Kukkutasana - Cockerel Pose: Meaning, Benefits & Steps

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June 15, 2022

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What is Kukkutasana?

Kukkutasana is one of the advanced yoga postures and is also known as Cockerel Pose or Yoga Rooster Pose. The word Kukkutasana comes from Sanskrit, where ‘Kukkut’ means cock or rooster and ‘Asana’ means pose. Kukkutasana is commonly found in you sequences such as Ashtanga Yoga, Iyengar Yoga, Core Yoga, or Hip Opening Yoga Sequences.

It is a great posture to add to your home workouts. While considered an advanced yoga posture, mastering Kukkutasana requires some amount of time and practice making it a great asana to try in yoga for beginners.

In this article, we will discuss how to do a kukkutasana or cockerel pose and the various kukkutasana benefits.

How To Do Kukkutasana or Cockerel Pose

Here is a step-by-step guide on how to do Kukkutasana.

For the starting position, sit in Dandasana, or Staff pose, with your legs extending out in front of you and your spine straight and lengthened. Sit here ad gaze at your toes for a few breaths.
Now, as you inhale, come in Padmasana, or Lotus Pose, by bringing your right foot in and placing it on the inner left thigh, followed by bringing your left foot in and placing it on the inner right thigh.
Sit here for a few breaths. Ensure that your sit bones are placed comfortably on the floor and the outer knees and thighs are resting well on the floor. Keep your ankles flexed.
Now, as you inhale, take your right arm and squeeze it through the gap between your right thigh and calf till your elbow rests at the fold of the thigh and calf.
Once your forearms are out, turn the arm gently to support the leg inside your elbows and lift the hips gently to take the left arm and squeeze it through the gap between the left thigh and left calf till your elbow rets at the fold of the thigh and calf.
As you exhale, place both hands on the floor. Now your arms are locked in between your calves and thighs with your hands resting on the floor between your lower legs. Place the fingers wide apart and press into them and push the palms towards the ground.
Gently lower your hips down and come forward using your core and pelvic floor muscles. Make any required adjustments in the hands, shoulders, wrists, and hips. With a deep inhalation, lean forward and take the weight of the body towards the wrists and arms and move forward, and lift your hips off the floor.
Rise and balance your body to be in Kukkutasana while pushing your palms down towards the ground firmly. Once in the final posture, bring your drishti, or gaze, at the nose tip to remain in balance for a few breaths as per your body comfort.
Try to keep your neck and back inclined a little forward. This will help in avoiding too much pressure on the elbows and wrists while keeping the body in balance. However, make sure you do not move too forward with the hips and shoulders as that can cause an imbalance in the posture and pose a risk of injury to your wrists.
To release, as you exhale, slowly bring the hips down and sit back on your sit bones. Gently release the arms from the lock and sit and relax in Dandasana, or Staff pose.
Repeat this by taking the left foot in first this time, followed by the right foot to sit in Padmasana, or the Lotus pose. Also, this time take the left arm into the gap first and then take the right arm in followed by lifting the hips as per the previous repetition.
After holding the final posture for a few seconds, gently release and stretch your legs out in Danadasana, or staff pose, and relax.

What Are the Benefits of Kukkutasana or Cockerel Pose?

As difficult as this posture may come across, the benefits of kukkutasana are colossal. Here are a few kukkutasana benefits for your understanding.

1. Strengthens the shoulders and arms

‍Kukkutasana stretches the shoulders, arms, chest, and stomach muscles keeping the muscles toned and strengthened. With regular practice, Kukkutasana can help reduce any pain and prevent the risk of injury in the arms, shoulders, chest, and stomach. The asana especially improves the elasticity of the triceps and biceps and helps in strengthening and growing them.

2. Promotes smooth blood flow

Kukkutasana yoga pose exerts immense pressure on the shoulders, wrists, ankles, and knee joints, strengthening them in turn. Regular practice of kukkutasana will help in promoting smooth blood flow throughout the body.

3. Improves mobility and flexibility in the legs and hips

Getting in Padmasana during the practice of kukkutasana yoga pose causes the muscles of the lower back, hips, and upper thigh to stretch resulting in improved mobility and flexibility.

4. Improves coordination

When kukkutasana is performed in the right way, it requires concentration and strength for balancing on just hands. Kukkutasana refines and improves the coordination between ears, eye muscles, and the part of the brain responsible for body balancing. Kukktasana or yoga rooster pose is one of the best poses to sharpen one’s focus and improve coordination.

5. Enhances digestive function

When kukkutasana is performed in the right way, the abdominal region of the body experiences pressure. This in turn provides a massaging effect on the digestive organ and enhances the production of digestive juices and enzymes resulting in effective digestion and assimilation.

6. Improves sleep and reduces stress and anxiety

When practicing Kukkutasana regularly, the practitioner may experience physical stimulation resulting in a surge in the release of endorphins or the feel-good hormones of the body. Endorphins are also a natural painkiller for the body. This process of release of endorphins induces good sleep and may reduce feelings of stress and anxiety.

7. Stimulates adrenal glands

As the practice of Kukkutasana has a massaging effect on the abdomen, it stimulates the adrenal glands of the body. This in turn regulates the metabolism, blood pressure, the immune system, etc. of the body.

8. Awakens Kundalini

The practice of Kukkutasana helps in activating, energizing, and regulating the Muladhara Chakra of the body and awakens the Kundalini Shakti. Hence, through this, the yogi gets to progress in their spiritual path.

Now that you know about how to do Kukkutasana and the various benefits of kukkutasana, make sure to add this posture to your at-home yoga practice. You may also find adequate guidance for Kukkutasana in online yoga classes.

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