Featured Pose: Standing Cow-Face Pose

by Baxter and Nina

This versatile pose from our office yoga series uses just the arm positions from the full Cow-Face pose, which is typically done in a seated position. Because the pose works your two arms differently, it’s almost like two poses in one, taking your shoulders and arms through much of their range of motion. With your top arm, you reach up and overhead, spinning your upper arm bone outward and deeply bending your elbow joint. With your bottom arm, you reach down and back behind you, spinning your upper arm bone inward as you bend at the elbow joint. As it works your arms, this pose also stretches and strengthens your shoulder blades, upper back and neck.

The pose is actually quite physically challenging, so it’s a good pose to turn to when you’re feeling lethargic or restless. Because it releases muscular tension from your shoulders, neck, and back, it’s a perfect antidote to sitting in front of a keyboard or holding onto a steering wheel.

The standing version is very compact so you can do it in small space, like at the back of an airplane. However, you can also do the pose seated on a chair or in seated on the floor in Seated Crossed-Legs position, Hero pose, or the classic Cow-Face pose leg position.

Baxter prescribes this pose for:

• general stiffness and tightness in your shoulders
• stiffness in your upper back, especially if you have kyphosis of the spine (Dowager’s Hump)
• improving inner and outer rotation of your arm bones (you could use it, carefully, to address rotator cuff immobility)
• discomfort in your middle or upper back
• preparation for inversions like Forearm Balance (Pincamayurasana) and backbends

Instructions: If you know can't clasp hands in this pose (or suspect you might not be able to), find a yoga strap, belt, tie, or even a towel and place it over your left shoulder. Then, start by standing Mountain pose. First bring your right arm into position by taking it back behind you. Turn your arm in, bend your elbow, and place your forearm across your middle back with your palm facing away from you. Try to locate the end of your strap and hold onto it lightly. If it’s helpful, you can take your other hand and use it to encourage your right arm further in toward the midline of your body and further up the channel of your spine.

Next, bring you left arm into position by swinging it forward and up overhead. Turn your left hand toward the wall behind you, bend your elbow and drop your fingertips down toward your left shoulder blade. A few of you will be able to bring your two hands together, gently clasping your fingertips. The rest of us mere mortals can grab onto the top of the strap with your left hand, and carefully work both hands closer to each other along the strap. When you start to feel an increasing sensation on your arms, stop so you don’t over do it. Be aware of the tendency of your elbows to swing out away from the sides of your body, and if necessary firm your elbows back toward the sides of your body.

Stay in the pose 30 seconds to two minutes. Remember to breathe, staying as relaxed as possible. As you release out of the pose, be very careful as you bring your bottom arm out, moving slowly and mindfully. After you release your arms out of the pose, relax both arms for a few seconds, perhaps shaking and jiggling them before you go do the second side. Then repeat the pose on the other side. If you’ve never done this pose before, realize that there may be a huge difference between your two sides because you use your left and right arms so differently in your everyday lives.

Cautions: If you have any pain in your shoulder joint, back up until you are pain free. Be especially aware of pain in your bottom arm, as the upper arm area can get pinched. If the pose causes too discomfort for your bottom arm, just do the top arm part of the exercise. Then, for your bottom arms, you can hold both elbows behind your back (coming soon!).