Featured Pose: Cat-Cow

 by Baxter

The dynamic sequence of Cat-Cow is a familiar feature in most modern yoga classes. However, this is certainly not an ancient yoga pose, and most likely made its way into our present practice from the world of physical therapy, where it is often used to address low back pain. In fact, I have found it so useful for my weekly crew of back-challenged yogis that it shows up just about every week in our class. What is so great about Cat-Cow is that it not only is an excellent way to move your spine through a pretty full range of the motions of gentle forward bending and back bending, known as flexion and extension respectively, but you also start connecting movement with breath. That connection is helpful both for cultivating present moment awareness and for cultivating an aspect of agility. 

Cat-Cow is also a good transition pose. You can use to it transition from seated poses—like your initial sitting meditation—down to reclining poses. And you can use after a series of reclining poses as a transition to sitting or standing poses. Cat-Cow also requires a bit of arm and upper back strength to do properly, so is an upper body strengthening pose. And since you are bearing weight on your hands, it builds wrist bone strength, which could be helpful for folks with osteoporosis, as the wrist is the second most commonly fractured area for people with OP. 

I prescribe this for: 

• general spinal stiffness 
• low back pain 
• upper body weakness 
• osteoporosis and osteopenia 
• arthritis or stiffness of the hips 
• arthritis of the spine 
• held tension anywhere from hips to neck
• improving breath capacity
• beginner’s experience of pranayama
• general stress reliever
• warming up for any other physical activity
• part of any gentle practice

Nina recommends this pose for depression, lethargy or for times when you just don’t feel like practicing. Moving with your breath can help perk you up, and if you’re not up to doing standing poses (such moving dynamically from Mountain pose into Arms Overhead pose), kneeling on the floor can feel more accessible. You’ll often find that six or so rounds of Cat-Cow will energize you enough to move onto Downward-Facing Dog and from there into a full practice.

Cautions: While this pose is generally well tolerated by most practitioners, it can be challenging for people with certain physical problems. People with wrist pain issues may have to modify the pose by doing it on fists, fingertips, or forearms. Those with knee pain may have to use extra blankets to pad your knees or do the seated or standing versions. Those with active spinal pain in the lower back or neck may have keep the range of motion more moderate as you assess how your body responds to the movement 

Classic Version

1. Start in Hands and Knees position. I recommend using at least one blanket under your knees, as over time the patella of your knees can be very sensitive to pressure. Position your hips directly over your knees and your shoulders directly over your wrist joints, and bring your spine and head into a more neutral alignment, fairly parallel with the floor. Keep your elbows straight at all times, and press evenly with the palm of your hands into the floor.

2. As you take an inhalation, begin to arch your spine into a gentle backbend (the Cow position of Cat-Cow—I like to imagine I’m a Happy California Cow!), allowing the arch to travel from your tailbone all the way to the crown of your head. Allow your sitting bones and tailbone to lift up, your mid-spine and belly to drop down a bit and your chest and head to turn forward. With practice you’ll become more efficient in completing this series of movements on a comfortable inhalation. ()

3. On your next exhalation, begin to dome your spine in the opposite direction (the Cat position of Cat-Cow—I imagine I am an angry cat on Halloween!). Allow your pelvis to tip backwards, with your tailbone and sitting bones turning towards the floor, your mid-spine to round towards the sky, and your neck and head to release down so you can look back at your knees. Push strongly into the floor with your arms. With practice you'll become more efficient in completing this series of movements on a comfortable exhalation. 

4. Move back and forth with your breath between these two shapes for at least six rounds of breath, and more if you are so inclined. 

After coming out of the pose, I always recommend you shake out your wrists and hands to release and stress or tension in those areas, before moving on to other poses.

First Variation: Seated Cat-Cow 

This is a great alternative for anyone how has trouble getting down onto hands and knees, or as an office alternative when you would not want to be down on your hands and knees! Of course, unlike classic Cat-Cow, you won’t get the arm, upper body, or wrist strengthening benefits. 

1. Start by sitting near the front of the chair seat, with your feet hip-distance apart and planted firmly under your knees. Straighten your arms, and place your hands on or near your knees. Before moving into the pose, establish the lift of your spine, from your sitting bones through the crown of your head.

2. On an inhalation, start moving from your pelvis, rocking your hips forward so your weight comes more onto the front edge of your sitting bones. As you continue to inhale, gently lift your spine and lengthen into gentle backbend. Lift your breastbone forward and up and allow your head and neck to lengthen up and back. This is the Cow equivalent of Cat-Cow. 

