SphinxSave PDF
Salamba Bhujangasana
SHAHL-ahm-bah bhoo-jahng-AH-sah-nah
Stretches back, opens chest
Stimulates abdominal organs, strengthens lungs
Relieves stress
How to perform Sphinx
- Lie on your stomach. Bring your feet hip distance wide, toes untucked. Align your elbows under your shoulders, forearms parallel and fingers spread wide.
- Peel your head and chest from the floor with an inhale. Release your shoulders down your back and press your chest forward. Gaze forward.
- Hold the pose and take slow, deep breaths.
- Lower with an exhale.
Alignment cues
- Feet hip distance wide
- Draw shoulders down
- Press chest forward
- Forearms parallel
Avoid this pose if you have acute back injury.
Discover our best-selling Yoga Cards – professional study, class sequencing and practice guide for beginners and beyond.
Studying to be a yoga teacher? Learn the essential yoga poses the easy way with Yoga Stacks app!
New to yoga? Our Yoga for Beginners pack covers everything you need to know to get started with your practice.
Personal trainer? Try Train - our beautifully simple training platform you and your clients will love.
More yoga poses to discover
Sphinx (Salamba Bhujangasana in Sanskrit) is a beginner yoga pose that belongs to the back bends category. This asana targets lower back, middle back / lats, shoulders and spine, and also involves abs and chest muscles. Sphinx stimulates abdominal organs, strengthens lungs; stretches back, opens chest and also relieves stress. Refer to the illustration and instructions above for how to perform this posture correctly. Discover more yoga asanas and yogic breathing exercises in our free yoga pose directory – a visual resource for yoga teacher training students as well as practitioners of all levels. Finally, shop our best-selling Yoga Cards products!
Exercise illustration licensing: Our exercise and yoga pose illustrations (static and animated) are selectively available for licensing for commercial and non-commercial projects. Visit our exercise illustrations licensing page for detailed information and to submit in inquiry.
©
Our exercise illustrations represent original artwork registered with and protected by the U.S. Copyright Office. Unauthorized use violators will be prosecuted. More details.
Discover our best-selling Yoga Cards – professional study, class sequencing and practice guide for beginners and beyond.
Studying to be a yoga teacher? Learn the essential yoga poses the easy way with Yoga Stacks app!
New to yoga? Our Yoga for Beginners pack covers everything you need to know to get started with your practice.
Personal trainer? Try Train - our beautifully simple training platform you and your clients will love.
