Pose Breakdown: Cow Face Pose

Need to reset your pasture posture ? Cow Face Pose (Gomukhasana) provides some much-needed stretch throughout your body, loosening up your back, hips, chest, and shoulders. Try it after prepping with a dramatic hip-opener like Pigeon or as a deepening pose after Folded Butterfly. Afterwards, relax into a feel-good supine twist like Twisted Roots or counter with an opening backbend like Bridge.

This free step-by-step tutorial with Alo Moves instructor Briohny Smyth will teach you the proper alignment and technique to help you safely move into Cow Face Pose.

Benefits of Cow Face Pose

• Loosens up your shoulders

• Opens your chest and hips

• Alleviates back pain

• Stimulates kidney function

• Improves posture

How to do Cow Face Pose

1.

Starting in a cross-legged seated position, bring the heel of your bottom leg to the outside of your opposite hip. Use your hand to pull your other heel in so you can stack your knees (it’s OK if they don’t completely stack).

2.

Make sure both glutes are on the ground and sit up tall.

3.

Reach one arm up and tap the middle of your shoulder blades as you bend at your elbow.

4.

Take your free arm out to the side, turn your thumb down to internally rotate your arm, and bring that hand behind you to hook your fingers. If you are unable to hook your fingers, you may use a strap or a towel to connect your hands or just rest your hands in place.

5.

Lift your chest up high while drawing your back elbow down and your top elbow up.

6.

Take it deeper into the hips by folding down over
your legs.

Need to unwind? Deepen your home yoga practice with a 14-day free trial to Alo Moves.