‘Bhujanga’ means cobra in Sanskrit…
This asana is called Bhujangasana as the raised trunk, neck and head while practicing it resembles a cobra rearing its hood about to strike, while the joined and stretched legs resemble its tail.
HOW TO DO BHUJANGASANA :
Follow these simple steps to perform Bhujangasana
1- Lie flat on your abdomen. Keep your arms on the sides, feet together and
insteps on the floor. Rest the forhead and the nose on the ground.
2-Place the palms beneath the shoulders, and the chin on the ground.
3- Bend the neck and head backward, keeping the chest close to the ground.
4- Inhaling, bend backward your head, shoulder, chest and the upper
abdomen up to the navel slowly and successively.
5- Bend back the spine and arch the back as far as you can. Gaze upwards.
6- Exhaling, return to the starting position in the reverse order in one flowing
movement.
BENEFITS OF BHUJANGASANA :
1-Bhujangasana stretches and relaxes the vertebrae starting from the first vertebra just below the skull to the base of the spine. It alternately contracts and relaxes the deepmuscles of the back while the full posture is being assumed. Thus, it develops the back muscles and keeps the spinal column elastic
2-regular yoga practice of this asana will keep the verterbrae in good alignment. The progressive curving of the spine, vertebrae by vertebrae will set right slight displacements and restore or preserve the normal spinal curve. It also corrects minor deformities in the cervical, thoracic and lumbar regions of the spine and helps in slipped discs.
3-This asana promotes a liberal circulation of the blood in the back by
inducing vigorous action in the muscular mechanism of the spine.
Ordinarily, the deep muscles of the back are not exercised, but this asana exercises and tones them up.
4-It invigorates the parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous system and indirectly the brain.
5-it relives stiffness and tension in the back.
6- The stretching back of the neck and head stimulates the thyroid gland.
7-It strengthens the arms, wrists, elbows, shoulders and posterior.
8-The practice of this asana opens up narrow shoulders and expands the
chest. It also develops the pectoral muscles of the bust as it stretches and realigns the spinal column.
9-This yoga asana is specially beneficial greatly as the circulatory system is
invigorated.
10-The heart benefits greatly as the circulatory system is invigorated.
