Pose guide
How to improve your Cobra Pose
Hips and thighs on the mat, elbows soft, chest lifting from your upper back with your neck long. Here’s the rubric Posewise measures it against, and what to train when you miss.
The rubric
Posewise checks five things from the side. Here’s what good looks like.
- ElbowsSoftly bent, hugging your sidesUnder 172°shoulder · elbow · wrist
- BackChest lifted only as high as your back holds it, hips down130–178°shoulder · hip · knee
- HipsHips and thighs on the matGroundedhip vs shoulder–ankle line
- NeckLong, continuing the curve of your spine145–185°hip · shoulder · ear
- WristsHands under your shoulders, weight across the whole palm80–168°wrist bend
What’s holding it back
Free up your upper back, and the backbend will lift through your chest, with your neck long.
With your hips down, lifting higher than your upper back can bend sends the rest into your low back, and the chin juts up to make up the difference.
Upper-back extensions8–10 reps
Chin tucks10 slow reps
Lead with your chest, not your chin.
Free up your pelvis and low back, and your hips will stay grounded as your chest lifts.
Hips lifting usually means pushing too hard through the hands. Pelvic control lets you anchor them and lift with your back instead.
Pelvic tilts10 slow reps
Core bracing10 reps
Let your hips melt down toward the mat.
And two cues: keep a soft bend in your elbows, hugged to your sides, and spread your fingers so your whole palm takes the weight.
Not sure which one is yours?
Posewise watches your Cobra Pose through your iPhone camera, tells you which of these is holding you back, and builds a six-minute daily plan to fix it. Video never leaves your phone.
Join the betaFree during the beta · iPhone
Quick answers
Should my hips lift off the floor?
No. Your hips, thighs and the tops of your feet stay on the mat. If your hips lift, you’re moving toward Upward Dog; lower your chest a little.
Should my arms be straight?
No. Keep a soft bend with your elbows hugging your sides, and lift only as high as your back allows. Pushing up with your arms just sends the bend into your low back.
Why does my lower back hurt?
Usually you’re lifting too high, so the bend piles into the low back. Come down lower, press the tops of your feet into the mat, and draw your chest forward and up.
What’s the difference between Cobra and Upward Dog?
In Cobra your hips and thighs stay on the floor and your elbows stay bent. In Upward Dog your arms straighten and your thighs lift off the mat.
How can I check my Cobra Pose form at home?
Film yourself from the side. Or use Posewise, an iPhone app that measures your Cobra Pose with the camera, speaks corrections as you hold it, and builds a six-minute daily plan for what it finds.