3. On your next exhalation, start moving from your pelvis, rolling your pelvis in the opposite direction, moving the back of your waist backward and rocking onto the back part of your sitting bones. As you continue to exhale, allow your middle back to move back as well and drop your chin toward your chest. This is the Cat equivalent of Cat Cow. 

4. Repeat these movements for at least six rounds of breath. After you finish, you may want to stand up for a moment to stretch your legs out. 

Second Variation: Standing Cat-Cow

The standing version of Cat-Cow is a good counter-pose to release any tension in your spine and neck after practicing long holds of standing poses. Of course, as with seated Cat-Cow, you won’t get the arm, upper body, or wrist strengthening benefits. 

1. Start by standing in Mountain Pose. Then bend your knees slightly while keeping your spine upright and place your hands on the fronts of your thighs.

2. On an inhalation, tip your pelvis forward over your thighbones, gently arch your spine into a backbend while turning your chest up and lifting your chin to take your head slightly back. Keep the back of your neck feeling long to protect your neck. This is the Cow equivalent of Cat-Cow.

3. On your next exhalation, tip your pelvis baclin the opposite direction, rolling it back over your thighbones so your sitting bones and tailbone turn down toward your heels. Allow your spine to rounds backward and your head and neck drop gently towards your chest. This it the Cat equivalent of Cat-Cow. 

4. Repeat for at least six rounds of breath, and then return to Mountain pose. 

Third Variation: Reclined Cat-Cow 

This version is for people who cannot bear weight safely on thier hands or knees, or in those who are severely fatigued. It does not work your arms as the classic Cat-Cow does, nor does your neck area move, but your spine does get to flex and extend. I usually refer to this variation as “Pelvic Rock and Roll.” 

1. Start by lying on your back with your knees bent, your feet on the floor about a foot from your hips and hip-distance apart, and arms relaxed at your sides. 

2. On an inhalation, rock your pelvis towards your heels, allowing your lower back to arch away from the floor. This is the Cow equivalent of Cat-Cow. 

3. On your next exhalation, roll your pelvis back towards your shoulders, allowing your lower back to come gently down to the floor and turning your tailbone and sitting bones up towards the ceiling. This is the Cat equivalent of Cat-Cow. Be careful not to launch up into Bridge pose—your hips remain on the floor in this pose. 

4. Repeat for at lease 6 rounds of breath. 

When you have finished, stretch your legs out long on the floor  to release any tightness in your front hip joints. 

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Featured Pose: Seated Cat-Cow Pose

by Baxter and Nina

This deceptively simple, gentle pose from our office yoga series brings mobility to your entire spine, allowing you to move your spine in two of the six important movement directions in which your spine can move, extension (back bending) and flexion (forward bending).  Mobility in the spine is important for maintaining the health of your spine, and for your entire body since your spinal cord, which communicates with your entire body, moves through your spine. Although most people don’t think of having arthritis of the spine, but it is a significant problem (see Arthritis of the Spine) and moving your spine is the best medicine for arthritis in this area. The gentle spinal movements can even help relieve back pain.

The pose also benefits your hip sockets because your sitting bones move back and forward with your spine, bringing movement into your hip sockets, which can get stiff from sitting from long periods of time. And because you move with your breath in this pose, inhaling into the backbend and exhaling into the forward bend, it’s a good way to learn breath awareness and beginning pranayama.

Accessible to everyone who can sit up, the pose is also so gentle that almost everyone, in any condition to do it. You can do it in any type of chair, even in the car! (In fact, Baxter did it just yesterday, while he was stuck in a !@#$%! traffic jam coming back to the East Bay from San Francisco.)

Baxter prescribes this pose for:

• low back pain or stiffness
• arthritis or stiffness of the hips
• arthritis of the spine
• held tension anywhere from hips to neck
• beginner’s experience of pranayama
• general stress reliever while sitting at your desk
• warming up for office yoga or any other physical activity

Instructions: Start by sitting near the front of the chair seat, with your feet hip-distance apart and planted firmly under your knees. Straighten your arms, and place your hands on or near your knees. Before moving into the pose, establish the lift of your spine, from your sitting bones through the crown of your head.

As you inhale, start moving from your pelvis, rocking your hips forward so your weight comes more onto the front edge of your sitting bones. As you continue to inhale, gently lift your spine and lengthen into gentle backbend. Lift your breastbone forward and up and allow your head and neck to lengthen out and back, coming into the Cow backbend.

