Bhujangasana: How to Do Cobra Pose Safely

Yoga poses 4 illustrations Updated 2 Nov 2026

Bhujangasana, or cobra pose, is a gentle back bend done lying on the belly: the hands press lightly under the shoulders while the chest lifts forward and up, the way a cobra lifts its hood before it strikes. It is one of the first back bends beginners learn and is step 7 of surya namaskar.

Done well, the lift comes mostly from the upper back muscles, with the arms only helping. This page covers the steps, the breath, an easier low cobra, the mistakes that pinch the lower back, and who should skip it.

Sanskrit: Bhujangasana (bhujanga: serpent)
English: Cobra pose, snake pose
Level: Beginner
Hold: 3 to 5 breaths, 2 or 3 times
Pose type: Prone back bend
Skip if: Pregnancy, recent belly surgery, acute back pain

How to do bhujangasana step by step

Lie on your belly with legs together or hip width apart and the tops of the feet on the mat.
Place the palms flat under the shoulders, fingers spread, elbows tucked in.
Press the pubic bone and feet gently down.
Inhale and slowly lift the head and chest, using the back muscles first.
Press lightly through the hands to lift a little higher, keeping the elbows bent.
Roll the shoulders back and keep the neck long, gaze forward or slightly up.
Hold for 3 to 5 breaths, then exhale and lower slowly. Rest with one cheek on the mat.

Bhujangasana (cobra) in pictures

Low cobra pose with elbows bent, hands under the shoulders and chest slightly raised — Level
Beginner
Hold
3 to 5 breaths
Works on
Upper back
Low cobra is the safest way to start. The chest lifts only a few inches and the elbows stay bent and close to the ribs.
**Teacher's cue:** Lift the hands a centimetre off the mat to test that your back is doing the work.

Full bhujangasana with arms nearly straight, chest open and shoulders drawn back — Level
Beginner plus
Hold
3 breaths
Works on
Spine, chest
In the fuller version the arms lengthen and the chest opens more. Stop before the lower back feels compressed.
**Teacher's cue:** Keep a slight bend in the elbows and roll the shoulders down and back.

Starting position for cobra: lying face down with hands under the shoulders — Level
Beginner
Hold
1 breath to set up
Works on
Setup
The setup decides the pose. Hands go under the shoulders, fingers spread, and the tops of the feet press into the mat.
**Teacher's cue:** Draw the elbows in so they point back, not out to the sides.

Sphinx pose as an easier cobra option resting on the forearms — Level
Beginner
Hold
5 to 10 breaths
Works on
Lower back, chest
Sphinx pose, on the forearms, gives a milder back bend for stiff or sensitive backs.
**Teacher's cue:** Press the forearms down and slide the chest forward between the arms.

Bhujangasana yoga pose: names you will hear

Teachers use several names for the same shape. Bhujangasana yoga and bhujang asana are the Sanskrit forms. Cobra pose in yoga, cobra yoga pose and cobra asana are the English versions, and some fitness trainers call it the cobra stretch yoga pose. Snake pose yoga is the name many children learn. In a printed timetable you may also see cobra pose bhujangasana yoga, or the bhujangasana cobra pose yoga label used for step 7 of surya namaskar. When a gym class says cobra stretch yoga bhujangasana, it is this same back bend, sometimes done with straighter arms.

Whatever the name, the cobra pose beginner yoga version is the same for everyone: low, slow and pain free. A woman in pregnancy should skip cobra pose yoga after the first months, as explained below.

Cobra pose yoga for beginners: the low version

If you are new or your back is stiff, start with low cobra: lift the chest only as far as you can without pressing hard into the hands. A good test is to hover the palms off the mat for a breath. If you can stay up, the upper back is working. If the lower back aches, try sphinx pose on the forearms instead, or place a folded blanket under the hips.

Common mistakes in cobra stretch

Mistake	What to do instead
Locking the elbows and pushing high	Keep the elbows soft; height is not the goal
Shoulders hunched to the ears	Draw the shoulder blades down the back
Throwing the head back	Keep the back of the neck long
Hips lifting off the floor	Keep the front of the pelvis grounded
Holding the breath	Breathe slowly through the nose

Benefits of bhujangasana

Strengthens the muscles along the spine and the upper back.
Opens the chest and the front of the shoulders, a good counter to slouching.
Mobilises the spine into extension, which many people rarely do in daily life.
Gently stretches the abdomen.
Forms part of many routines for back pain, done carefully and low.

Claims that cobra pose treats specific organs are not well supported; its value is as a gentle strengthening back bend.

Who should skip or adapt cobra pose

Avoid it in pregnancy after the first trimester, after recent abdominal surgery and during an acute flare of back pain. People with a known disc problem or spinal stenosis should ask a physiotherapist which back bends suit them. If your wrists hurt, use sphinx pose.

Where bhujangasana fits in a sequence

Warm up first with cat cow. Practise cobra two or three times, then follow it with child pose to release the back. Stronger back bends such as dhanurasana and ustrasana come later. In surya namaskar, cobra is the step after the eight points salute.

Practise on an empty stomach, move slowly into each position and stop at any sharp pain. If you have an injury, a health condition or are pregnant, check with a doctor or an experienced teacher first.