cat cow yoga pose laura meihofer e1613095234196

Exploring Cat Cow Pose (with Modifications)

December 30, 2019 | by Dr. Laura Meihofer | 0 Comments |

Cat Cow Pose, also referred to as Bitilasana or Marjaryasana, is a yoga pose that is great for your entire spine, as well as the pelvic floor. It has wonderful overall health benefits, as well as, allowing the ability to focus directly in on your pelvic floor concerns. Cat Cow is a movement position which can be utilized on its own, or within a sequence of yoga poses . I usually utilize Cat Cow as the second pose in my series because it is so great at warming up your body and slowly increasing your flexibility. Find more information about my yoga services on my website. Begin by relaxing deeply, focusing on your diaphragmatic breathing, and find what you need to be supported properly in the guide below.

Shoulder up picture of Laura in red shirt pink glasses her hair is up she sits in front of greenery

Whenever you flex or round your spine, your tailbone tucks which, in turn, shortens your pelvic floor muscles. However, when you extend, arch, or stretch your spine your tailbone also extends, which lengthens your pelvic floor muscles. When you are doing Cat Cow, keep this motion in mind, and connect your breath and movement together.

INHALE. Extend. Pelvic floor moves down toward your feet. EXHALE. Flex. Pelvic floor moves up towards your head.

Yoga positions are not a one size fits all, and everyone’s body is unique. I walk you through the process of getting into Cat Cow yoga position in this article, as well as the partner video through my YouTube channel , and offer modifications to help you adjust this position to meet your needs. If you are looking for a different type of modification or have questions, please contact me , I’d love to hear from you!

BENEFITS OF CAT COW:

Cat Cow massages your abdominal organs which helps with digestion, blood circulation, and lymph fluid circulation, benefitting your overall organ health
Encourages coordination of movement throughout your entire spine from tippy top to tippy tail, all together
Decrease pain in pelvic region, abdomen, back, hips, and groin
Help with conditions associated with pelvic floor dysfunction
Practicing with this near the end of pregnancy can aid with delivery
Combat chronic constipation, incontinence, etc
Decrease period cramping

EXERCISE! Practice your diaphragmatic breathing with this posture 3x daily. 10 repetitions each time. It may feel uncomfortable at first. Meet your body where it’s at and breathe through it.

STEP 1

Laura sitting up on her knees with feet tucked under buttocks hands rests on knees sitting straight

Begin by sitting on a mat or the floor with your ankles and/or feet placed underneath your buttocks. Can’t get into this position? NEVER FEAR! There are modifications listed below for a seated version of Cat Cow. You can achieve the benefits of this position best by meeting your body where it is at. Modifications 4 & 5 will be most helpful to you!

STEP 2

On hands and knees shoulder width apart toes together looking at the mat and back is straight

From your seated position, reach your arms forward and, placing your hands flat on the mat or floor, come to a position on your hands and knees. Ensure that your knees are shoulder width apart and that your hip and knee line up with one another in the position. Check your arms and adjust as needed so that your shoulder, elbow, and wrist line up with one another as well.

STEP 3

On hands and knees shoulder width apart toes together looking forward and belly drops toward floor

Drop your belly and extend through your lower back. Look up and forward. Be careful not to crane your neck too far or cause undue strain, only stretch to your level of comfort and no further. Practice your diaphragmatic breathing and inhale during this extension. Only hold this position for a few seconds before moving to Step 4 OR take your time, take 1-2 deep breaths once you get into the posture and move slowly between the movements. This posture is really lovely because you can truly adjust it to your body’s needs.

REMEMBER! Keep your elbow, shoulder, wrist alignment, and hip, knee alignment in mind always. Be sure not to drop your chest, or rock back or forwards out of position during movement.

STEP 4

On hands and knees shoulder width apart toes together looking toward pelvis while belly arches up

Draw your belly in and move your gaze toward your pubic bone, while arching your back. Be sure to push through your hands, meaning physically push towards the surface, and use this movement to round out through your pelvis. Exhale during this rounding to keep that diaphragmatic breathing working it’s magic! This helps to decrease the space in your belly as well, making this move more comfortable. If you have comfortability issues with this position, or are stuck in a chair at work, find some variations of Cat Cow listed below to help you work it into your daily routine.

MODIFICATION 1

On hands and knees with a blanket folded over to stack to raise height and reduce flexion of ankles

Have knee concerns or discomfort? Check out this variation! Place a towel, blanket, or foam roll underneath your knees for additional cushion or support.

MODIFICATION 2

Shoulder up view of arm in cat cow showing a fist at the end of arm and wrist keeping both straight

It is possible that 90 degree angle of your wrists can cause pain or discomfort. You can modify this wrist angle while still gaining all the wonderful Cat Cow benefits! Instead of laying your hand flat on your surface, make a comfortable fist, and place your knuckles on the surface, allowing your wrist to remain straight in line with your elbows and shoulders. You can also utilize a block or wedge to find a more comfortable wrist angle for this position.

MODIFICATION 3: Seated Cat Cow

Two part image sitting on edge of black office chair Laura arches belly and head forward and back

This modification is great for those who work a desk job, or spend multiple hours at a time in a chair. This can also be a great solution for those with knee or wrist pain that is not alleviated by the above suggestions. In this position it is important to begin by sitting towards the front edge of your seat, but with enough room that your upper thigh is supported by the surface of your chair seat. From here you can follow the arch and belly opening movements, to the rounding and belly collapsing movements in Step 3 & 4 respectively. There are a couple of things to keep in mind with this modification and great examples of these in my YouTube demonstration!

First, when arching, sit tall and gently look upwards being cautious not to overextend your neck. In this position your pelvis should be tilted forwards as if dumping water out from your belly button. INHALE!

Second, when collapsing your belly in, keep that pelvic position in mind yet again, only this time tilt back so that you are pouring the water out from the back. EXHALE!

For a full range of poses and stretches, with a multitude of modifications, check out the following resources! Use these to design an individualized, daily plan to build healthy movement into your life!

PELVIC YOGA POSES:

VIDEO PLAYLIST: Pelvic Floor Yoga Poses (with MODIFICATIONS)

GUIDE: Pelvic Yoga (with MODIFICATIONS)

PELVIC FLOOR STRETCHES:

VIDEO PLAYLIST: Pelvic Floor Stretches (with MODIFICATIONS)

GUIDE: Pelvic Stretches (with MODIFICATIONS)

Extra References

New to the Pelvic Floor – Start Here

Interval Timer App that I Use (Apple Store)

Relaxed Diaphragmatic Breathing for Your Pelvic Floor

Mobile Mindfulness Apps