Yoga Pose: Cat/Cow Pose

Cat/Cow pose is one that is practiced as a warm up during a class. This pose is practiced on the hands and knees with the spine being moved gently up and down. The rounded back refers to the cat, while the sinking of the spine is said to resemble a cow's back.

This gentle stretch warms and stretches the spine and can provide a nice substitute for Urdhva Mukha Shvanasana (Upward-Facing Dog), Adho Mukha Shvanasana (Downward-Facing Dog) poses while pregnant. This is pose is practiced with mindful breath.

To begin this pose, start on your hands and knees - taking care to place the hands directly under the shoulders and the knees directly under the hips to prevent stress on the joints. Additional care should be taken so that the shoulders do not collapse towards the ears.

On the inhale, lengthen the spine, (imagine the back is a tabletop) and stretch the top of the head and the tail bone as far away from each other as possible.

On the exhale, tuck the pelvis under and lower the chin to the chest for cat pose. At the same time, squeeze the belly in and press the back towards to sky, taking care to keep the shoulders relaxed.

On the inhale, release the tuck and come back to a tabletop position, lengthening the spine (back straight).

Exhale and on the next inhalation, tilt the hips back for cow's pose so that the tailbone moves up. At the same time, lift the chest and face up - bending the spine as much as is comfortable.

On the exhalation, release the tilt so that the spine is back to a tabletop position.

Cat/Cow Pose can be practiced several times in preparation for the next pose.

Suggestions/Modifications:

The toes can be curled under for stability, if resting the top of the feet on the ground is not in your practice.

With wrist pain, resting the forearms on the ground (rather than the hands) can be a good option.

Yoga is a Y-O-U practice. As with any yoga pose, the most important thing to remember is to listen to the cues your body is giving. Find the most comfortable version of the pose, modify whenever needed and stay in the pose as long as time allows.

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