The Cow Face Pose, often called Gomukhasana in Sanskrit, is an intermediate-level seated pose that deeply stretches the muscle tissue of the arms, legs, and again whereas additionally lowering stiffness within the shoulders and hips.
The place will get its identify from the looks it generates with the physique: a cow’s face. The cow’s snout and mouth are represented by the crossed legs, whereas the cow’s ears are represented by the arms. The nostril of the cow is shaped by the torso.
The 4th-century Darshana Upanishad mentions this yoga stance, which isn’t solely a really efficient train but additionally used throughout Yoga Nidra, Pranayama, and Meditation attributed to its therapeutic qualities. It aids within the secretion of hormones akin to endorphins, which produce a sense of peace and leisure.
It stretches the arms, shoulders, chest, armpits, and hips whereas permitting for a full vary of shoulder movement. It will increase flexibility and stimulates the Chakras in our physique, together with the Sacral and Coronary heart Chakras.
Gomukhasana develops steadiness and coordination with its posture. It’s a improbable pose for anybody who sits for lengthy intervals of time at work because it opens your hips and chest, which helps to offset the droop that many individuals can develop after sitting.
Within the forthcoming sections, we’ll see the steps for performing this pose together with its variations, tricks to keep in mind for performing it completely as effectively its advantages.
Observe Information for Cow Face Pose
Preparatory Pose
Steps to Carry out Cow Face Pose(Gomukhasana)
- Begin in Dandasana (employees pose) in your yoga mat.
- Bend your proper knee and cross the fitting decrease leg over the left thigh, inserting it outdoors the left hip.
- Equally, bend your left knee, bringing the left foot outdoors the fitting hip and beneath the fitting thigh.
- Use your arms to align your ft and knees, making certain they’re almost stacked on high of one another.
- Keep a straight again by grounding your sitting bones.
- Prolong your arms out to the perimeters in a straight line.
- Internally rotate your shoulders and produce the fitting arm towards the again.
- Place the fitting hand between the shoulder blades with palms dealing with outward.
- Prolong the left arm overhead and bend the elbow to deliver the forearm down, inserting your arms close to the again of the neck with palms dealing with inwards.
- Interlock your fingers if doable; in any other case, preserve this hand place or purpose to the touch your fingertips.
- Stop your head from tilting sideways or ahead by urgent the again of your head into the left hand.
- Guarantee each elbows are aligned towards the middle.
- Open your chest by drawing your shoulder blades again.
- Maintain for 3-5 breaths.
- Gently launch your legs and arms, then repeat with the alternative limbs.
Tricks to Keep in mind
- Guarantee correct warm-up earlier than making an attempt Cow Face Pose to arrange your shoulders and hips for the required flexibility.
- Keep away from forcing your physique into an ideal alignment; progress regularly as your flexibility improves over time.
- In case you battle to deliver your legs into place from Dandasana, begin from the tabletop pose after which gently sit down.
- Use a folded blanket, cushion, or yoga block beneath your sitting bone to take care of a straight backbone and correct hip alignment.
- You probably have stiff shoulders, think about using a yoga strap, belt, or a small towel to bridge the hole between your arms, regularly lowering the space till you possibly can hook your fingers.
- To attain steadiness in your seated posture, place the highest foot as near the hip as doable whereas maintaining the underside foot away from the physique.
- Start by holding the pose for 30 seconds and progressively improve the length as you turn out to be extra comfy.
Precautions and Contraindications
- The cow face pose is a posh pose regarding the positioning of the legs and arms. Thus, it is best to first be taught this pose beneath the steerage of an skilled yoga trainer earlier than making an attempt it by your self.
- Folks with accidents to the knee, hips, thighs, shoulder, neck, and again ought to keep away from this pose.
- Don’t observe the leg place when you have sciatica as it could worsen the situation.
- Pregnant ladies mustn’t carry out this pose as it could put stress on the stomach.
- If you’re experiencing ache in any key components of the physique, it’s advisable that you don’t observe the pose until the ache has lowered or utterly gone.
