Marjariasana, often practised with Bitilasana as Cat–Cow, is the kindest way to begin. You move with the breath: the back rounds like a cat, then the chest melts like a cow. No pose is held; the spine is mobilised vertebra by vertebra.
It is ideal for mornings, for office stiffness, and as a warm-up before Surya Namaskar.
How to practise
- Come onto all fours. Wrists under shoulders, knees under hips. Neutral spine.
- Exhale: round the back, tuck the tailbone, drop the head (Cat).
- Inhale: drop the belly, lift the sitting bones and the chest, gaze forward (Cow).
- Flow with the breath for several rounds. Keep the arms strong; do not collapse into the shoulders.
- Finish in a neutral tabletop, or sit back into Child’s Pose.
Flow for 8–12 breaths. Repeat whenever the back feels stiff.
Benefits
- Increases spinal mobility and warms the back
- Coordinates breath and movement
- Relieves stiffness from sitting
- Gently massages the abdominal organs
Precautions
Move slowly in wrist, knee or neck pain — pad the joints. In pregnancy, keep Cow milder and avoid collapsing the belly heavily.
