Sphinx Pose: Ardha Bhujangasana – Hugger Mugger

Snakes get a foul rap. True, the bites of the venomous varieties can wreak lethal havoc. However most snakes will not be toxic. Some are even helpful, particularly in our yards and gardens. As predators, snakes assist management the populations of the hungry pests that eat our fruits and veggies. At this time, we’ll discover the advantages of Ardha Bhujangasana (Half Cobra Pose or Sphinx Pose).

One may suppose that naming Half Cobra Pose “Sphinx Pose” might be a manner of avoiding the scary connotations. However I believe it has extra to do with the arm place that mimics the Nice Sphinx of Giza. In truth, in India, cobras will not be symbols of evil. As a substitute, they’re celebrated every summer season in a competition known as Nag Pachami. There, 1000’s of cobras are gathered and dropped at the temple of Shiva to be fed milk and regaled with flowers. People spend a day snake dancing within the streets which can be lined with snake charmers. When the festivities finish the cobras are launched unhurt again into their habitat.

Advantages of Cobra and Sphinx Pose

Cobra Pose (Bhujangasana) and its cousin, Sphinx Pose, are two variations of the identical pose. As such, their advantages are related. For practitioners with again points akin to scoliosis, herniated disc or different again accidents, nevertheless, full Cobra is contraindicated. In these instances, shifting slowly and mindfully into Sphinx Pose can enable a practitioner to reap the advantages of Cobra, with out the dangers.

Bhujangasana appears to be like like a cobra raised to strike—or to bop. When cobras dance, they increase one third of their physique size, whereas the opposite two thirds keep grounded. It’s that grounding of the vast majority of the decrease physique that enables the higher physique to rise towards the sky. The identical is true for people working towards Cobra Pose. It’s the grounding of the decrease physique that creates the lightness within the higher physique.

Within the case of Sphinx Pose, greater than two thirds of the physique stay on the bottom. This creates even better stability, and far much less curvature within the lumbar backbone.

Practiced with care, Sphinx can strengthen the backbone, stabilize the sacroiliac joint, stimulate the important organs, strengthen the glutes and concurrently energize and calm the nervous system. Practiced with aggression, it may well additionally chew, contributing to again pressure and put on and tear within the hip joints.

The right way to Apply Sphinx Pose

1. Collect your props: Yoga Mat, folded Yoga Blanket (optionally available). A Yoga Blanket might be useful in case your anterior superior iliac backbone (hip bones) are uncomfortable on the ground.
2. Unfold your mat out on the ground. If you happen to select to make use of a folded blanket, place it throughout the middle of your mat.
3. Lie face down in your mat. If you happen to’re utilizing a blanket, place your pelvis absolutely on the blanket.
4. Floor your pelvis and legs.
5. Elevate the higher physique solely as excessive as you may with out utilizing your arms. Then place your forearms on the bottom so your torso stays on the identical top. For now, don’t push up along with your forearms. Which means that your forearms could also be positioned nicely in entrance of your shoulders.
6. Discover what you are feeling: are your glutes working right here? Are you able to breathe simply?
7. Take a 5 to 10 deep, relaxed breaths. Then launch again all the way down to a inclined place, resting your brow in your arms.
8. If you wish to discover shifting extra deeply into the pose, floor your hips and legs once more.
9. This time, raise your higher physique once more, however place your elbows underneath your shoulders so that you simply’re lifting a bit larger. Take care to not disengage the work on the legs and glutes. Proceed actively grounding the decrease physique. (Typically after we begin to add the assist of the arms, we are inclined to disengage the decrease physique. This negates the strengthening advantages of Sphinx Pose.
10. Take 5 to 10 deep, relaxed breaths. Then launch again all the way down to a inclined place, resting your brow in your arms.

About Charlotte Bell

Charlotte Bell found yoga in 1982 and started instructing in 1986. Charlotte is the creator of Conscious Yoga, Conscious Life: A Information for On a regular basis Apply and Yoga for Meditators, each revealed by Rodmell Press. Her third ebook is titled Hip-Wholesome Asana: The Yoga Practitioner’s Information to Defending the Hips and Avoiding SI Joint Ache (Shambhala Publications). She writes a month-to-month column for CATALYST Journal and serves as editor for Yoga U On-line. Charlotte is a founding board member for GreenTREE Yoga, a non-profit that brings yoga to underserved populations. A lifelong musician, Charlotte performs oboe and English horn within the Salt Lake Symphony and folks sextet Crimson Rock Rondo, whose DVD received two Emmy awards.