While all yoga asanas offer you some or the other benefit, there are some that score higher in terms of the advantages that they have to offer. The Cat Cow Stretch is one of them. Incorporating this yoga posture into your regular yoga practice can offer immense benefits.
Why practice cat cow stretch?
There are numerous benefits of practicing yoga asana. Amidst various other benefits offered by this yoga pose, it is the flexibility provided that matters the most. This yoga posture enables you to stretch the entire body, which helps enhance the overall flexibility levels. Further on, this yoga posture can also help improve abdominal strength. Regular practice of the cat cow stretch can also help prevent back pain.
How to practice cat cow stretch?
Practicing this yoga asana is not as difficult as it may seem to be. The cat cow pose can essentially be divided into three phases namely-neutral spine, cow pose and cat pose. Each of these phases entails a couple of steps.
NEUTRAL SPINE
* Seat yourself on all the fours.
* Bring your wrists below the shoulders and the knees exactly below the hips.
* Visualize your spine as a straight line that joins the head and the hips. Think of this line joining your crown and extending till your tail bone.
* The neck should be thought of as a natural extension of the spine.
COW POSE
* Curl your toes and make sure that they are below the feet.
* Drop your belly. Try to keep it as loose as possible.
* Now lift up your head and gaze at the ceiling. If you are unable to lift your head up completely, then partial lifting of your head will also serve the purpose.
* When you move, make sure that you move from the tailbone first. This will ensure that your neck is the last body part to move.
CAT POSE
* Exhale.
* Release the top of the feet to the floor.
* Keep your spine rounded.
* Drop your head. Make sure that your head is hanging lose and not stiff.
* Now try to gaze at your navel. Even if you cant gaze exactly at the navel, set your eyes on the surrounding area.
Are there any precautions?
There are no specific set of precautions or contraindications for this yoga pose. However, since the difficulty level involved in this yoga asana is medium, it is suggested that you be a little careful. Do not push your body. Stop in case you feel uncomfortable or you think you cannot complete the asana. You can also make some modifications to suit your needs.
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