Marjaryasana-Bitilasana
Marjaryasana-Bitilasana is a dynamic yoga flow that is widely known as Cat-Cow Pose. It’s not a single pose but a gentle, flowing sequence that transitions between two distinct postures:
- Marjaryasana (Cat Pose): Marjari is the Sanskrit word for “cat.” In this pose, you exhale and round your spine upward toward the ceiling, arching your back like a cat, tucking your chin to your chest, and drawing your navel toward your spine.
- Bitilasana (Cow Pose): Bitila is the Sanskrit word for “cow.” In this pose, you inhale and drop your belly toward the floor, arching your back and lifting your head and tailbone.
How to Practice the Flow
- Start: Begin on your hands and knees in a tabletop position. Your knees should be directly under your hips and your wrists should be directly under your shoulders.
- Move into Cow Pose (Inhale): Inhale deeply as you drop your belly, lift your chest and head, and arch your back.
- Move into Cat Pose (Exhale): Exhale as you round your spine, tuck your chin to your chest, and press your back up toward the ceiling.
- Flow: Continue to move fluidly between these two poses, linking the movement with your breath. Inhale as you move into Cow, and exhale as you move into Cat.
Key Benefits
- Warms Up the Spine: Cat-Cow is one of the best warm-up sequences for the spine. It moves the spine through its full range of motion, increasing flexibility and lubricating the vertebrae.
- Gentle and Restorative: This flow is gentle enough for beginners, for use in restorative practices, and even for pregnant women (with some modifications).
- Improves Posture: By stretching and strengthening the muscles of the back and core, it can help to improve posture and relieve tension from sitting.
- Connects Breath and Movement: The deliberate link between the inhale and the arch and the exhale and the round helps to build a foundational mind-body connection.
- Massages Organs: The gentle movement can help to massage and stimulate the abdominal organs, which may aid in digestion.
Because of its simplicity and effectiveness, Marjaryasana-Bitilasana is a staple in almost every yoga class and is a wonderful way to begin or end a practice.