Upside down dog pose and cobra pose in yoga look very similar at first glance, however, each pose will use a separate technique that if confused will easily encounter side effects.
Are you confused between the face up dog pose and the cobra pose in yoga? The two poses look so similar but why are they named differently? You are not the only one with these questions. Although they look similar, in fact, these two poses use different techniques, if you look closely and practice regularly, you can notice that these two poses have a huge difference.
Upward facing dog and cobra pose: How are they the same?
Cobra pose and face up dog pose are both backbend movements that work to soften the spine and circulate energy from the bottom of the spine upwards. Both poses are performed in a prone position, with both hands, the tops of the feet facing the mat with the participation of the leg muscles and buttocks.
During the exercise, the general rule of backbend poses is not to completely bend the waist. You need to open your shoulders and stretch your back to avoid compressing the spine, causing pain.
How to do the face up dog pose and the cobra pose in yoga
In terms of benefits, the cobra pose will be great for people with hernias and back problems, while the face-up dog pose will work for the back to become supple and durable.
To do the cobra pose, you will:
- Lie face down on the mat, arms down, legs closed
- Move your hands forward, palms on the floor
- Lift yourself up with your hands, inhale, and raise your head. Hands bent at elbows
- Tilt your neck slightly back to form a cobra pose. Shoulder expansion.
- Squeeze your abs, thighs, and feet to the floor
- Hold the pose for 15-30 seconds with normal breathing.
In the face-up dog position, you will:
- Lie on your stomach on the mat, insteps facing the floor, hands down by your side
- Gently bend the elbow. Place your palm next to your ribs.
- Inhale, press your palms to the floor, and gently lift your upper body off the mat. Body weight should be on the tips of the feet and hands Eyes looking forward, may tilt head slightly back
- Wrists are straight with shoulders, neck is not stretched too tight
- Hold the pose for about 30 seconds, then slowly exhale and relax.
The difference between the cobra move and the face up dog move
In the cobra pose, the tops of the feet, knees, thighs, pelvis, and hands are all on the mat. Meanwhile, in the face-up dog pose, simply press the tops of your feet and hands into the mat to lift your knees, thighs, and hips. In addition, in the face-up dog pose, you need to keep your head straight, your eyes looking straight, while in the cobra pose you will raise your face and eyes up.
In terms of hand and wrist placement, in the cobra pose, the hands are placed in front of the body to form a diagonal line from the wrists to the shoulders. Arms can be folded or kept straight for a deeper fall. The hands and arms will help lift the upper body off the mat and bear most of the weight (much less weight than in the face-up dog pose).
In the face-up dog pose, the hands will be placed directly under the shoulders, creating a straight line from the wrist to the shoulder. This will create stability because the body now has to bear more weight because it has to lift both the upper and lower body (except the feet).
How much spinal stretch is needed in each position? In the cobra pose, the pelvis rests on the mat, so the part that determines how much the spine will stretch will be the hands. You can fall to varying degrees depending on your ability, so this position is considered safe for most people.
Meanwhile, the face-up dog pose is a “difficult” reclining position, so this is not a good choice for beginners. Because the arms are placed straight, the spine will be stretched a lot, in addition, because the body is fully lifted off the mat, the lower back has to bear more load, the shoulders, arms, wrists and hands need to be lifted. more power to lift the body.
The above are the basic differences between the face-up dog pose and the cobra pose, the choice of which posture to practice will be entirely up to you. In the Sun Salutation exercise, you can use the cobra pose as an alternative to the face up pose. However, whether you choose the cobra pose or the face-up dog pose, you need to be safe, be aware of your limits and move slowly into each pose. And don’t forget, download easyhealthylive.com to your device, connect with our professional yoga teacher for instructions on how to practice these 2 poses correctly.
Reference source
What is the Difference Between Cobra Pose and Upward Facing Dog Pose / Bhujangasana and Urdhva Mukha Svanasana? https://www.yogaalignmentguide.com/blog/cobra-vs-upward-facing-dog Access date: 7/10/2020
John Alen was born in 1971 and is a doctor in the healthcare and psychology fields with many years of experience. He is currently working at easyhealthylive.com, a leading health and psychology blog. Having studied at Y1 National Medical University named after IM Sechenov, John Alen is using his knowledge and experience to help improve the physical and mental health of people in the United States.