- In case of ligament or smooth tissue damage or muscle tear within the thighs, keep away from the pose until you might have absolutely recovered.
- Come out of the pose instantly in the event you really feel any type of discomfort.
Cow Face Pose Variations
On this variation, you can be bending just one leg whereas maintaining the opposite leg stretched in entrance of you. Begin with bending the fitting leg and inserting the decrease proper on high of the left thigh. The suitable foot can be near the left hip. If you’re a newbie, begin by working towards this pose to regularly improve mobility and suppleness.
This pose requires you to solely observe the leg a part of the cow face pose. Your arms can be positioned on the ft to maintain your higher physique straight. It is a nice pose to observe when you do not need to interact your arms as a result of any purpose but need to strengthen your hips and legs.
From the above pose, twist your complete higher physique within the course of the leg that has been stored on high. For instance, in case your proper leg has been stored on high, you’ll twist in direction of the fitting. Deliver your left arm in direction of the fitting and place the hand outdoors the fitting knee. The suitable arm can be stored in direction of the again with palms on the bottom. The twisting will strengthen your backbone and again muscle tissue and provides extra stretch to the thighs and hips.
As an alternative of holding your arms on the again, maintain them in entrance of your chest. Put the fitting arm beneath the left arm to make a cross. Bend the elbows and be a part of the palms. If not, maintain the right-hand wrist along with your left hand. The positioning of the arms on this manner will strengthen your shoulders and stretch the higher again muscle tissue.
That is an especially troublesome and superior pose the place after sustaining the cow face pose for just a few breaths you possibly can slowly bend ahead. This can assist you to expertise a deeper stretch within the hips, decrease again, and triceps. It ought to solely be carried out when you might have attained ample energy within the backbone and again muscle tissue. The ahead bend can be carried out within the shoelace and half cow face pose.
Comply with-up Pose
Advantages of Cow Face Pose(Gomukhasana)
Whereas the pose could look intense, the advantages you acquire from working towards it should not that complicated to grasp. It not solely helps in relieving stress and stiffness from the assorted joints but additionally aids in sustaining and correcting your posture. The cow face pose may also enhance your digestive system and blood circulation.
Under are some advantages of working towards the cow face pose.
- The backward positioning of the arms broadens the chest thus rising the area for the lungs to develop freely and enhancing its capability.
- Cow face place stretches the muscle tissue within the ankles, knees, chest, and shoulders, strengthening them in addition to enhancing normal physique posture.
- Virtually all physique joints are getting used all through the asana, which boosts blood move and ensures the physique receives extra blood and diet.
- Common observe of the pose reduces harm to the ankles, chest, again, and shoulder in the long term.
- Practising this mudra stimulates the kidneys which additional helps in flushing out toxins by the improved frequency of urination.
- Bettering kidney operate additionally helps stop kidney ailments akin to kind 2 diabetes, kidney stones, and many others.
- It’s a helpful pose for athletes as it’s going to stretch and strengthen the hamstrings, quads, calves, ankles, knees, and hips by enhancing blood circulation to the muscle tissue of those physique areas.
- It retains the decrease half organs wholesome and cures sexual illnesses.
- It will probably stop sciatica by stretching and lengthening the backbone, particularly the decrease backbone.
- Deep belly stretching additionally burns extra fats within the stomach space whereas firming your complete physique.
- Diaphragmic respiration will increase blood circulation within the chest and retains allergic reactions and illnesses at bay.
- By lengthening the backbone, this pose permits for a wholesome move of prana and blood to the mind. This additional promotes a relaxed and relaxed thoughts by lowering worry, stress, and anxiousness.
Conclusion
The Cow Face Pose is an important pose for hip opening. Your physique will overcome the damaging results of stress, worry, and anxiousness in the event you sit on this pose for a number of minutes whereas focusing in your breath and releasing these deep muscle tissue.
Due to the robust emphasis on backbone carry, it’s going to additionally improve your posture. It efficiently nourishes your physique, can increase your bodily and emotional well-being and may enhance your temper, and produce in additional optimism.
