Seated · intermediate

Cow Face Pose

Gomukhasana

Stacked knees and bound hands — an unusually specific stretch for outer hips and shoulders at once.

Cow Face Pose Photograph coming soon

A rigged MakeHuman figure animated into Cow Face Pose from this guide's own alignment cues — not a photo or scan of a real instructor. Same avatar as Mountain Pose and Downward Dog. Shown as the arm variation this guide's own modifications recommend — one arm overhead and one behind the back — over a cross-legged seat. Built with MPFB2 from the MakeHuman community CC0 system assets.

How to do it

  1. Sit and cross one knee over the other, stacking them as closely as your hips allow.
  2. Reach one arm up and bend the elbow, the other arm behind and up.
  3. Clasp the hands, or hold a strap between them.
  4. Sit tall — do not round to make the hands meet.

Why it helps

  • Opens the outer hips and IT-band region
  • Stretches the shoulders in opposite directions
  • Reveals left-right differences clearly

Common mistakes

  • Forcing the hands together and rounding the upper back.
  • Ignoring how differently the two sides feel.

Before you try it

  • Skip the leg position with knee pain; the arm position alone is still useful.

This is general information, not medical advice. If you're working with an injury, a health condition, or you're pregnant, check with a doctor or physical therapist and tell your teacher before class.

Make it easier

  • Strap between the hands.
  • Sit on a blanket.
  • Legs simply crossed instead of stacked.

Where this pose shows up

Styles yin iyengar

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