This pose generally targets the uterus of your body, helping you to tone it and helps you to expand our spine, chest, lungs, shoulders and abdomen. This pose is of great competence since not only make your buttocks compact but also energize the organs of your abdomen.
This one pose has great ability to relieve your stress, increase body heat and destroy diseases.
Precautionary Measures: This pose might cause Back injury and even head ache if not done properly, so it is necessary to do it either under supervision or once you have excelled in the other entire prerequisite poses sphinx pose. For amateurs, it is usually advised to use a towel in order to aid them and help them do this pose with ease and without any risks of a physical injury.
Step One: Lay down on the floor such that your belly is flat touching the ground, your legs joined together side by side. Make your tailbone inflexible towards your pubis. Now move your thighs inwards so that your outer thighs are rolled outwards towards the floor.
Step Two: Touch the wall behind you with your toes and also try to increase your tailbone in length towards heals, to protect your lower back. Your buttocks should remain compact without being constricted. Make sure that your eyes, mouth and brain should be buttoned up while the legs do the entire job.
Step Three: Put your elbows below your shoulders and extend your forearms in the forward direction such that they rest parallel to the floor in line with each other. Relax and inhale, and move your upper body head up, and try doing a mild backbend so that you head is away from your body.
Step Four: Now comes the most important step of the sphinx pose which would build a strong foundation thus focusing on your lower belly, the area under your navel and above your pubic bone. Move your belly slightly away from the floor such that it creates an arch between the floor and your lower back. Try not to make yourself stiff and rigorous, making your movements very deep and delicate. Moving your lower belly upwards like this helps you to distribute your weight evenly along the length of the spine, thus comforting your lower back and stimulating your upper back.
Step Five: Remain in this posture while breathing almost ten times, and then finally release your breath and then move your belly and the entire body towards the ground. Move your head to either left or right lay down like that for a moment or two extending your back with each inhale while releasing your tension with each exhale. Repeat these steps once or twice as per your wish and stamina.
Benefits:
Sphinx pose is a gentle backbend with many benefits:
- It stretches and lengthens the spine.
- It helps stretching the chest, lungs, shoulders and abdomen.
- It firms the buttocks.
- It helps relieves stress.
- It calms your mind.
Cautions:
- Do not try this if you have a bad back or tight sacrum.
- If you feel any sharp pains while doing the yoga, stop right there!
- Avoid pressing the belly into the floor if you’re pregnant.
- Try to avoid Sphinx Pose if you have a headache till you feel better.
- Do not try Sphinx Pose with fractured ribs or wrists or if you have recently underwent abdominal surgery.
Modifications:
- Place a blanket under your elbows or arms to help elevate the chest and deepen the posture.
- If your head gets too heavy for your neck, try resting your head in your hands or your chin on your fists. Turn your gaze to the floor for a neck release and stretch.
