My Favorite Yoga Pose: Cobra

There are many different poses in yoga and each have their own distinctive benefits. My personal favorite is called the cobra pose or bhujangasana. Cobra was one of the earliest poses I learned in my yoga class and though I have done sun and moon salutations, warrior poses and bridge, to name a few, the cobra is still the one I like the best and I'll share with you why I like it so much.

Like many poses in yoga, the cobra can be modified to suit your skill and comfort level. It is typically done with your lower half of the body lying flat on the mat and your arms push your upper body up into the air while you look up. If you are not comfortable or able to lift fully upright, you can lift yourself up as far as comfortable and still obtain a nice stretch.

There are many health benefits to practicing cobra pose. According to Yoga Journal cobra pose does the following:

• Strengthens the spine
• Stretches chest and lungs, shoulders, and abdomen
• Firms the buttocks
• Stimulates abdominal organs
• Helps relieve stress and fatigue
• Opens the heart and lungs
• Soothes sciatica
• Therapeutic for asthma
• Traditional texts say that Bhujangasana increases body heat, destroys disease, and awakens kundalini.

For me, whenever I did the cobra pose, I enjoyed the nice stretch I got. My shoulders felt more open and my arms felt stronger. I feel cobra also helps with posture as it opens your shoulders. This pose is great if you spend long hours in front of a computer and have a sore or stiff neck and shoulders. Cobra is also a very comfortable pose for me and I had no trouble maintaining it. I would lift my upper-body as high as I could.

There are some precautions that go along with this pose just like any in yoga. Yoga Journal advises caution for cobra if you are: pregnant, had a back injury, headache or carpal tunnel.

Cobra is a great pose, it's variations allow everyone to be comfortable and helps you open your chest and shoulders. I'd recommend it to just about anyone.