New Moon Yoga – Sphinx Pose

Sphinx Pose

For this new moon pose we are going to move onto our bellies and look at Sphinx pose, or Salamba Bhujangasana in Sanskrit. 

Sphinx is a pose which very grounding, as we are physically very connected with the earth beneath us, but at the same time we are given the opportunity to look forward to see our direction forward, helping us to use the more introspective time of the new moon to look ahead to what comes next. We feel supported, but still need to put some effort in to reap the benefits of the pose.

Physically, this pose provides a relatively gentle back bend, and opens the chest. It stretches the front of the body, including the chest muscles, and strengthens the back muscles, helping to improve posture. Back flexibility is promoted, as well as hip flexibility as the hip flexor muscles are stretched. It also works on the arms, strengthening muscles in the shoulders,

 Sphinx Pose

How to find Sphinx pose

To find Sphinx pose, lie on the front, or prone as it can be referred to, legs straight out along the floor. Carefully bring your elbows directly under the shoulders, allowing the forearms to align straight forward and the hands to be palm down, fingers spread really wide, middle finger facing forward. From this base position, on an inhale, push down through the elbows as you draw the chest forwards and upwards, lifting the head and chest off the ground. Actively spread the hands and almost feel as if you are drawing the forearms in towards you. Draw the shoulders down and back, away from the ears, engaging the muscles between your shoulder blades. Keep pushing down through the upper arms, lifting out of the shoulders, and feeling like the sternum (breastbone) is leading you forward and upward. The front of the pelvis and the pubic bone stay on the ground, the lift coming from the upper body. Be careful not to lift the chin too much – keep the neck in line with the rest of the spine, and draw the chin in a bit towards the back of the neck. Hold the pose here for a few breaths.

Pic of Sphinx pose from yoga print 

Other options

Being a prone pose, this may be more accessible for some, and less for others, so, as ever, there are options to help you find your unique version of the pose. Padding under the elbows or forearms may help, especially if you have bony elbows, like me! If you find the lower back feels uncomfortable you can use a folded blanket under the pelvis to tilt it slightly and reduce any lower back arch. If this pose feels a little challenging on the back or arms then you could help support the body with a blanket, cushion or bolster under the upper belly/lower rib cage. 

Chair-based variation of Sphinx pose with bolster

If you are taking this pose from a sitting position, make sure the heels are under the knees, feet hip-width apart, and lift up through the back. You can take the chair version with or without a bolster under the forearms, placing forearms on the support, or on the thighs or even on a second chair in front of you. 

There is also the option to take pose variations standing up. This could be by taking the pose against a wall with the feet close to the base of the wall (you can lift the heels and come up onto your toes to find the spine extension) and the forearms flat on the wall, hands pointing up to the ceiling, or it could be a free-standing version, by taking both palms round to the lower back, fingers down towards the buttocks, drawing the shoulders down and back, and lifting the chest and heart upwards. 

How to breathe in the pose

Paying attention to the breath in Sphinx pose helps us move into the pose appropriately. As we lift up and forward into the pose, breathe in, feeling the chest opening and lifting the upper body. In the pose you can take several full breaths, and on each inhale think about lifting up and forwards, pushing through the elbows, whilst on the exhales draw the shoulders down and back.

Moving on

The simplest way to come out of the pose is to move the elbows out to the sides and allow the chest and head to come down to the earth again, breathing out fully as you do so. It may be, though, that you are moving into a more active pose from here, for example into Downward Facing Dog. In that case, you will need to keep the elbows tucked into the sides as you lower the upper body, maybe moving the hands back toward the shoulders a little. Then hinge at the hips, tuck the toes under, bend the knees and push back with the palms flat, sending the hips back and away towards the sky. Don’t forget you can move your hands and feet into the right alignment for your body, as you lengthen the back and ease the chest back into Downward Facing Dog. From here, it’s up to you where you go to next 😊

There are several different poses which can be developed from the basis of Sphinx pose. We can involve more activation of the arms by taking Cobra pose, with the hips still firmly on the floor but the hands a little further back and the elbows bent. We could walk the hands further away and out to the corners a bit, and then straighten the arms into Seal pose. Or we could look at taking Upward Facing Dog, where the hands are placed further back towards the ribs and only the tops of the feet and the palms are on the earth, as we straighten the arms and suspend the body off the floor. All different poses with their own benefits and challenges. All available to explore, or not – your yoga journey is totally unique to you, and need never involve competitiveness or comparison with others.  The most important things are to move with kindness to yourself, breathe and notice your breath, and take time to just be 💜

Make sure you always look after yourself when doing yoga.

It’s important to always listen to your body and only work within your personal limitations. You are fully responsible for your own safety and wellbeing. Make sure your surroundings and your practices are safe. Do not attempt to take a physical posture that is outside of the scope of your practice. If you have any specific medical conditions, injuries, surgeries or are pregnant you should check with your GP or appropriate medical professional before starting any exercise. Keep in mind that yoga might be challenging at times, but it should never be painful. You must stop if you experience any pain, and you should consult your GP if you experience anything untoward such as dizziness or feeling faint. Rest or leave anything out that you need to avoid or that does not feel right.