Gomukasana
Koeienkop Houding | Cow Face Pose
Opens chest, hips & shoulders
Stretches the ankles, thighs & triceps
Improves attitude
Contra-indications:
Shoulder injuries
GETTING INTO THE POSE
From dandasana cross the left leg over the right so that the knees are stacked on top of each other, bring the feet in until the form a straight line parallel with the front of your mat. If this is too difficult you can hug the feet closer to the body.
Make sure both sitting bones push into the mat, straighten the back and bring the crown up to the ceiling.
Bring the left hand between the shoulder blades, the back of the hand makes contact with the back.
Inhale: Raise the right hand and reach up to make length in the sidebody.
Exhale: bend the right elbow and grab hold of your other hand. If you can't reach it, you can use a belt.
The right elbow reaches straight up, the left elbow down.
Keep the back straight.
Shoulders away from ears.
Gaze forward.
BREATH
Inhale: make length between the left and right elbow & the crown and the sitting bones.
- Or -
Breathe towards the lower abdomen to make space in the hips and relax the pelvic floor muscles.
GETTING OUT OF THE POSE
Exhale: Release the hands, straighten the knees and return to dandasana and repeat on the other side.
PREPARATORY POSES
Dandasana | staff pose
Baddha konasana | bound angle pose
Supta baddha konasana | reclined bound angle pose
SUBSEQUENT POSES
Garudasana | Eagle pose
REPLACEMENT POSES
Use a strap when you can't bind the hands
Sit on top of a block to releave the hips