Snake Pose

Sarpāsana

Read what the gnome says

Snake Pose! Lie on your belly, hands under the shoulders. Inhale and lift the chest, using the back muscles first. Legs stay long and glutes firm. Don't dump into the lower back. Breathe, then lower softly. Slither along, gnome.

Works on Spinal erectors · Glutes

How to do it

1. Lie face down, legs together, and clasp the hands behind the back.
2. Inhale and lift the head and chest, drawing the shoulder blades together.
3. Reach the hands back toward the feet, keep the neck long and hold; lower slowly.

Common mistakes

• Don’t crank the neck.
• Don’t force the shoulders: unclasp the hands if they pinch.
• Don’t clench the glutes.

Benefits

• Opens the chest, front of the hips and shoulders.
• Strengthens the muscles along the back.
• Counters long hours of sitting and rounding forward.

Take care: Go easy or skip if you have lower-back, neck or wrist pain, or are pregnant. Stay in the comfortable range and never force depth.

Suggest a correction

Not medical advice. Ease off if anything feels sharp or wrong.

Similar poses Backbend

• Baby Cobra with Hands LiftedBeginner
• Bridge PoseBeginner
• Camel Pose with BlocksBeginner
• Cobra PoseBeginner
• Fish PoseBeginner
• Half CamelBeginner