Sphinx

Lay down on the belly. It can be nice to already place a blanket underneath the pubic bone. Now make a little pillow with your hands and place your forehead down. Take a moment to notice if this already compresses your lower spine. To receive more compression, come onto your lower arms. The closer the elbows are to the body, the more compression you'll feel. Hand palms and fingers stay flat on the ground like a sphinx. Relax the shoulders, buttocks and belly while you rest on your elbows. 

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To come out of the pose, slowly lower the chest down to the floor and make a pillow with your hands placing one cheek or the forehead down. If it feels good you can bend one knee up and after a while the other. 

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Benefits

• Compression and stimulation of the sacrum and the lumbar spine

• Can be very helpful for people with a hernia 

• Opening of the shoulders and chest 

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Contra indications  / modifications and prop use

• Lower spine issues/hernia: If you choose to come up onto your elbows, keep the elbows further away from the body to keep it softer and widen the legs a bit to release the sacrum. The position of the feet determines the compression in the lower spine

• Shoulder injuries: Support the chest with a bolster to get some weight out of the shoulders 

• Pregnancy: use a rolled up blanket underneath the hips to give more space to baby or take Anahatasana instead for lots more space 

Stronger variation: ​

Place a bolster underneath the elbows to elevate the chest and deepen the compression 

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Alternative pose

Anahatasana 

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