

Let’s Nerd Out: The Anatomical breakdown of Cobra Pose

Bhujangasana is one of those pose where you can go all-in and engage half of your body, or you can try-easy and only work what MUST be worked. Below I’ve broken it down into what is mandatory to engage, what you should engage but not required to move the body into cobra pose, and what is optional.

Muscles Worked

Mandatory

• Erector Spinae: Used to lift the upper body into a heart opener and create a back bend
• Quadratus Lumborum: Used to lift the upper body into a heart opener and create a back bend

Should

• Supraspinatus: To prevent internal shoulder rotation
• Lower Trapezius: Used to depress the top scapula (move towards the hips)
• Middle Trapezius: To draw the shoulder blades towards one another
• Erector Spinae & Suboccipitals: To suport the cervical spine

Optional

• Triceps & Biceps: To prevent elbow movement (mainly for the Cobra with Arms and the Extended Cobra variation)
• Quadriceps: To keep the legs straight (prevent knee flexion)
• Gluteus Maximus, Medius, & Minimus: To keep the hips on the floor and enhance the bend in the back

Muscles Stretched

Cobra is not your typical “stretchy” pose, but it is a gentle back bend.

• Erectus Abdominus
• Internal & External Obliques
• (Maybe) Pectoralis Major & Minor if shoulder blades (scapula) are moving toward one another

What variation of bhujangasana did you like the most? Afterward, did you grow taller and get all the “ahhhhh” feels?

Every yoga pose is not designed for every body. But when you sign up for my newsletter you’ll get exclusive tips and tricks on how to adapt yoga practices to YOUR body and how to integrate yoga practices into your everyday life. As a bonus, you’ll also get my 1 min checklist to reduce stress, anxiety, and pain + guided audio.

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