About Yoga

Bhujangasana is performed usually in conjunction with shalabhasana. These two, together with padmasana, Makarasana and Dhanurasana are effective for the general health of the spine and the back.
Bhujanga means cobra, a hooded snake. The asana derives its name from him.

Benefits
• Physical:
•	Keeps the spine supple and healthy, helps in slipped disc, backache, sciatica, and lumbago.
•	Due to chest expansion, respiratory capacity increases. Useful in asthma and bronchitis.
•	Helps reduce abdominal fat. Helps proper circulation of blood to the pelvic region and keeps it healthy.
•	This asana tones up the ovaries and uterus and also helps in menstrual and other gynecological disorders.
•	Stimulates appetite and relieves constipation. Beneficial for abdominal organs like liver or kidneys. Adrenal glands above the kidneys also get massaged and work more effectively.
• Mental:
•	Improves freshness and alertness, elevates mood and improves body-mind co-ordination.
• Pranic:
•	It has a strong effect on all organs related to swadisthan, manipura, anaata and vishuddhi chakras.

Techniques:
Physical
1. Take prone lying position, with legs together, chin touching the ground and the sole facing up. Stretch the hands straight forward along the side of the head, resting the palms on the ground.
2. Fold hands at the elbow and place palms on the ground at the level of the last rib.
3. Inhale and raise the chin. Turn the head as backward as possible. Raise the thorax bending the spine back up to naval.
4. Keep the body below the naval straight in touch with the ground by stretching both the legs down.
5. Beware of using back muscles first while lifting the trunk up. Then use the arm muscles to raise the trunk further and arch the back.
6. The arms may or may not be straight, depending on the flexibility of the back.
7. Maintain the posture for some time with natural breathing.
8. Slowly, bring your body on the ground beginning from the part above the naval region, the thorax, shoulder and chin. Lastly, place the forehead on the ground.
9. Remember that the fingers must remain together. Do not jerk to raise your body. The body below the naval region must not be raised. Put minimum weight on the hands. While returning to the initial position, some persons bend their head first. This should be avoided. Relax muscles of the lower back after releasing the asana.