Cow Faced Pose: Gomukhasana: A Seated Hip Opening Pose to Reduce Tension in the Outer Hip and Lower Back

If this pose is adapted in a way that is appropriate for the practitioner, it can be effectively used to help reduce tension in the outer hip and lower back. You want to make sure that the pose is not too intense on the hips and that the knees do not feel tension as you progress your way into the posture.

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In the first picture I am setting up the leg position. If this is as far as you go, then this might be enough opening for your body.

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In this second picture I am starting to move the feet away from each other so that the opening in the hips is a little deeper. As you are doing this, when your body tells you that you should not bring your feet farther away from each other that would be far enough, and then you could fold if folding feels okay for you.

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In this third photo the feet have gone out just about as far as they can so my knees are stacked one on top of the other. The closer the bend in my knee is to a 90-degree angle, so that my shins go straight out to the sides, the deeper the opening in my hips will be.

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In this forth photo I am folding forward. This makes it so I can get the opening from my outer hips into my lower back. The release feels great. If you hold a lot of tension in your outer hips and lower back this is a great way to help reduce that tension and get your lower back to begin to relax. However, when you fold, you should only go as far as your body tells you is okay so that you remain safe. There is no place to get to. The release in the pose should be comfortable and enjoyable, not overdone.

Go to: Reclining Hip Opening Postures to Reduce Stress in the Outer Hips and Lower Back
Go to: Ankle to Knee Pose: A Seated Hip Opening Pose to Stretch from the Outer Hip into the Lower Back