BHUJANGASANA Cobra Pose
What a scary name for a beautiful heart opening pose. Cobra pose allows us to unlock our inner strength and beauty, it blossoms with our inner radiance. Ancient yogic teachings explain that we have an inner divine light that shines brighter than a thousand suns. It is only veiled from us by the mind, which attaches to things that limit our perceptions of our self. From doing yoga, we learn to explore and break through these attachments, the boundaries that limit us physically, mentally and spiritually.
Physically, backbends create a more youthful spine and body. They are not a bending just in the lower back, but to unleash the fullest potential of the pose requires us to bring more mobility to the upper back. Let's begin by exploring the shoulders.
Shoulders
Providing the right action in the shoulders provides us the opportunity to free ourselves from the tensions and attachments that bind us and, thus, open to our true potential. We will first visit this movement in any comfortable seated position. Lift your arms out to your sides and bend the elbows so the forearms point straight towards the ceiling. This pose has many names, but we'll call it Cactus pose. From this position, bring your elbows forward and your hands move backwards. Feel the shoulder blades coming closer together, slide down your back, and the lower shoulder blades press forward to expand the chest and open the heart. This movement in your shoulder blades is exactly the same action in cobra pose, which allows the upper back to move into the backbend to increase the flexibility of the upper spine.
Legs
Perhaps you are one of the many people who have an uncomfortable feeling or pain in your lower back while doing backbends. Well, just relax because here comes your opportunity to shed those experiences. Lie down on your belly and bring the tops of the feet flat upon the floor, then press more into the small toes. Feel the inner thighs roll up towards the ceiling allowing the seat bones to separate. This movement provides space for the tailbone to anchor the hips by scooping the tailbone back towards the heels and into the floor. These actions are the foundation for the backbend. Therefore, the legs and especially the tailbone will work strongly here moving in the opposite direction of the shoulder blades and heart. When these opposite movements work in concert, the lower back will sigh in relief as it lengthens.
Putting it all together
Maintain the strong action in the legs and tailbone, bring the shoulders closer to the ears, just to square them, and then roll them away from the floor so they are the same height from the floor as the elbows. This action will bring the upper arms horizontal to the floor and while your shoulder blades slide together and down the back towards the tailbone, just like in Cactus pose. Keep your gaze on the floor just in front you so the back of your neck can lengthen and the lower jaw draws back into the throat. (Note: Leading with chin in your backbend will disconnect the front abdominal muscles that support the spine and force the lower back muscles to contract. Ouch!)
Pause for a moment before you begin
Before moving further, take a moment to turn inwards and soften your heart between the shoulders and opening to your inner strength and beauty. How we feel inside will be reflected outwards. For example, do you ever wake up in the morning feeling a little down and then look into a mirror? Do you see a frown on your face? On the other hand, if you wake up in the morning, looking forward to the day, do you notice a big beautiful smile on your face? Connect with your inner radiance that is filled with love and joy. Allow your inner smile to shine through in this pose allowing your heart to expand with the same lightness.
As you inhale press your fingers into the floor and begin to scoop your sternum (breastbone) and heart away from your legs and tailbone, which anchors the hips into the floor. As you come up, roll the outer shoulders back to keeping the shoulders blades together. Take a moment here to allow the breath to flow in and out without effort or being forced. Soften with each exhalation. When your body relaxes, you are ready to continue. Roll the lower shoulder blades forward scooping and opening your heart towards the sky, unfolding your beautiful heart in its own time. Don't force yourself to open. Just like a flower, when the blossom is closed, you don't pull apart the petals as it will destroy its beauty, but you allow the flower to open in its own time. Here, surrender to the breath, allowing the pose to unfold by releasing tension and attachments with the exhalations, and on the inhalation, the chest and the heart expand and open upwards like the dawning sun.
Repeat once or twice more, and notice how your body and mind open to expand your boundaries. Enjoy the power of the backbend. Unleash your amazing and radiant heart, flowering with your boundless potential. The divine light inside of you is pure and bright, it is never dimmed. Becoming aware of this light, you will realize that you are perfect, whole, complete and you are loved.
Mark Stevens