Cat & Cow Pose

Marjaiasana (Cat) & Bitilasana (Cow)

Cat & Cow pose are a classic combination of poses connected with breath, that are accessible and beneficial for all levels of yogis. These postures open and warm-up the entire spine, help alleviate most kinds of back pain, and build a foundation for connecting movement with breath. While simple, these poses are powerful in opening the entire body.

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Step By Step

Begin in a tabletop position with your wrists directly under your shoulders, fingers pointing forward, knees directly under your hips, and spine in a neutral position
Inhale and lift your tailbone up, drop your belly and lift your heart, to come into Cow
Exhale and send your tailbone down and forward, lift your middle back up, pull your lower belly in toward your spine and up toward your heart, and round your spine so your eyes look back towards your legs
Move slowly with this pattern, coming into Cow pose on your inhale breath and Cat pose on your exhale
Engage the bandhas, and let movement initiate from your tailbone and gradually upwards through your spine for the transition into both Cow and Cat

Cow Pose

Benefits

Lengthens and opens the entire spine
Cat & Cow is an excellent combination of postures to heal back pain
Lengthens the back of the neck
A simple pose to learn how to move in and out of yoga poses with your breath

Contraindications

Wrist injuries
Lower back pain
Neck injuries

Modifications

Place fists on the mat instead of palms for wrist sensitivity

Chakras

Cat & Cow pose open all of the chakras of the body, but opens the Root Chakra (Mulhadara) especially. Since movement initiates from the tailbone, where Root Chakra energy resides, this pose, moves from the ground up and creates a deeper sense of groundedness and stability. Cat & Cow also opens the Heart Chakra, Anahata, bringing balance to this center of love and compassion.