60
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 dierence 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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61
Bottom arm
Your anterior deltoid,
subscapularis, teres major,
pectoralis major, and
latissimus dorsi internally
rotate your shoulder. Your
posterior deltoid stretches
while in internal rotation. Your
elbow exors engage while
your triceps brachii stretches.
Neck
Your splenius capitis and
splenius cervicis engage
to press your head back,
perhaps in slight cervical
extension to counteract
the tendency of the head
to fall forward.
Thighs
Your hip exors help
stabilize your hips in exion,
while your quadriceps and
gluteus medius, minimus,
and maximus stretch.
Latissimus dorsi
Cervical extensors
Gluteus medius
Gluteus maximus
Rhomboids
Serratus anterior
Spinal extensors
Spine
Transversus abdominis
Infraspinatus
Teres major
Teres minor
Deltoids
Brachialis
Triceps brachii
Elbow
Shoulder
Brachioradialis
Biceps brachii
Deltoids
Brachioradialis
Triceps brachii
Elbow
Brachialis
Biceps brachii
Teres major
Infraspinatus
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62
COW FACE
Gomukhasana
CLOSER LOOK
Cow Face works your shoulders
dynamically—including your deltoid
muscles. Compression at your shoulder
joint can also lead to cardiovascular shifts
both system-wide and in local blood vessels.
All of your gluteal
muscles stretch,
including your
gluteus maximus
Pectoralis major
stretches while
flexing your
shoulder
Triceps brachii
stretches strongly
on your top arm
Fingers gently
clasp, if accessible
Latissimus dorsi
stretches on
this side
Middle—
abduction
Dynamic deltoids
Your deltoids are split into three parts, or
heads, which have opposing actions when
engaged. Some research suggests that there
are 19 parts lled with muscle bers that can
be controlled independently by your nervous
system. This pose dynamically engages and
stretches each part of your deltoids.
Anterior—flexion
and internal
rotation
Posterior—
extension and
external
rotation
LATERAL
VIEW
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63
THE ASANAS
Seated
Blood vessel changes
There is slight pressure on your blood vessels at
your shoulders, similar to a loose tourniquet. When
you release the pose, blood rushes to the area. This
vascular pressure causes an increase of nitric oxide
(NO), encouraging blood vessel dilation, slightly
lowering blood pressure and increasing relaxation.
Range of movement
Your body has the potential to do many actions,
but our modern-day lifestyle limits its opportunities.
Humans are designed to go through more joint
actions more regularly. Your yoga practice helps you
maintain these capabilities in full range of motion
(ROM). When it comes to ROM, if you don’t
use it, you lose it.
Collarbones move
slightly with
your arms
Extension
Flexion
Internal
rotation
External
rotation
Eyes open
or closed
Middle deltoid
stretches as you
slightly squeeze
your elbow inward
Pectoralis major
engages to
strongly adduct
your shoulder
Psoas major on
both sides engage
to flex your hips
Ankles and
feet are relaxed
Vasoconstriction
(vessel constricting)
Vasodilation
(vessel opening)
ANTERIOR
VIEW
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