How to Use Cat Pose to Relieve Lower Back Pain
/Low back pain got you down?
Need to release stress and turn attention inward?
Want to connect to your core and strengthen your abs?
Curl Into Cat Pose!
Cat Pose is a popular beginner yoga pose appropriate for yoga practitioners of all levels and abilities. Rounding our spine in Cat Pose stretches the back and neck and can alleviate low back pain, as well as release the tension many of us carry in our upper back, neck and shoulders.
As with all forward bends, this pose brings our attention inward, regulating the nervous system as we connect more deeply with ourselves and our breath. Let’s calm and curl into a Cat Pose stretch!
The Benefits of Cat Yoga Pose for Kids
Cat yoga pose releases and stretches the muscles of the spine, upper back and shoulders while strengthening arms, shoulders and core. It is a great way to warm the body up at the start of yoga practice and prepare the spine for more vigorous movement.
As we strengthen our arms and wrists in cat pose we also lay the groundwork for poses that require upper body and core strength like Downward Facing Dog, Plank and eventually Crow Pose.
When done properly, this pose also strengthens fingers and hands which helps children develop fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination.
As we round into cat pose, we lengthen the spine, increase circulation of spinal fluid and create greater spinal mobility. Practicing this pose slowly with the breath allows us to notice where our spine may be more or less mobile.
Once we have that awareness, we can initiate the motion from various locations along the spine to create different effects.
In addition, cat pose provides a gentle massage of the abdominal organs aiding in digestion and proper elimination.
Try this: Cat in a tree musical yoga
This yoga sequence combines Cat Pose with Tree Pose and explores emotional intelligence in a fun story about a cat getting stuck in a tree. Let’s sing and stretch along with Dan!
How To: Cat Pose Yoga
Start in Tabletop pose on your hands and knees.
Stack your shoulders over your wrists with your hands shoulder-width apart.
Align wrist creases with the front edge of your yoga mat and spread fingers.
Stack hips over the knees with knees hip-width apart and toes guiding straight back.
Distribute body weight evenly through both hands and knees.
Center your head, neck neutral and in line with the spine, eyes looking at the floor.
As you exhale, round your spine toward the ceiling, keeping shoulders and knees in position.
Lift your abdomen up and in, curling tailbone toward the floor and rounding the back.
Lengthen the back of the neck, releasing the head toward the floor.
Actively press the floor away, firming the muscles of the arms, outer hips and thighs.
Inhale back to neutral spine and then repeat with the pace of your breathing.
Tips for Mastering Cat Yoga Pose
Make sure your knees and hands are positioned correctly to get maximum benefit from this pose. Knees should be directly under hips and hands directly under shoulders.
Spread the fingers and press through fingertips, to keep the weight out of the wrists and to strengthen fingers, hands and forearms.
If your wrists hurt, make fists with your hands, practice on forearms or try the seated or reclined variations below.
If you have sensitive knees, roll the outer edges of your yoga mat or use a folded blanket under the knees to create extra padding. Also option to practice seated, standing or reclined variations.
If you experience neck discomfort, keep your head in the neutral position as you arch your back.
Breathe slowly and deeply as you practice to calm the nervous system and allow for a deeper stretch.
Kid-friendly Cat Pose Yoga Variations
While it is most common to see Cat Pose practiced from tabletop position, we can also find a cat stretch when standing, seated or lying down.
For the standing version, bring your legs hips width apart with knees slightly bent. Place your hands on your thighs and round your spine as you exhale.
To practice seated cat pose, sit on a chair or cross legged. Place your hands on your knees and round your spine into Cat pose as you exhale.
For a super gentle cat variation, lay down on your back and practice a small pelvic tuck on the exhale.
In each of these variations, you can inhale to return to neutral spine or open the shoulders and chest as you arch the back into Cow Pose. Just make sure to keep the abs engaged so the low back is supported through the arch.
Kids love animal yoga and Cat Pose can easily be combined into a fun yoga sequence with several other poses. Let’s flow along with Dan to a classic folk tune, Bought Me A Cat. See if you can remember the whole pattern!
Build Core Strength With Cat Pose Variations
As children spend more time in sitting at desks, finding creative ways to increase core strength is necessary to prevent poor posture habits and build gross motor skills and coordination.
Once you feel steady in Cat Pose, you can kick it up a notch with two core strengthening variations.
From cat pose, draw one knee in toward the chest, hovering the heel close to the glute while keeping hips and shoulders level. Balance there and then slowly return the knee down to the floor and switch sides.
From neutral tabletop, extend one leg back hovering at hip level and extend the opposite arm forward at shoulder level. Exhale and round into Cat Pose, bending and drawing the extended knee and elbow to touch under the body. Inhale and reach back out into tabletop extension. Repeat several times on the breath and then switch sides.
After practicing any version of Cat Pose, it is always nice to sit hips back to heels and rest in child’s pose for a few breaths. This flow with Rachel combines Cat, Cow, Plank, Downward Facing Dog and Child’s Pose and is perfect to warm up at the start of practice or cool down at the end.
Once you are done practicing Cat Pose and its many fun variations, take some time to rest in Relaxation Pose.
Sense the warmth, ease and energy the practice has created along all the back body. While we know a cat doesn’t actually have nine lives, we can be sure keeping a strong and mobile spine will contribute to our own long life and optimal health.
Elevate Your Curriculum
Access children's musical yoga and mindfulness resources for your kids? You can:
- Download our app for exclusive videos and educational yoga activities -- with no ads!
- Request a professional development workshop
- Learn to teach yoga with a 30-hour certified kids yoga teacher training
- Inquire about bringing the Yo Re Mi program to your students or family
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