Unlock Your Shoulders Gomukhasana
I recall when my yoga instructor told us to go into Gomukhasana or Cow Face Pose. I glanced at the room, and there students were holding their hands behind their backs with no difficulty. It was quite a different case with my own effort. One of them was pointing to the sky, and the other one was lodged between my ribs, and my fingers were miles apart. My joints were tight and thus unstable, and I was sitting on my mat. Well, I was a mess, not a calm cow.
There was something about the pose that interested me. It was not a physical stretch, but a challenge to both my body and my mind. I vowed myself that I would know it. My experience with Gomukhasana during my journey changed not only my flexibility levels, but my whole attitude towards the process of coping with the stress and physical challenges. It is the attitude that made me understand the real definition of patience and persistence.
What is Gomukhasana, Really?
Go means cow translated as Sanskrit, and Mukha means face. Gomukhasana is therefore the cow face pose. The name may turn out to be odd at its very first look. But as you look at a cow, sitting calmly, chewing his cud, with a feeling of deep repose and satisfaction, the relationship will be evident. The posture is meant to represent that of calm stillness.
It is a sitting, asymmetrical position which gives a comprehensive stretch of many of the major parts of the body at the same time. It was my daily routine, a sort of checking my body and shutting the clamor in my mind.
Why Gomukhasana has become a Non-Negotiable Part of My Routine.
It is the advantages of this pose that made me revisit even on occasions that I did not feel like unrolling my mat. These rewards are immediate as well as cumulative.
H 2: The Physical Strength of Gomukhasana.
My body started changing in some observable ways. The greatest advantages that I had were:
Shoulder and Chest Opener: This is what helped me change the game. Being a person who spent hours sitting on a desk, my shoulders were always hunched. Gomukhasana actively inverts such a position, and works the deltoids, pectorals, and triceps. It made me look taller and breath deeper.
Flexibility of the hips: The unusual position of the legs stretches the outer hips, glutes and thigh (the abductors, adductors and rotators). This is an important release of the lower back particularly to those that sit all day.
Better Posture: The pose enhances an upright and aligned spine because it opens the front of the body and makes the back stronger. I also became sensitive to my back bend and was able to correct myself easily.
Spinal Awareness: The posture encourages a straight and long back, in which you learn to sit upright in a dignified manner.
H2: The Mental and Energetic Unlocking.
Gomukhasana provided me with deeper clarity of mind on the way beyond the physical.
Relaxes the Mind: To maintain the pose one needs to be attentive to the breath. This concentration action shuns me off worrying and into the moment. The emotion on release is that of profound psychological silence.
Stimulation of energy centres: Gomukhasana is believed in yoga philosophy to stimulate a number of energy centres. It is said to assist in relieving the stored up emotions and stress on hips and heart which was true in my case. I usually come out of the pose feeling much lighter as though I have shed some burden without even realizing that I was holding on to it.
My Step-by-Step Guide to Safer Gomukhasana.
Do not forget about my first struggle. Do not force this pose. Prop and do not hurry your body. Here is the sequence I follow.
H3: For the Legs and Hips
You should begin by sitting on the floor and have your legs in a straight position before you.
Bend the knees and slide the left foot under the right knee and lay it against the right hip. Your left foot will be on your right side.
Hold your right knee directly over your left knee, your right foot over the left hip. Now you are facing backward with your soles.
My Pro-Tip: When your hips are tight (as they were in my case), sit on a firm cushion or a folded blanket. This raises the hips and the position becomes significantly easier and comfortable. It was the one crucial change in my practice.
Straff, stretch your back. Breathe a little now, and your hips will be stretched.
H3: For the Arms and Shoulders
Breath in and reach your right arm all the way up to the ceiling.
Breath out and lift your right arm, and bring your right hand down the middle of your back. Your palm is to be placed in the direction of your body.
Let your left arm extend to the side and then cross your back moving behind you and bending the arm across the spine of your back so that the back of your hand touches your spine.
It is now the ambition to squeeze your fingers behind your back.
My Pro-Tip: When your fingers do not meet, then do not worry! This is extremely common. Use a yoga strap or even a belt. One end of it should be held in your top hand and the other one to be held by the bottom. With time, you will move your hands nearer.
The pose should be held with 5-10 deep breathing, experiencing the chest and hips expansion. Going through the same process, release softly and repeat on the other side, changing the position of the leg and the arm.
Managing overcoming pitfalls: my experience.
“My knees hurt.” This is one of the indicators that you have tight hips. Sit higher on more blankets. The arm position can be practiced as well when you are sitting in a simple cross-legged position (Sukhasana) or even a chair.
“I can’t clasp my hands.” Welcome to the club! The strap is your best friend. Do not think of the fastener, think of the length.
“My upper body rounds forward.” Bones that have been sitting should be pressed down-ward consciously and the top of the head raised up. Just envision the ability to make as much separation between the ribs and hips as possible.