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THE ASANAS
Seated
This seated pose involves unique actions of your
shoulder joints. This can be helpful in stretching out
tight shoulders, particularly if you work at a desk and
spend a lot of time typing—but you should avoid this
pose if you have a rotator cu injury. Switch arms and
notice if you feel a dierence between each side.
COW FACE
Gomukhasana
THE BIG PICTURE
In this seated pose, you particularly
stretch around your shoulders and
the outside of your hips and buttocks.
You are also engaging key postural
muscles to counteract slouching or
rounding forward.
VARIATION
If you cannot reach your hands
together, use a strap or towel to
extend your reach. If you hold
for approximately 10 breaths,
you may find you can walk your
fingers closer toward each other.
ALIGNMENT
Your knees are stacked in the
center while your hands reach
toward each other, trying to
clasp your fingertips. Your
elbows are squeezing in
toward the center. Keep
your spine neutral or in a
slight backbend, trying
to twist or lean.
Bottom elbow
reaching down
and in
Keep head
and neck back
Hip rotating
outward
Top elbow
reaching up
and in
Work toward
stacking knees
at midline
Spine neutral
Torso
Your spinal extensors and
transversus abdominis
engage to slightly extend and
stabilize your spine, while your
rectus abdominis stretches.
Your rhomboids engage to
retract your scapulae.
Top arm
Your shoulder exors—
anterior deltoid and pectoralis
major—ex your shoulder. Your middle
deltoid and supraspinatus stabilize and
abduct it, and your infraspinatus, teres
minor, and posterior deltoid engage
to externally rotate. Your elbow exors
engage and triceps brachii stretches.
Reach elbows in as
much as possible
Grip strap while
holding pose
KEY
Joints
Muscles
Engaging
Engaging while
stretching
Stretching
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