How to Do Cat Pose - Yoga Tutorial

Rarely seen without its counterpose Cow, Cat Pose (Marjaryasana) is a gentle, soothing stretch to loosen your spine, neck, and hips. It’s most frequently used as part of a warm-up, so you’ll often see it before your first Sun Salutation in a Vinyasa class. Cat and Cow feel great on their own outside of a yoga flow, too — try them first thing in the morning (we highly recommend yoga in bed), before working out, or after you’ve been sitting at a desk for a long time. It’s also perfect for any other time you need some gentle, low-impact movement. They can be a meditative set of poses and are great for matching breath to posture: Inhale for Cow, exhale for Cat.

While it’s a relaxing, beginner-friendly yoga pose, it puts you in the shape of a less relaxing freaked-out cat: From all fours, you round your back upwards and tuck your tail. It’s a useful pose to get familiar with, as the Cat Pose spine is sometimes added on top of other poses, like Half Splits.

Learn how to do Cat Pose with Alo Moves instructor Dylan Werner. This video tutorial will teach you the proper alignment and technique to help you safely move into Cat Pose.

Benefits of Cat Pose

  • Strengthens arms, wrists, and shoulders

  • Massages abdominal organs

  • Soothes your spine

  • Stretches your neck and hips

Prep poses for Cat Pose

  • Cow Pose

  • Child’s Pose

  • Tabletop

How to do Cat Pose

1.

Start on your hands and knees with your hands directly beneath your shoulders and your knees beneath your hips.

2.

Wrap your triceps back to create external rotation and point your elbows toward the back of the room.

3.

Open your shoulder blades and round your back upwards, lifting from the center of your heart.

4.

Tuck your tailbone under, engage your core, and squeeze your inner thighs.

5.

Lower your chin into your chest and shift your gaze toward your navel.

Cat Pose modifications

If it’s hard on your neck or you have an injury, skip lowering your chin to your chest — just keep your neck in line with the rest of your spine. To avoid putting weight on your wrists, you can practice this pose with your elbows on the ground or on your fists. You can also add support and cushion for your knees by sliding a blanket underneath, or try practicing this pose seated by reaching your chest forward and back.

Follow-up poses

Want to put this pose into practice? Flow along with Eleonora Zampatti’s Ode to the Moon Flow on Alo Moves. Try it free with a 14-day trial.

 
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