As you exhale, start moving from your pelvis, dropping your pelvis in the opposite direction, moving the back of your waist backward and rocking onto the back part of your sitting bones. As you continue to exhale, allow your middle back to move back as well and drop your chin toward your chest, coming into the Cat forward bend.

Repeat both the Cow and Cat positions, moving with your breath, allowing your inhalations and exhalations to be slightly longer than they are when you are taking a resting breath. Do the pose for a minimum of six rounds up to any number that feels good to you.

Cautions: Because these are mild, everyday movements, those pose is relatively safe. However, if you have been instructed by your doctor to avoid certain movements of your spine, for example, some people who have lumbar disk problems are warned about forward bending movements being potentially dangerous, you should try smaller movements at first and see what your body can handle. The same cautions apply to people who have significant injuries to their necks.

Note from Nina: Oopsie! I just realized we already wrote up this pose in April (see Chair Cat Pose). Naturally, that write up is different if you care to compare it with the new one. I think it's time for us to move onto an entirely new set of poses....

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For Tamasic Depression: Moving with Your Breath

by Nina

Light in the Mist by Michele McCartney-Filgate

Last week in my post Tamasic and Rajasic Depression, I mentioned how moving with your breath can be very helpful for people with tamasic depression (or for all of us on those days when we're just feeling blue). We don’t have scientific evidence to prove this, however, many long-time yogis have experienced the enlivening and uplifting sensations of vinyasas and mini vinyasas. And I'm here to testify to that! Some possible reasons why this works are:

• Moving with you breath engages your mind, providing you with temporary respite from depressing thoughts. Coordinating movements with your breath doesn’t give you time to brood or let your mind wander.
• Consciously breathing as you move improves your breathing in general, which can reduce lethargy and fatigue.
• Exercising in general can actually change your mood, possibly by changing your body chemistry.

You can use a vinyasa or mini vinyasa as a way to start a longer practice or as a mini practice on its own. If you’re too depressed to contemplate a challenging practice, try some simple movements. Just starting to move, however modestly, can sometimes get your energy flowing and may even motivate you to move onto a longer practice.

Practicing a vinyasa with a backbending movement may be the most helpful for depression. For most people, backbends are energizing and uplifting. Patricia Walden, who teaches yoga for depression, says that backbends “let in the light.” In Gary Kraftsow’s sequence for chronic depression in Yoga for Wellness, he includes a mini vinyasa with Bridge pose, a sequence that includes Warrior 1, and second mini vinyasa with Upward-Facing Dog pose, probably for the same reasons.

Today I’m just going to offer up a few ideas for poses you can use to start a practice or to do on their own as mini practices (and, hmmm, now that I look at the list, I realize you could actually do them all, in the order below, as a short sequence). Some of these ideas come from Patricia Walden, some from Gary Kraftsow, and some are my own.

Cat Pose: If you can’t even bring yourself to stand up on your yoga mat, whether because you’re depressed, discouraged, or just tired, try starting on hands and knees. Move into your backbend on an inhalation (what some people call Cow pose and what I like to call Purring Cat) and arching your back into Cat pose on an exhalation. Repeat any number of times. Who knows, maybe you’ll feel like going into Doward-Facing Dog pose next or perhaps even standing in Mountain pose on your mat. By the way, you can even do this pose in a chair, as we described in our post Chair Cat Pose, anywhere and in any attire.

Mountain Pose: The easiest standing mini vinyasa is to move in Mountain Pose. Start in Mountain pose, with your arms by your sides. On an inhalation, bring your arms overhead as you bend slightly into a backbend in your upper back. On an exhalation, release back to your starting position, bringing your arms back by your sides. Repeat six times.

Warrior 1: Moving from Warrior 1 stance to full Warrior 1 pose as we illustrated in our post Warrior 1 and Warrior 2 Mini Vinyasas is a more challenging vinyasa. But the fact that it takes more concentration and effort may bring you more powerful results. Repeat six times.

Bridge Pose: This is the deepest backbend of the group, which provides the benefits of a good chest opening along with the benefits of moving with your breath. Start by lying on your back with your knees bend, your feet about hips-width apart and your arms by your sides. On an inhalation, press down with your feet as you lift your pelvis off the ground, open your chest, and raise your arms overhead and down toward the floor behind your head. On an exhalation, return to the starting position, dropping your pelvis straight down to the floor as you bring your arms back by your sides. Repeat six times.

I hope that some of you out there will give these a try and let me know how it goes!

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