Cobra to Child's Pose

How to do it

Start lying face down, hands under the shoulders. On the inhale, press lightly into the hands and lift the chest into a low Cobra — hips stay on the floor, the lift comes from the upper back. On the exhale, push the hips back and up, folding to the heels into Child's Pose, the arms reaching long on the floor and the forehead releasing down. Flow between the two, one breath each way: open and extend on the inhale, fold and soften on the exhale. Keep it gentle and continuous.

Why it's good for runners

This is the softest spinal wave in the library — extension to flexion with no load and no balance demand, so it suits the most tired, most tender end of a session. The Cobra reverses the forward-rounded posture of running and desk work; the Child's Pose decompresses the lower back and lets the breath slow. As one card with one looping demo, it gives the spine its full front-to-back range without a single static hold.

Common mistakes

Don't crank the Cobra high — this is a gentle chest lift, not a deep backbend; keep the hips grounded and the shoulders down. Don't rush the fold back; let the exhale carry the hips to the heels. And if the knees or ankles complain in Child's Pose, widen the knees or slip a rolled blanket behind them.