Bhujangasana Anatomy & Physiology
Further to the general principles of backbends listed above, bhujangasana is particularly strengthening for the muscles that cause spinal extension – the erector spinae and the smaller semispinalis, multifidus and rotatores muscles that connect the bony processes of individual vertebrae. The muscles at the front of the body are stretched – psoas and illiacus muscles (hip flexors), the quadriceps muscle (hip and leg flexors) and the rectus abdominus muscles in the abdomen. The triceps muscles of the upper arms are strengthened and the intercostal muscles and pectoralis major are stretched.
Physiologically, the endocrine glands in the front of the body are stimulated – the pancreas which secretes hormones for carbohydrate metabolism, the thymus which regulates immune function and the adrenals which influence our general state of alertness and arousal. The muscular activity produces heat, and increased circulation. The opening of the chest improves the capacity of the lungs to expand on the inhalation. The sympathetic nervous system is stimulated.
