Cat pose for pregnant women: marjariasana

Cat Pose – Benefits of Performing it

An asana that all yoga practitioners and yoginis encounter is Marjariasana. Universal and equally useful for virtually all levels of progress and condition. For pregnant women, the asana helps:

– Develop the spine;

– increase flexibility in the back;

– alleviate strain on the lower back;

– open up the thorax;

– “wake up” the neck and improve blood flow to the head.

Marjariasana: order of performance

The cat pose is a dynamic exercise, which itself contains compensatory movements on both the thorax and the back. To perform it, you need to perform a few simple movements:

1. Get on your knees. Make sure your hands are directly under your shoulder joints and the load is evenly distributed across your palms.
2. The middle finger faces forward. Legs bent at the knees – positioned directly below the pelvis at hip distance.
3. Round your back, with your shoulder blades “spreading” out to the sides and as if pulling slightly downward. Exhale.
4. With an inhale compensate. The back goes back to the previous position, now the chest goes down. With the top of your head striving upwards. You will feel how the chest expands and it becomes easier to breathe.

You can repeat this up to 10 times. But there is no need to rush, feel each breathing cycle and a pleasant stretching of the back and then front muscles.

We show and tell you more about the technique at MomsLab’s online workouts.

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Cat pose for pregnant women – tips for adapting the pose

If you want a good back workout, Marjariasana can be slightly complicated. For example, try:

– Extend the straight legs alternately and hold them slightly backwards in an extended position for 5-6 seconds;

– add pelvic rotations;

– pull the pelvis to the left and right, as if trying to touch the left and right sides;

– Rotate the head and neck alternately to the left and right, trying to find the tailbone with the pelvis motionless;

– Spread your hands across the width of the mat with palms facing each other – “rolling” on your hands from left to right, making a circle with your thorax.

Cat pose – what should not be forgotten?

From the outside, entering the pose seems simple, but remember that technique is the key to good health after and the absence of injury during the performance:

– First, the hands are not bent, but placed directly under the shoulders;

– Pregnant women are allowed to move their hips more than is allowed in the standard posture, where the knees are perpendicular to the floor;

– Second, don’t tilt your head back too much and don’t “wiggle” it in an attempt to increase your tempo;

– Third, do not do the pose sharply – imagine that you are the sea, and do it smoothly.

Important: Asana Cat is contraindicated to pregnant women who have a neck injury or severe back pain. Therefore, consult a doctor before performing it.

Marjariasana – when should I perform it?

Cat pose is a great option for both morning exercises and for evening relaxation. As a result, the pose can be practiced at any term, adapting it to yourself:

– Instead of straight arms, you can lower yourself on your elbows;

– Open the legs a little wider than the width of the hips.

Asana will help relieve tension in the back, as well as prepare the body for childbirth by making it more enduring.