Sphinx Pose

Salamba Bhujangasana

Sphinx pose is a beginner-friendly and powerful heart-opener and backbend. This simple, yet powerful posture, can help heal lower back pain, open the shoulders and neck, and improve the area around the lungs and boost respiratory health.

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Step By Step

Start laying down on your stomach
Take the tops of your feet down onto the mat
Place your forearms on your mat with your elbows directly below your shoulders, and fingers straight in front of the arms
Press your toes and tailbone into your mat to stabilize your lower back
Lift up through your chest
Keep a slight tuck in your chin and lengthen upwards through the top of your head
Breath deeply into the front of your chest for at least 3 breaths
To release, take your arms forward and lower your head down slowly.

Benefits

Opens the chest
Stretches the shoulders and neck
Helps alleviate low back pain
Improves respiratory health and breathing

Contraindications

Low back pain
Shoulder injuries

Modifications

Separate feet hip-width distance, instead of toes touching for lower back pain
Place a blanket under your sacrum for lower back support
Lay with hands on top of each other and forehead laying on top of the back of the hands for a gentler backbend
Let your head fall forward for a different neck stretch

Chakras

Sphinx pose opens the Heart Chakra, Anahata. This posture opens the front side of the Heart Chakra, the area associated with giving and receiving love. Opening the front of the heart, counteracts a closed and hunched forward heart space, bringing this energy center to optimal balance.