From the football field and gymnastics mat to the tennis courts and dance studios this pose has been done by most. In sports, it is fondly known as the butterfly stretch. This pose is useful for every sport as well as recreational athletes and should become a part of every workout warm up or cool down.
How to: Cobblers Pose
Start seated on a stable even surface, no matter what your level of expertise is in this pose, fold a blanket or towel and sit up on it. This makes your hips higher than your heels and gives you ease in the pose with less force. With your hips propped up you will have a slight feeling of going downhill in the pose.
Bend your knees and bring your feet together. Take some time to perfectly align yourself. Take the bottoms of your feet and gently press them together.
Hold on to your lower leg or foot. Do not hold your toes, unless you are very flexible or familiar with the pose. When you grab the toes, you tend to pull your ankle and foot out of alignment, which can stress the knee and encourage an improper stretch. Begin to let your knees drop down. Position your heels as close to your body as you can without strain on the knees.
You can hold here, focusing on your breathing and a tall straight back, you can begin to fold forward. If you fold over, use your elbows on the inside of your legs to help encourage the knees to drop down further, NEVER FORCE, OR BOUNCE. Take it slow. Fold with a flat back having the feeling that your chest would touch the floor before your forehead would.
Benefits of Cobblers Pose
- Stimulates abdominal organs, ovaries and prostate gland, bladder, and kidneys
- Stimulates the heart and improves general circulation
- Stretches the inner thighs, groins, and knees
- Helps relieve fatigue
- Soothes menstrual discomfort and sciatica
- Helps relieve the symptoms of menopause
- Therapeutic for flat feet
- Consistent practice of this pose until late into pregnancy is said to help ease childbirth.
For the athlete, cobblers pose is amazing for releasing tight groin inner thigh pre or post game. Taking time to open the hips in all directions is a sure way to reduce the stress and strain on the vulnerable knee joints, So Cobbler away. This pose is a perfect way for you to observe which hip, groin side is tighter on you, therefore giving you clues to go ahead and work on the tight side a little more. So observe which knee is higher, if any, and that is the tighter groin hip side. As mentioned before, this pose is utilized and effective for anybody from soccer players to hockey players, who are always on unstable surfaces, to the agile tennis great and fluid breast stroke swimmer. A must do for all athletes.
Although you should always consult your physician and research a properly trained teacher before starting a yoga practice, there are a few instances where you should avoid this pose entirely:
- Recent back surgery
- Groin or knee injury: (Only perform this pose with blanket support under the outer thighs.)