Yoga Pose Mythology: The Serpent of Support

Far from being a sign of evil or a bad omen, this story of the endless serpent, can inspire us to feel open and held as we practice cobra pose.

A magnificent 1,000-year old bronze Cambodian sculpture of Vishnu is on display for the first time in an exhibit titled Vishnu's Cosmic Ocean at The National Museum of Asian Art through September 7, 2026.

Long ago, before time was measured and before seasons came and went, there was a great being named Śeṣa शेष (pronounced Shesha). Shesha, the Endless Serpent, was unlike any ordinary serpent; he had many heads. His body was long and coiled, smooth as river stone, and he carried within him the quiet steadiness of unending time.

Shesha lived upon the cosmic waters, where the world had not yet taken shape. That vast, gentle sea was still and wide, like a breath held deep within the chest of the universe.

One day, from that ocean of beginnings, Viṣṇu arose. Viṣṇu विष्णु (pronounced Vishnu), the Preserver, was calm and radiant, with eyes that saw both the tiniest seed and the farthest star.

When Vishnu needed rest, he did not lie upon the earth, for the earth was not yet fully formed. Instead, he reclined upon Shesha’s coils: soft, supportive, and endless. Vishnu rested upon him as one might lie upon a bed of comfort, safe and unafraid.

"Vishnu Reclining on the Serpent Shesha" from The Walters Art Museum Collection

But Shesha was not merely a passive bed. He raised his many hoods above Vishnu's head like the branches of an ancient tree sheltering a quiet grove. Within those protective hoods lived steady watchfulness, a presence that neither slumbered nor hurried, but simply held.

There, upon that bed of serpent coils, Vishnu rested without worry, and the world began to take its first shape in that place of peace.

In time, poets and teachers came to tell this story so we would remember: even the greatest forces are rooted in quiet strength. Shesha supported Vishnu so the world could unfold with balance. Within that support lived both stillness and readiness; a reassurance that what is steady beneath us allows us to open above.

When we practice Bhujangāsana भुजङ्गासन, Cobra Pose, we echo that ancient image. We lift the heart while the body remains grounded. We open the chest and lengthen the spine, not through force, but through a steadiness that feels like support, like the serpent holding the world, warm and present beneath our breath.

When you rise into Cobra Pose, remember: you are both opening and being held—steady, supported, and ready to meet what comes next.

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Tuesday Irby is a regular contributor to our Free Resources Blog. Here she writes about the stories of the poses and other beautiful reflections. To read more of her wonderful writing, subscribe to Tuesday's Mindful Moments on Substack.

Take Tuesday Irby's classes on Tuesdays (of course!) at 7 PM ET. You can also find her Restorative Yoga class on the fourth Thursday of each month at 7 PM ET and you can take a free Sunday Sanctuary class with her at 11:30 AM ET on the first Sunday of each month.