Level: Beginner / Restorative
Recommended Duration: Hold for 5–10 breaths in active practice, or 3–5 minutes in yin or restorative sequences.
Sphinx Pose (Salamba Bhujangasana) is a gentle backbend that supports spinal health, opens the chest, and calms the nervous system. It balances stability and softness, making it a grounding posture for beginners and a restorative favorite in yin or slow practices.
Highlights:
Sometimes, the most powerful yoga postures aren’t the ones that require sweat-drenched effort or Cirque du Soleil-level flexibility. Instead, the poses that invite you to slow down, soften, and listen to your body create the deepest transformation. Sphinx pose, also known as Salamba Bhujangasana in Sanskrit, is one of those quiet gems.
At first glance, it looks deceptively simple—you lie on your belly, rest on your forearms, and gently lift your chest while your head is either pointing forward or pointing down. But within that stillness lies an opportunity to reset your posture, open your heart, strengthen your spine, and melt away stress. This posture is particularly cherished in yin yoga, where long, passive holds encourage you to release tension, improve circulation, and quiet the mind.
If you’re looking for a beginner-friendly backbend to add to your practice, this asana is one of the most accessible places to start. It meets you where you are, supports your journey, and grows with you, whether you’re brand-new to yoga or returning to your practice after a long break.
Salamba Bhujangasana (salamba meaning “supported” and bhujanga meaning “serpent”) is a gentle backbend performed while lying prone on the floor. It belongs to the cobra family of postures, but instead of lifting the chest with straight arms, the practitioner props up on the forearms, providing more stability and support with less tension.
This “supported” variation makes this yoga pose softer and more sustainable, especially in practices like yin yoga, where you might hold the posture for several minutes. While deeper backbends can feel intimidating or even inaccessible, Sphinx gives you the same heart-opening benefits with less strain on the spine and wrists.
It’s also one of the most fantastic beginner-friendly yoga postures, especially if you’re just starting to explore yoga. With its low barrier to entry, it’s often recommended in studio classes as a safe backbend that nurtures confidence while still offering meaningful physical and energetic benefits.
This is one of the most common questions beginners ask, and it’s worth clarifying.
Think of the sphinx as the entry-level or supported variation of the full cobra asana. It allows you to experience the shape and benefits of a backbend without going as deep, making it especially valuable for yin yoga or restorative practices.
Sphinx Pose offers far more than meets the eye. Here’s what happens when you spend time in this posture:
Nowadays, we spend more hours hunched over screens, steering wheels, or phones. This forward rounding shortens the chest and weakens the upper back. Sphinx pose acts as a gentle antidote, encouraging an open chest, lifted heart, and elongated spine. Over time, it helps retrain your posture and brings balance back to the body.
Because the forearms support the chest, the sphinx pose strengthens the spine. It also provides spinal extension in a safe, controlled way. The muscles of the lower back are gently engaged, which helps build resilience and strength without the risk of over-compression.
The gentle lift of the chest in this pose stretches the chest, lungs, and abdomen, creating more room for fuller, deeper breaths. This helps counteract the tightness from sitting or slouching, making the posture feel like a reset for your body. Beyond physical space, opening the front body often brings a sense of lightness and release, easing both physical and emotional tension.
The gentle pressure of Sphinx Pose provides a subtle massage to the digestive organs, boosting circulation and supporting healthy digestion. Many practitioners notice it helps relieve sluggishness or bloating while also calming the nervous system. Because it’s a soft, supported backbend, it offers these benefits without overwhelming the body, making it a practical addition to most practices.
Because it’s often used in yin yoga or restorative sequences, the longer holds encourage the nervous system to downshift. The soft backbend signals the body that it’s safe, easing stress, anxiety, and mental fatigue.
With the chest gently lifted and open, the lungs have more space to expand, which naturally slows and deepens the breath. This makes the sphinx pose an ideal setting for practicing conscious breathing or pranayama without forcing effort. Over time, the steady rhythm of breath in this posture helps calm the nervous system, sharpen focus, and anchor you in the present moment.
Here’s a step-by-step guide to practicing Sphinx Pose safely and effectively:
Step 1: Start on your belly. Lie flat on your mat with your legs extended behind you. Let the tops of your feet rest on the floor, big toes pointing straight back.
Step 2: Place your forearms on the mat. Bring your elbows directly under your shoulders, forearms parallel, and palms flat on the mat. Spread your fingers gently. Make sure to keep your shoulders away from your ears.
Step 3: Lift through the chest. Press into your forearms and gently lift your chest forward and up. Allow the shoulders to move back and down—do not crunch them to your ears.
Step 4: Engage lightly. Engage your thighs and glutes just enough to support the lower back, but avoid clenching. Let the belly soften into the floor.
Step 5. Breathe deeply. Keep your gaze neutral or slightly forward. You also have the option to bow your head a bit, creating a slight flexion on the cervical spine. Inhale into the chest and ribs, then exhale slowly. Hold the pose for five to 10 breaths, or longer if practicing yin yoga (up to three to five minutes).
Step 6: Release with care. To come out of this pose, slowly lower your chest to the floor, cross your hands on top of each other, rest your head on your hands, and allow your back to relax.
Absolutely. Since it’s a gentle, beginner-friendly backbend, the sphinx stretch can be practiced daily without overloading the body. In fact, doing it regularly can help counteract the effects of prolonged sitting and improve posture over time. Just be mindful of your limits and balance it with counterposes to keep the spine healthy.
While the sphinx pose is safe for many, it’s not recommended for everyone. Here’s who should be cautious, along with alternative practices you can try:
If you’re experiencing sharp pain or a diagnosed condition like herniated discs, avoid this asana until cleared by a healthcare professional. As an alternative, you can try Child’s Pose (Balasana) for gentle spinal relief, or work with cat-cow stretches to mobilize the spine without sustained compression. For more options, check out our recommended yoga poses for lower back pain.
Lying face down becomes uncomfortable and potentially unsafe during pregnancy, especially during the late trimesters. Instead, pregnant women can practice the Supported Bound Angle Pose (Supta Baddha Konasana) with props or reclined heart-openers on a bolster to safely stretch the chest. To ensure safety, it’s best to practice prenatal yoga under the close supervision of a certified yoga instructor specializing in pregnancy.
Because the pose presses into the abdomen, it can be uncomfortable or harmful if this is practiced after surgery. You may opt for a Seated Forward Fold (Paschimottanasana) or gentle supine twists to stretch and release without abdominal pressure.
If you have cervical spine conditions, lifting the head may cause strain. Fortunately, a sphinx variation to lessen strain on the neck is to bow your head while in the pose. Another alternative is to practice a prone relaxation, which is lying flat with the head resting on stacked hands, or do supported restorative poses with the neck neutral.
Since this pose requires strength that stabilizes the shoulders and supports the hold, people with shoulder injuries should avoid this altogether. This is because the forearm position may feel unstable, and it can aggravate the pain more. Instead, focus on Supine Chest Openers with a block or bolster to open the front body without shoulder strain.
Like any yoga posture, the key to getting the most out of this asana is to practice it with awareness and patience. Even though it looks simple, small adjustments in alignment and breath can make the difference between feeling supported and feeling strained.
Keep these tips in mind to stay comfortable and safe on the mat:
One of the strengths of this yoga pose is its adaptability, and you can easily modify the sphinx based on your needs. If placing the elbows directly under the shoulders feels too intense, slide the forearms forward to lessen the backbend. You can also place a folded blanket or bolster under the ribs for extra support, which makes the pose more restorative.
For added comfort in the lower back, widen your legs slightly apart and allow the heels to roll outward. On the other hand, if you want more intensity, tuck the toes and gently press into the forearms to deepen the lift through the chest.
This relaxing backbend variation works beautifully in several contexts:
Practicing in a yoga studio with a certified yoga teacher ensures that your alignment is correct and that you’re progressing safely. Teachers can offer variations, adjustments, or props that help you get the most from the posture.
Sphinx pose shows that yoga doesn’t have to be complicated to create meaningful change. This gentle backbend nurtures spinal strength, eases stress, and opens the chest in a way that supports both physical health and emotional balance. By slowing down in the posture and focusing on steady breath, you cultivate the same presence of mind that carries into a deeper meditation and mindfulness practice, as well as into your daily life.
Spend just a few breaths in a vinyasa sequence or several minutes in a yin practice, and the effects ripple far beyond the mat. Practicing the sphinx in yoga can help counteract the toll of modern living, supporting better posture, calmer energy, and improved overall health. It’s important to practice under the guidance of a certified yoga teacher in a welcoming studio to ensure safe alignment and supervised progress, unlocking even deeper benefits.
At its core, this pose is more than a stretch; it’s a practice of balance. By gently lifting the chest while staying grounded through the legs, you experience both stability and expansion. This harmony supports not only your back health but also a calmer state of mind, making it a valuable posture to return to when you need clarity, ease, or a quiet pause to focus or meditate.
