Cow Face Pose (Right Leg and Left Arm Up)

How to do Cow Face Pose (Right Leg and Left Arm Up)

1. 1Begin in a seated position with both knees bent and feet flat on the mat.
2. 2Slide your left foot under your right hip, resting the outside of the left leg on the ground with the knee pointing forward.
3. 3Cross your right leg over your left, stacking your right knee directly above the left knee and drawing both feet toward your outer hips.
4. 4Ground both sitting bones evenly into the floor, lengthening your spine from the tailbone through the crown of your head.
5. 5Reach your left arm straight up toward the ceiling, bend the left elbow, and let your left hand drape down the center of your upper back.
6. 6Sweep your right arm out to the right side, rotate the palm backward, bend the right elbow, and slide the back of your right hand up your spine.
7. 7Clasp your fingers together between your shoulder blades, or hold a yoga strap if your hands do not meet.
8. 8Keep your head upright, press your head gently back into your left arm, and hold steadily while maintaining smooth, deep breaths.

Benefits

• Deeply stretches the outer hips, glutes, and IT bands.
• Opens the armpits, triceps, and anterior chest muscles.
• Enhances internal and external rotation in the shoulder joints.
• Decompresses the lower back by encouraging an upright, neutral pelvis.
• Calms the nervous system through sustained, grounded seated breathing.

Common mistakes and cues

• Uneven sitting bones

  Avoid tilting your weight to one side; sit on a folded blanket if one hip lifts off the ground.

• Collapsing the chest

  Do not round forward to force the hand clasp; keep your sternum lifted and collarbones broad.

• Dropping the head forward

  Prevent the top elbow from pushing your neck forward by pressing the back of your head gently against your arm.

• Forcing the bind

  Never pull aggressively on your fingers if your shoulders are tight; use a strap to maintain spacious alignment.

• Flaring the lower ribs

  Draw your front ribs softly in toward your spine rather than over-arching your lumbar back.

Modifications and props

• Use a strap for the bind

  Hold a strap in your top hand and grasp the other end with your bottom hand to bridge any gap between the fingers.

• Elevate your pelvis

  Sit on a yoga block or firm blanket to reduce pressure on the knees and level out tight hips.

• Straighten the bottom leg

  Keep your left leg extended straight forward along the floor while crossing the right knee over top if stacking both knees causes knee strain.

• Reclined variation

  Lie on your back and cross your knees while drawing your shins toward your chest if sitting upright causes lower back tension.

Cautions

• Knee injuries

  Skip the leg wrap or keep the bottom leg straight if you feel any twisting sensation or sharp pain in the knees.

• Rotator cuff impingement

  Avoid forcing internal rotation on the lower arm if you have acute shoulder pain or past rotator cuff tears.

• Neck sensitivity

  Keep your cervical spine neutral and avoid tucking your chin if the top arm creates pressure behind the neck.

If you are working with an injury, pregnancy or a medical condition, check with a qualified professional before practising this pose.

Practise this for

Classes that teach this pose

Upcoming Hatha classes where this shape shows up.

Teachers and studios for this practice

Related poses