Cobra pose

Cobra Pose, Bhujangasana Bhujanga means cobra or serpent, and the chest rises the way a cobra lifts its hood. The legs and hips stay heavy on the mat, the elbows stay bent and close to the ribs, and the lift comes from the back rather than from pushing hard through the arms, as in this photo. It strengthens the back and opens the chest after time spent hunched at a desk. Keep it low at first: lift only as far as you can with the hands barely pressing, and keep the back of the neck long.