Steps
- Lie on your belly. Legs long.
- Bring the elbows under the shoulders, forearms parallel.
- Press the forearms down and lift the chest just enough to feel long, not pinched.
- Keep the neck long. Lower down and rest a cheek to one side.
What this pose may help with
These lines describe why people practice the shape. A pose may help with ordinary stiffness or with settling your attention. They are not claims that the pose treats or cures a condition.
- A gentle extension after sitting or after forward folds.
- Easier on the wrists than Cobra for some people.
- Strengthens the back when the lift is active, not a collapse into the shoulders.
Common mistakes
- Elbows far ahead of the shoulders so you hang.
- Clenching the glutes and pinching the lower back.
- Looking up.
Modifications
- Slide the elbows forward to make the bend smaller.
- A blanket under the pelvis if the lower back is sensitive.
Safety
- Back pain that worsens in extension: come down.
- Pregnancy: skip belly-down poses when they are uncomfortable.
- Recent abdominal surgery: wait for clearance.
If you are pregnant, injured, or dealing with back pain, consult a doctor before you follow this page. Stop for sharp pain, numbness, dizziness, or chest pain. This is movement education, not a diagnosis or a treatment. Read the medical disclaimer.
Sphinx Pose (Salamba Bhujangasana, said sah-LOM-bah boo-jang-GAHS-uh-nuh) is listed here as a Beginner Prone pose. The body area it emphasizes is Back. On your belly, propped on the forearms. A small, supported backbend.
Read the steps in order. Set the pose up before you try to deepen it. The first mistake called out on this page is: Elbows far ahead of the shoulders so you hang. That line is there because the usual error is doing too much, not because a tighter shape is a better practice. The modifications keep the same idea when the full shape does not fit today. Use them on purpose. They are part of the pose, not a demotion.
People practice Sphinx Pose for a plain reason: A gentle extension after sitting or after forward folds. That “may help” is a description of why the shape is in a beginner library. It is not a claim that the pose treats, cures, or prevents a condition. Back pain that worsens in extension: come down.
If you are pregnant, returning from an injury, or your back has been painful, consult a doctor before you practice Sphinx Pose. A safety note on a website is education. It is not clearance. Sharp pain, numbness, dizziness, or pain that runs down a leg is a reason to stop and get care, not a reason to hold the shape longer. The medical disclaimer on this site says the same thing in more detail.
When you are done, come out slowly. One calm repetition you can repeat tomorrow is the point of the page. Pair Sphinx Pose with a short routine from this site if you want a sequence, and keep the timer as a guide you are allowed to pause.