How to Do Cat Pose Yoga (Marjaryasana) :

Cat Pose Yoga is a highly essential yoga stretch. It involves moving the spine in a rounded position and to the arched area. All the movements are done in conjunction with exhalation or inhalation of breath. The pose will be conducted in warm-up sequence, relaxation sequence, and in the form of exercise to help in the prevention of back pain.
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Step 1:
Standing on your knees and hands with the knees in the wrists and hips slightly forward or under the shoulders.
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Step 2:
Spreading fingers and pressing through the fingertips and fingers base.
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Step 3:
While exhaling, pull the bell in why lifting the side waists around spines and releasing the head towards your floor.
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Step 4:
Pressing the floor away actively and feeling the stretch in your back body.
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Step 5:
Inhaling and coming back in the starting neutral position.
Benefits of Cat Pose Yoga (Marjaryasana)
- Massaging the spine gently to help in increase of mobility
- Stretching the neck and back.
- Major warmup before the performance of yoga practice which is paired using cow pose.
- Increasing circulation using spinal fluid.
- Strengthening of wrists, hands, and muscles while preparing them for purposes of Downward Dog.
Safety and Precautions for Cat Pose Yoga (Marjaryasana)
- It is a pose that is supposed to be pain-free. In case you are experiencing any form of pain, you need to back up from this pose.
- You need to check with the doctor before conducting the exercise if you have pre-existing back pain. It is the best way of determining whether training is ideal for you.
- While having a neck injury, there is a need to leap the head hand in hand with the torso. Besides, ensure you are not tilting the head either back or forward.
Cat Pose Variations and Modifications (Marjaryasana Variations)
- If you have a neck injury, ensure you keep the head in the neutral position.
- If you have knee or wrist injuries, you will be substituting in lying down, or a seated version of cow and cat poses.
- You can try on the seated version. It involves sitting on the chair or using a secure cross-legged position. You will be placing hands around the spine and knees in cat pose and using the out-breath. There is the need of adding cow pose using in-breath.
- Trying the use of standing position. You need to stand using legs with the hip-width apart while the knees are bent slightly. The hands need to be placed on the thighs and in the spine present in out-breath. You need to add the cow pose on in-breath.
- Making a cat- The cow will sequence in an exercise of cow awakening through the extension of opposite leg and arm in a cow pose and draw elbow back while the knee is towards the nose during the cat pose.
- Alternatively, there is a need to use a cow and cat pose as spine exploration.
Source: Yoga Journal