How to do the Cow Face Pose

The Cow Face pose is close the look of a cow face. Look it carefully, the legs you crossed resembles the lips, while the elbows you bent, where one is up and the other is down, look like the ears.

POSE INFORMATION

GENERAL INFO

Name in Sanskrit: Gomukhasana

Difficulty: Medium

POSE BENEFITS

The pose will stretch the hips and the thighs, the shoulders, the chest, the armpits , the ankles and the triceps

POSE CAUTIONS

Those who have serious injuries of the neck or shoulder should avoid the pose. 

HOW TO PRACTICE THIS ASANA

ONE

While sitting in the staff pose also known as the Dandasana, bend the knees and palce the feet over the floor. Then slide the left foot below your right knee, this is to the area outside of your right hip.

Extend the right leg over the left, placing your knee over the surface of your left. Now place your right foot to the area outside of your left hip.

Attempt to move the heels to an equal distant from your hips: still, your right leg should be over the top which you need to place your right heel nearer to your right hip. Sit perfectly over your sitting bones.

TWO

Breathe out and stretch the right arm to be staring and out towards the right side, and parallel against the floor. Roll the arm inward. Your thumbs will face the floor at first and it would point to the wall at your back, while the palm will face the ceiling. Because of this movement, your right shoulder would roll up a bit and to the front. And around the upper part of your back.

Now do a complete breathing out, move the arm to the back of your body and put the forearm to go into the hollow space of the lower back in a position which is parallel to the waist.

While you at it, ensure your right over the side of the right torso. Now rotate your should backwards and downwards, and work your forearm upward till it is parallel to the spine. 

Notice at this stage that the backside of your hand is between the two scapulas. Notice also how the right elbow is positioned and ensure that it stays over your right torso.

THREE

It’s time to breathe out and stretch and straighten the left arm forward, in a position that is pointing opposite the wall, parallel to the floor. Now face your palm to the ceiling and while breathing out, stretch and straighten the arm to the ceiling.

Your palm should turn back. Actively carry the left arm, and while breathing out, fold the elbow and try to touch the right hand. Try to hook your left and right fingers, if possible.

FOUR

Push your left elbow to the ceiling. Then, beginning at your back armpit, lower your right elbow to the floor.

Press the scapulas over the back ribs and push your chest. If possible, place your left arm straight beside your left side of the head.

FIVE

One minute is the minimum duration to stay in the pose. Then release your arms. And uncross the two legs.

Do the same over again with your legs and arms turn up for the same period of time. Please ensure the leg which is at the top has the arm of the same side to be lower.

How to do the Cow Face Pose (Gomukhasana)

BEGINNERS TIP

The first headache for beginners is tow to get the two sitting bones to sit evenly over the floor. This then makes it difficult for your knees to become stack over the other evenly.

Tilting the pelvis, the spine will not be properly extendable. Instead, with the aid of a blanket, folded, or a bolster, you will be able to carry up the sitting bones from the floor and brace them equally. 

MODIFICATIONS & PROPS

This pose is classified as notoriously difficult for those who have tight shoulders, because they won’t be able to hang fingers together. To correct this situation, such person should grasp a strap within the two hands. Start this pose using a strap and draping the strap on the shoulder of your bottom arm.

Remember in the second step above, your bottom arm is swung behind your back. Now move the forearm up over the back body as far as possible, (the elbow should be kept close to the side), and hold end of the strap at the bottom.

Remember in step 3, extend the second arm overhead. Now reach the back of the second end of the piece of strap. Draw it using the top of the arm. Try to draw the bottom arm up over the back if possible.

This will work the hand to come nearer to each other. Finally, clasp them together. You should know that clasping the hand might be possible on a side while impossible on the other.

PARTNERING

With a partner, you can increase the extension of the stretch of the back of the arm at the top. Let the person stand behind while you do the pose. For this example, allow your left arm to be high).

VARIATIONS

The person will carry her left hand over your back of the upper part of the left arm. Slowly, draw it backward and upward, while the person pushes his right hand to the front over the left scapulas.

Continue from the complete pose. Bend forward and press the front body downward over the top inner thigh. Wait for about 20 seconds in this pose before you inhale and come over.