Bhujangasana

BHUJANGASANA: (THE COBRA POSE)

Bhujanga means a cobra in Sanskrit. This pose is called Bhujangasana because when the full pose is displayed, it lends one the appearance of a hooded cobra.

Steps:

1. Spread a blanket on the ground. Lie on it face down and the muscles of the body completely relaxed. Place the palms on the ground just below the shoulders, bending them in the elbows.
2. Touch the ground with the forehead and raise the head and the upper part of the body slowly just as a cobra raises its hood.
3. Bend the spine backwards. Let the lower part of the body from the navel downwards right up to the toes touch the ground.
4. Breathe normally through the nose. Retain the breath till the head is raised and the spine bent nicely. Then again exhale.
5. Then retain the breath while bringing the head down and as soon as the head touches the ground, slowly inhale again.
6. Repeat this process of raising the head and bringing it down half a dozen times or more.

Timing: Morning or evening at 5 to 6 pm is the best time to do this yoga pose.

 Benefits:

1. This is another good exercise for the spine. The spine becomes flexible and elastic.
2. Rigidity and fatigue of the back are removed. Hunch-back, back pain, lumbago and myalgia of the back are relieved.
3. Bhujangasana increases the intra-abdominal pressure and removes constipation.
   
4. It augments appetite by increasing bodily heat and destroys a host of other ailments.
5. This pose is specially useful for ladies to tone the ovary and uterus. It is a powerful tonic. Absence of menstruation (amenorrhoea), painful menstruation (dysmenorrhoea), whites (leucorrhoea) and various other utero-ovarine diseases are removed
6.