pose no: 13
- BENEFITS
- STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTION
- MODIFICATION AND VARIATION
- COMMON MISTAKE
- PRECAUTIONS
- TRY IT OUT
Benefits of Cow and Cat pose:
- Improves posture and balance.
- Strengthens and stretches the spine and neck.
- Stretches the hips, abdomen and back.
- Increases coordination.
- Massages and stimulates organs in the belly, like the kidneys and adrenal glands.
- Creates emotional balance.
- Relieves stress and calms the mind.
- Improves in Digestion
- To come into Cat pose, start on your hands and knees (all fours) with knees under the hips and wrists under the shoulders or slightly forward
- Spread your fingers and press through the base of the fingers and the fingertips
- As you exhale, pull your belly in, lift your side waists, round your spine and release your head towards the floor into cat position
- Actively press the floor away and feel the stretch in the back body
- Inhale and come back into your neutral starting position.
- Cat pose is generally then followed by Cow pose to warm up the spine with a few rounds of Cat Cow poses.
Modification and Variation of cow and cat pose
- Try the seated version: Sit on a chair or in an easy cross-legged position. Place your hands on your knees and round your spine into Cat pose on the out-breath. Add the Cow Pose on the in-breath
- Try the standing version: Stand with your legs hips width apart, knees slightly bent. Place your hands on your thighs and round your spine on the out-breath. Add the Cow Pose on the in-breath
- Make a Cat – Cow sequence into a core awakening exercise by extending out your opposite arm and leg in Cow pose and then drawing the elbow back and the knee to nose in Cat pose
- Alternatively, use Cat and Cow pose as an exploration of the spine
Common Mistake of cow and cat pose:
- Your shoulders are hunched. When getting down into tabletop position (which is where your cat-cow movements will start from), it can be tempting to hunch your shoulders up toward your ears.
- You’re just thrashing your body around.
- You’re only moving from your low back.
Precaution of cow and cat pose
- f you have a neck injury then keep your neck in line with your torso.
- If your wrists hurt then you can place your forearms on the floor.
- Pregnant women should only practice Cow pose and should not let their belly drop.
