One of the simplest ways to increase the flexibility of your spine is with Cat Cow Pose.
What’s so great about this exercise? It’s easy!
Many people feel especially stiff first thing in the morning.
If that’s the case with you, you can get out of bed, place a yoga mat, towel or blanket on the floor for padding and begin to move your vertebrae gently and easily.
Even though this yoga pose appears ridiculously easy it’s incredibly important to master.
That’s because the nerves that run every gland and organ run through your spine.
If your back is tight, the nerve flow to your glands and organs may be restricted.
Yogis measure a person’s age not by your chronological age but by the flexibility of your spine.
Keeping your back flexible is one of the important steps you can take to remain feeling young and healthy no matter what your driver’s license declares your age to be!
Also, as you practice, you master mind-body awareness of the two most important positions of your pelvis.
In every yoga pose, your pelvis is either rounded like a cat or tilted like a cow.
Anatomically speaking, that’s either retroversion of your pelvis or anteversion of your pelvis.
Understanding the position of your pelvis is especially important in proper seated posture because when you collapse into retroversion of the pelvis, rounding your back into a C curve, you compress your spine and add to low back pain.
Improper sitting posture is a primary cause of back pain.
If you would like to see what proper sitting posture looks like, you can download this FREE handout of posture exercises at this link.
Directions:
- Come onto your hands and knees.
- Bring your knees and hands as wide as your shoulders.
- Keep your arms as straight as possible.
- Keep your wrist crease straight and spread your fingers.
- As you inhale, tilt your tailbone up and gently lift your head.
- As you exhale, round your entire spine, pressing your tailbone forward and tucking your chin to your chest.
- Move with your breath 1 minute as you lengthen your spine.
Benefits:
- Unlocks your sacroiliac joint.
- Relieves back pain.
- Relaxes your spine.
- Creates space between your vertebrae to traction your spine gently.
- Brings your spine into alignment.
Caution:
- Be sure to breathe deeply and relax!
- If your knees are feeling tender, you may want to place extra padding such as a towel or blanket underneath you.
If you would like a personal postural assessment to understand why your back hurts and what you can do about it, call 678-612-8816 or email catherine@unlimitedenergynow.com.
To join Catherine’s ongoing yoga classes, follow the directions at this link. We meet Tuesday evenings from 7:30 to 9 p.m., Thursday mornings from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and Thursday evenings 7:30 to 9 p.m.
Private lessons meet by appointment Monday through Friday.
Photo of cat pose courtesy of Diane Fulmer of Savannah, Georgia.