How to do Cow Pose or Bitilasana – Instructions and Benefits

by Nikitha · Published April 16, 2015 · Updated November 21, 2018

Yoga is the new thing in the world of fitness freaks. It is one of the school of exercises which is capable of keeping you fit and healthy thruought the day. Yoga is also helpful in keeping your body away from different kinds of illnesses and can also make your body more flexible. If you are planning to stay fit and rejuvenated by learning yoga, this article might be helpful for you. We will see one of the simple and easy to do asana, along with giving you step by step instruction on how to perform it. We will also see the benefits and contraindications of the asana.

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Among the thousands of asanas, we will see here about britlasana, which is one of the simplest and easiest asana to do. It is one such asana that can be learned and performed by people of all ages. This asana is also referred by many as the beginners pose. The name britlasana is derived from two Sanskrit words; ‘britla’ which means cow, and ‘asana’ which means pose. As what the name suggests, the asana is also known as the cow pose, since the final pose that we take while doing this asana is similar to that of a cow.

To learn how to do britlasana, simply follow the easy instructions given below:

Instructions to do Britlasana:

For starting this asana, sit down on the floor in the vajrasana position. Sit straight on the floor without bending your spine. Also place your hands on your knees.
Now lift your body up and bring it to the table top position. Do this by placing your hands on the floor in such a way that your palms and elbows touch the ground. In this position, you should also ensure that your elbows and knees are together.
Make your body parallel to the ground. Also upper part of your feet should touch the ground.
As you have now gained the position, let us see the breathing side. Look straight while doing this asana. While inhaling in, look in the upward direction by tilting your chin.
Stay in this position in such a way that the whole weight of your body is now evenly distributed onto your feet and hands. Keep your whole body properly balanced on your feet and hand by pressing your palms firmly towards the ground.
Try to push your naval towards the ground.
While trying to push your belly downwards, also raise your buttocks upwards. The position now you attain by doing this is called britlasana.
You should try to stay in this position for about 30 seconds, or till such a time that your back gets a good stretch.
For getting better results, you should repeat this exercise for about 10 times every day.

Benefits of doing Britlasana:

Britlasana is an exercise that has got a lot of benefits. This asana will offer numerous benefits to all those who practice it regularly. Let us see some of its important benefits.

This asana can help in giving your spine or back a good stretch. For those who suffer from minor back pain issues, this exercise can give relief from such problems.
This exercise is found to be helpful in improving your blood circulation in the chest region. This asana can also help in toning your abdominal muscles. So get your stomach in shape by doing this exercise regularly.
Britlasana can also strengthen your wrists and elbows. Regularly doing this asana can strengthen your wrists and elbows, and along with that, it can also keep you away from joint and knee pain.
Britlasana can also give a good massage to your front body and neck. By doing this asana, your belly muscles will also get a gentle massage.

Cautions to follow while doing Britalasana:

As said before, britalasana is a simple and easy to do exercise. It is also an asana recommended for all the beginners in yoga. This exercise is considered to be very good for all those who have stiff arms and shoulders. Even then, before practising this asana, there are many things that should be kept in your mind which you should be cautious about.

This asana is not suitable for those who face difficulties with knee. People who suffer from severe knee pain, and also those who have undergone knee surgery in the recent past should not do this asana.
Same is the case for those who suffer from wrist related problems. Those who have severe wrist pain, and those who have had wrist surgery in the near past, should refrain from doing this asana.
Those of you who have neck pain or who suffer from neck injuries can do this exercise, by keeping your head straight, and in line with your body. You need not tilt your head upwards while doing this exercise.
If you are facing any kind of difficulties while practising britlasana at home, it would be better if you consult a qualified yoga guru for the same.

This asana is a very good exercise for all those who have no time in their busy schedule to practice yoga. It a very good work out that takes very little time. Doing this exercise regularly can provide you with a lot of benefits. Practicing cow pose, or britlasana is very easy and you can do it by yourself at your home and will not require you to spend much time to do this.