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Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Yoga For Beginners: Doing The Cobra Pose

The cobra pose provides great relief for those who suffer from back troubles due to siting in front of a computer for hours at a time. Many people who work at their computers all day do not realize that they are hunched over for much of the time rather than sitting with good posture. When doing the cobra pose in yoga, you can strengthen your back muscles, which helps to ease any back pain that you might have.

If you have never done yoga before, you'll need to practice the cobra pose until you master its form. Much like learning to play soccer or learning to swim, with yoga, you will not just jump right in and immediately become an expert at doing poses on your first try. Have patience when learning the cobra pose and all other yoga poses - your persistence will pay off.

Start the cobra pose by lying on your stomach. Take a deep breath, and keep your elbows tucked under your shoulders and your arms on the floor. Let your breath out, and prepare to put your body into the back bend position. Be sure to keep your thighs together, and extend your legs so that your toes extend outward as well.

From your position on your stomach, place the palms of your hands onto the floor against your chest. Your fingertips should be lined up with the front of the shoulders. Bring your elbows as close to your sides as you can. Then press the palms of your hands firmly onto the floor as you slowly start to elevate your chest and assume a back bend pose. You may be able to feel your spinal muscles activate as they support you.

Now, bring your shoulders toward your upper back. Take a deep breath, and be sure to position your head so that you are looking straight ahead. As you exhale, lower your body back down toward the floor. To position yourself into a full cobra pose, put your hands flat on the floor, and line your fingertips up with the middle section of your chest. Extend your legs and your feet so that your toes point outward. Carefully lift your body by putting pressure on your hands and squeezing your shoulder blades towards your upper back.

Remember that the size of the back bend doesn't really matter when you're performing a cobra pose, because you will be placing a greater emphasis on how to correctly position your legs, stomach, chest, pelvis, and arms.

The art of yoga for beginners takes some time to perfect, but with practice, the cobra pose and other poses will become easier to form. Whether you're doing yoga for weight loss or for health reasons, you'll see great benefits over time.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Teresa_A_Douglas

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