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Shashank Bhujangasana: Benefits, Steps and Contraindications

In today’s world, people of all ages struggle with some health problems. Some people experience back pain at a young age, and some have trouble breathing. People go to hospitals and pay bills worth lakhs of rupees, but those medicines are only short-term solutions and offer temporary relief. That is why yoga is considered a healing power, which gives you many physical and mental benefits. In this article, we’ll explore an asana that not only corrects your posture but also provides back pain relief, along with many other benefits. Let’s dive into the details of Shashank Bhujangasana, including its benefits, how to perform it, and its contraindications.

About Shashank Bhujangasana

Shashank Bhujangasana, also known as Striking Cobra Pose in English, is a beginner-level yoga asana that combines two poses: Child Pose (Shashankasana) and Cobra Pose (Bhujangasana). This asana is named Striking Cobra Pose because it focuses on perfectly aligning the Cobra Pose. Shashank Bhujangasana offers numerous benefits, including toning the reproductive organs, improving breathing, and more. Let’s discuss its benefits in more detail.

Benefits of Shashank Bhujangasana

Shashanka Bhujangasana is considered a warm-up yoga pose that prepares the body for more intense yoga asanas. This asana combines the benefits of Shashankasana and Bhujangasana.

Let’s discuss them in detail:

  1. Shashank Bhujangasana stretches the back and shoulder muscles, making them stronger.
  2. This asana lengthens the spine and opens up the hips.
  3. It also improves spinal flexibility and tones your lower back, glutes and thighs.
  4. This yoga pose improves liver and kidney function.
  5. This asana relieves the female reproductive organs and also helps with menstrual disorders.
  6. It also reduces back pain and balances spinal nerves.

How to Perform Shashank Bhujangasana?

Striking Cobra Pose is a powerful pose that can make you feel more energized and focused. By following the step-by-step provided by us, you will be able to improve your yoga practice more easily:

Step 1: Sit in Vajrasana Pose. Take deep breaths until you feel comfortable in the pose. Keep your thighs and feet close.

Step 2: Inhale and raise your arms. Now, bend forward and place your arms in front of you. Keep your palms on the mat and feel the stretch.

Step 3: Now, as you bend forward, push your hips towards your heels. Don’t lift your hips; instead, place them on the heels.

Step 4: The next step is to touch the mat with your forehead. Inhale deeply and straighten your spine. Slowly raise your hips to attain Plank Pose (with knees on the floor) and take your trunk ahead. 

Step 5: Exhale and move to Advasana Yoga Pose or Reverse Corpse Pose (Shoulders Raised). 

Step 6: Now, you need to keep your palms near your chest region and keep your elbows close to your body and your feet close to each other. 

Step 7: Breathe in, lift your upper body and attain Bhujangasana. Stay in Bhujangasana for a few breaths, making sure your arms are straight, and the navel does not touch the floor. Also, the back should be arched.

Step 8: Stay in the yogaasan for some breaths. Then, to release, raise the hips slowly and move back to the original position, keeping the arms straight and relaxed.

Contraindications of Shanshank Bhujangasana

As important as it is to know the benefits and steps, it is equally important to understand the contraindications of Striking Cobra Yoga Pose so that even minor injuries can be avoided. Let us know who should not perform this asana:

  • If you have a peptic ulcer, hernia, intestinal tuberculosis and hyperthyroidism, then you should not perform this yoga.
  • People who have back pain issues should perform this yoga under someone’s supervision or do gentle bends.
  • If you have recently had any surgery related to abdominal organs, you should not do this yoga. 
  • If you have heart-related issues, then also you are not advised to do this yoga asana.
  • People with Ashtma or High Blood Pressure issues should refrain from doing Shashank Bhujangasana.
  • Senior Citizens and Pregnant Women should not do this asana to avoid any severe injuries in the back and abdomen.

Note: Please keep in mind all the contraindications we have listed so that you do not suffer injuries while performing these yoga asanas.

Key Takeaways

We hope you liked this article. Yoga plays a vital role in our lives, so it is essential to know the benefits and the correct way of doing each yoga asana. That’s why we have covered everything you need to know about Shashank Bhujangasana, from the benefits to the step-by-step instructions. Whether you are new to yoga or experienced, it is important to seek expert guidance at times to avoid serious injuries and improve your yoga practice. Make sure to always listen to your body, and we wish you a Happy Yoga Journey!