The Cow Face Pose, often called Gomukhasana in Sanskrit, is an intermediate-level seated pose that deeply stretches the muscular tissues of the arms, legs, and again whereas additionally decreasing stiffness within the shoulders and hips.

The place will get its title 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 comparable 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 stability and coordination with its posture. It’s a improbable pose for anybody who sits for lengthy durations of time at work because it opens your hips and chest, which helps to offset the hunch 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 keep in mind for performing it completely as properly 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 best decrease leg over the left thigh, putting it exterior the left hip.
• Equally, bend your left knee, bringing the left foot exterior the best hip and underneath the best thigh.
• Use your fingers 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.
• Lengthen your arms out to the edges in a straight line.
• Internally rotate your shoulders and convey the best arm towards the again.
• Place the best hand between the shoulder blades with palms going through outward.
• Lengthen the left arm overhead and bend the elbow to convey the forearm down, putting your fingers 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 goal 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 Bear 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.
• When you battle to convey 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 keep up 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 fingers, regularly decreasing the gap till you possibly can hook your fingers.
• To attain stability 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 turn into extra comfy.

Precautions and Contraindications

• The cow face pose is a fancy pose regarding the positioning of the legs and arms. Thus, it is best to first study this pose underneath the steerage of an skilled yoga instructor 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 observe the leg place you probably have sciatica as it might worsen the situation.
• Pregnant ladies shouldn’t carry out this pose as it might put stress on the stomach.
• If you’re experiencing ache in any key elements of the physique, it’s advisable that you don’t observe the pose until the ache has decreased or utterly gone.
• In case of ligament or smooth tissue harm or muscle tear within the thighs, keep away from the pose until you’ve gotten absolutely recovered.
• Come out of the pose instantly in case you really feel any type of discomfort.

Cow Face Pose Variations

On this variation, you can be bending just one leg whereas preserving the opposite leg stretched in entrance of you. Begin with bending the best leg and putting the decrease proper on high of the left thigh. The suitable foot will probably be near the left hip. If you’re a newbie, begin by practising 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 fingers will probably be positioned on the ft to maintain your higher physique straight. This can be a nice pose to observe when you do not need to have interaction your arms attributable to any motive 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 high. For instance, in case your proper leg has been saved on high, you’ll twist in direction of the best. Convey your left arm in direction of the best and place the hand exterior the best knee. The suitable arm will probably be saved in direction of the again with palms on the bottom. The twisting will strengthen your backbone and again muscular tissues and provides extra stretch to the thighs and hips.

As a substitute of holding your arms on the again, hold them in entrance of your chest. Put the best arm underneath the left arm to make a cross. Bend the elbows and be part of the palms. If not, maintain the right-hand wrist together with your left hand. The positioning of the arms on this means will strengthen your shoulders and stretch the higher again muscular tissues.

That is a particularly tough and superior pose the place after sustaining the cow face pose for a couple of breaths you possibly can slowly bend ahead. This may 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 adequate power within the backbone and again muscular tissues. The ahead bend can be achieved within the shoelace and half cow face pose.

Observe-up Pose

Advantages of Cow Face Pose(Gomukhasana)

Whereas the pose might look intense, the advantages you acquire from practising it will not be that advanced 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 will even enhance your digestive system and blood circulation.

Under are some advantages of practising the cow face pose.

• The backward positioning of the arms broadens the chest thus rising the area for the lungs to develop freely and bettering its capability.
• Cow face place stretches the muscular tissues within the ankles, knees, chest, and shoulders, strengthening them in addition to bettering common physique posture.
• Virtually all physique joints are getting used all through the asana, which reinforces blood circulation and ensures the physique receives extra blood and diet.
• Common observe of the pose reduces injury to the ankles, chest, again, and shoulder in the long term.
• Working towards 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 illnesses comparable to kind 2 diabetes, kidney stones, and many others.
• It’s a useful pose for athletes as it can stretch and strengthen the hamstrings, quads, calves, ankles, knees, and hips by bettering blood circulation to the muscular tissues of those physique areas.
• It retains the decrease half organs wholesome and cures sexual illnesses.
• It may well forestall 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 entire physique.
• Diaphragmic respiration 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 concern, stress, and nervousness.

Conclusion

The Cow Face Pose is an important pose for hip opening. Your physique will overcome the detrimental results of stress, concern, and nervousness in case you sit on this pose for a number of minutes whereas focusing in your breath and releasing these deep muscular tissues. 

Due to the robust emphasis on backbone raise, 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 convey in additional optimism.