The Cow Face Pose, often known as Gomukhasana in Sanskrit, is an intermediate-level seated pose that deeply stretches the muscle groups of the arms, legs, and again whereas additionally decreasing 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 fashioned 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 implausible pose for anybody who sits for lengthy intervals of time at work because it opens your hips and chest, which helps to offset the stoop that many individuals can develop after sitting.
Within the forthcoming sections, we are going to see the steps for performing this pose together with its variations, tricks to bear in mind for performing it completely as nicely its advantages.
Follow Information for Cow Face Pose
Preparatory Pose
Steps to Carry out Cow Face Pose(Gomukhasana)
- Begin in Dandasana (workers pose) in your yoga mat.
- Bend your proper knee and cross the proper decrease leg over the left thigh, putting it exterior the left hip.
- Equally, bend your left knee, bringing the left foot exterior the proper hip and underneath the proper thigh.
- Use your palms to align your toes and knees, guaranteeing they’re practically stacked on prime of one another.
- Preserve a straight again by grounding your sitting bones.
- Lengthen your arms out to the perimeters in a straight line.
- Internally rotate your shoulders and produce the proper arm towards the again.
- Place the proper hand between the shoulder blades with palms going through outward.
- Lengthen the left arm overhead and bend the elbow to deliver the forearm down, putting your palms close to the again of the neck with palms going through inwards.
- Interlock your fingers if potential; in any other case, preserve this hand place or intention to the touch your fingertips.
- Forestall 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 other limbs.
Tricks to Keep in mind
- Guarantee correct warm-up earlier than making an attempt Cow Face Pose to organize 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.
- If you happen to wrestle 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 underneath your sitting bone to take care of a straight backbone and correct hip alignment.
- When you have stiff shoulders, think about using a yoga strap, belt, or a small towel to bridge the hole between your palms, regularly decreasing the space till you possibly can hook your fingers.
- To realize steadiness in your seated posture, place the highest foot as near the hip as potential whereas preserving the underside foot away from the physique.
- Start by holding the pose for 30 seconds and progressively improve the period as you change into extra snug.
Precautions and Contraindications
- The cow face pose is a fancy pose regarding the positioning of the legs and arms. Thus, you must first study this pose underneath the steerage of an professional yoga trainer earlier than making an attempt it by your self.
- Individuals with accidents to the knee, hips, thighs, shoulder, neck, and again ought to keep away from this pose.
- Don’t apply the leg place in case you have sciatica as it could worsen the situation.
- Pregnant ladies shouldn’t carry out this pose as it could put stress on the stomach.
- If you’re experiencing ache in any key elements of the physique, it’s advisable that you don’t apply the pose until the ache has diminished or fully gone.
- In case of ligament or gentle tissue damage or muscle tear within the thighs, keep away from the pose until you’ve gotten absolutely recovered.
- Come out of the pose instantly should you really feel any form of discomfort.
Cow Face Pose Variations
On this variation, you’ll be bending just one leg whereas preserving the opposite leg stretched in entrance of you. Begin with bending the proper leg and putting the decrease proper on prime of the left thigh. The precise foot shall 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 apply the leg a part of the cow face pose. Your palms shall be positioned on the toes to maintain your higher physique straight. It is a nice pose to apply when you do not need to have interaction your arms as a result of any cause but wish to strengthen your hips and legs.
From the above pose, twist your total higher physique within the path of the leg that has been saved on prime. For instance, in case your proper leg has been saved on prime, you’ll twist in direction of the proper. Carry your left arm in direction of the proper and place the hand exterior the proper knee. The precise arm shall be saved in direction of the again with palms on the bottom. The twisting will strengthen your backbone and again muscle groups and provides extra stretch to the thighs and hips.
As an alternative of holding your arms on the again, hold them in entrance of your chest. Put the proper arm underneath 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 means will strengthen your shoulders and stretch the higher again muscle groups.
That is an especially troublesome and superior pose the place after sustaining the cow face pose for a couple of breaths you possibly can slowly bend ahead. This can can help you expertise a deeper stretch within the hips, decrease again, and triceps. It ought to solely be carried out when you’ve gotten attained ample power within the backbone and again muscle groups. The ahead bend will also be accomplished 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 achieve from working towards it should not that complicated to grasp. It not solely helps in relieving stress and stiffness from the varied 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 growing the area for the lungs to develop freely and enhancing its capability.
- Cow face place stretches the muscle groups within the ankles, knees, chest, and shoulders, strengthening them in addition to enhancing normal physique posture.
- Nearly all physique joints are getting used all through the asana, which reinforces blood circulation and ensures the physique receives extra blood and diet.
- Common apply of the pose reduces harm to the ankles, chest, again, and shoulder in the long term.
- Training this mudra stimulates the kidneys which additional helps in flushing out toxins by means of the improved frequency of urination.
- Enhancing kidney perform additionally helps forestall kidney ailments akin to kind 2 diabetes, kidney stones, and many others.
- It’s a helpful pose for athletes as it can stretch and strengthen the hamstrings, quads, calves, ankles, knees, and hips by enhancing blood circulation to the muscle groups of those physique areas.
- It retains the decrease half organs wholesome and cures sexual illnesses.
- It could forestall sciatica by stretching and lengthening the backbone, particularly the decrease backbone.
- Deep stomach stretching additionally burns extra fats within the stomach space whereas firming all the physique.
- Diaphragmic respiratory will increase blood circulation within the chest and retains allergy symptoms and illnesses at bay.
- By lengthening the backbone, this pose permits for a wholesome circulation of prana and blood to the mind. This additional promotes a peaceful and relaxed thoughts by decreasing worry, stress, and nervousness.
Conclusion
The Cow Face Pose is a necessary pose for hip opening. Your physique will overcome the damaging results of stress, worry, and nervousness should you sit on this pose for a number of minutes whereas focusing in your breath and releasing these deep muscle groups.
Due to the robust emphasis on backbone carry, it can additionally improve your posture. It efficiently nourishes your physique, can enhance your bodily and emotional well-being and might enhance your temper, and produce in additional optimism.
