Hi Jeff
Advanced cobra? I have never heard it called that before. I instruct that occasionally as a way to check if the arms are being used to lift the body up. As you know, you are supposed to engage the back muscles only and avoid pushing up with the arms (otherwise it changes the pose in this case).
The trick is really to engage the muscles without picking the hands up off the floor. If I understand what you are saying – and I am happy to be advised appropriately – you have been asked to keep your hands where they are in relation to your shoulders and simply lift them up off the floor just a little bit. (BTW There are other ways of expressing Cobra, ie other cobra poses where the arms are used differently.)
If you are simply being asked to lift hands up so that they do remain under shoulders then this CAN (but depending on the skill and mindfulness and proprioception of the student) compromise the integrity of the pose. Most students will compress the neck and cause tension across the shoulders to varying degrees when the hands are lifted. This is one reason why I never instruct this as a matter of course especially to beginners and never to first timers.
If I do instruct this it is simply for a moment – less than half a second. The hands are lifted, the student checks if the body stays in the same place or whether their body has settled a little. Then the hands go back on the floor and you can focus again on how you can create a greater lift.
Thanks Annie for answering too. Internet was down for a couple of hours and your post just came through!
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂
