Cat cow stretch full#

For example, 'It's great for pelvic tilt. 'So it's almost like you're reaching for something and then when you're dropping your chest down and pulling your shoulders down and back.' And that's just what cat-cow does for your upper body.Ĭat-cow asks you to pull your chest forward (cow) then puff up your back (like an angry cat), but this move doesnt' happen in isolation, it pulls the rest of the kinetic chain-your middle and lower body-along with it. 'When I started to actually look at the movement, I noticed that you're moving your shoulder blades into protraction and retraction, too,' says Yoon. Once he started studying up on stretching, he learned that the movement works way (and I mean, way) more than just your vertebrae. 'When I was a trainer, I thought 'oh this is just a yoga move for the extension and flexion of the spine,' says Yoon.

Cat cow stretch full#

Even if you aren't planning on getting down for a full flow, yoga instructor Claire Grieves is a fan of doing the moves first thing in the morning to 'gently warm up your spine muscles for the day ahead and get blood flowing through your body and mind,' which she says will help 'awaken your energy from within.No one has an exact count of the number of asanas out there (it could be thousands or millions), but trainer and massage therapist Joe Yoon, author of the newly-released book Better Stretching, says that one pose outperforms the others when it comes to better mobility and flexibility: cat-cow stretch. 'In Cow pose we are extending the spine to find a heart opener, using the inhale to lift the sternum and tailbone, and gaze outward.' By incorporating both, you're allowing your spine to fully mobilize, which gets you ready for all of the other poses you'll do during your time on the mat. 'In Cat pose, we are flexing and rounding the spine, contracting our abdomen, folding inward and broadening the back body,' explains Warner. While the Cat stretch can clearly do a lot for your body on its own, you'll get the most out of it if you pair it with a Cow pose, which counters the cat's spine flexion with a spine extension. Flexing the spine improves circulation to the discs between our vertebrae, also relieving stress from the back.'

Holding Cat stretch can release tension in the upper back and neck. 'It stretches the back, torso, and neck, improving posture and spine health. Yoga instructor Molly Warner calls it a 'gentle, accessible back bend that mobilizes and stretches the spine.' Because you're close to the floor-it happens on your hands and knees, and allows you to stretch your back by increasing flexion in your spine-it helps you ground your practice while opening up your front body and activating your core.īut that's not all: 'Cat stretch loosens the spine, stretches our hips and abdomen, while massaging our internal organs,' says Warner. It usually happens at the beginning of class alongside its counterpose, the Cow Stretch, in order to get your body prepped and ready for the full flow. The Cat stretch, which happens on your hands and knees and mimics the type of movement a cat would do when waking up from a nap, is a yoga mainstay. You can get a solid stretch through your spine by using one of the simplest postures of all: the Cat stretch. But while backbends are certainly an important part of any practice, they don't necessarily have to require contorting your body into pro-level poses. Hearing the term ' yoga back bend' likely has you conjuring images of intense wheel poses (with one leg off of the ground, perhaps?) or at the very least thinking about one of those juicy bridges that teachers seem love so much.