1 00:00:00,200 --> 00:00:03,469 Hey, everyone, and welcome to Yoga with Adriene. 2 00:00:03,469 --> 00:00:04,304 I am Adriene. 3 00:00:04,304 --> 00:00:07,608 And today, we are going to learn Cat-Cow. 4 00:00:07,608 --> 00:00:12,346 Which is one of my favorite things in the entire universe. 5 00:00:12,346 --> 00:00:14,615 So I'm happy to share it with you today. 6 00:00:14,615 --> 00:00:16,884 Cat-Cow is great for happy spine, 7 00:00:16,884 --> 00:00:18,652 massages the internal organs, 8 00:00:18,652 --> 00:00:21,588 stretches the belly, builds muscles in the back, 9 00:00:21,588 --> 00:00:25,325 and can also reduce stress. 10 00:00:25,325 --> 00:00:26,927 Which we all need to do. 11 00:00:26,927 --> 00:00:28,996 I don't think we will argue about that. 12 00:00:28,996 --> 00:00:32,399 So hop on the mat and let's learn Cat-Cow. 13 00:00:32,399 --> 00:00:35,469 (lighthearted music) 14 00:00:43,810 --> 00:00:48,712 Okay, so we're going to begin on all fours. 15 00:00:50,384 --> 00:00:54,855 And we can pad the knees with a blanket, 16 00:00:54,855 --> 00:00:57,824 or we can double up the mat. 17 00:00:58,692 --> 00:01:00,093 In fact, let me just show you that really fast. 18 00:01:00,093 --> 00:01:02,562 This is a great trick if you're working on hard floors 19 00:01:02,562 --> 00:01:04,131 and you don't have a blanket. 20 00:01:04,131 --> 00:01:07,834 You can peel the mat up and double it up here, 21 00:01:07,834 --> 00:01:10,504 or quadruple. 22 00:01:10,504 --> 00:01:12,039 Triple, quadruple it up. 23 00:01:13,240 --> 00:01:16,577 And it becomes a nice little padding for the knees. 24 00:01:16,577 --> 00:01:21,181 Ta-da, so use a blanket if you like, 25 00:01:21,181 --> 00:01:23,050 or double up on the mat. 26 00:01:23,050 --> 00:01:27,120 Okay, so together, we'll come to arrive on all fours. 27 00:01:28,689 --> 00:01:29,723 And right away, of course 28 00:01:29,723 --> 00:01:31,358 I wanna think about my foundation, 29 00:01:31,358 --> 00:01:33,327 that which is touching the earth. 30 00:01:33,327 --> 00:01:36,630 So I'm gonna spread my palms as wide I can, 31 00:01:37,564 --> 00:01:39,967 and place them underneath the shoulders. 32 00:01:39,967 --> 00:01:43,036 So wrists underneath the shoulders. 33 00:01:43,036 --> 00:01:45,973 I'm gonna check in with my legs. 34 00:01:45,973 --> 00:01:48,108 Knees directly underneath the hips. 35 00:01:48,108 --> 00:01:50,243 And checking in with my foundation, 36 00:01:50,243 --> 00:01:52,312 I will therefore press the tops 37 00:01:52,312 --> 00:01:54,281 of my thighs into the earth. 38 00:01:54,281 --> 00:01:56,850 So rather than just hanging out on all fours, 39 00:01:57,718 --> 00:02:00,988 I'm already considering my foundation. 40 00:02:00,988 --> 00:02:04,825 And not just that, but pressing up and out of it. 41 00:02:04,825 --> 00:02:08,662 So finding this what we call tabletop position. 42 00:02:08,662 --> 00:02:10,364 And to do that, I'm really gonna extend 43 00:02:10,364 --> 00:02:11,765 through the crown of the head. 44 00:02:11,765 --> 00:02:15,435 By maybe taking my gaze down between my two index fingers. 45 00:02:16,837 --> 00:02:18,705 And then maybe drawing the shoulders, 46 00:02:18,705 --> 00:02:20,474 Not maybe, how about we draw 47 00:02:20,474 --> 00:02:23,076 the shoulders away from the ears. 48 00:02:23,076 --> 00:02:25,879 My yoga mentor will be like, what's with all this maybe? 49 00:02:25,879 --> 00:02:29,883 No maybe, let's roll the shoulders away from the ears. 50 00:02:29,883 --> 00:02:32,285 See if we can create a long neck here. 51 00:02:32,285 --> 00:02:35,055 And then, particularly for us gals, 52 00:02:35,055 --> 00:02:37,090 but for everyone, just check in with the lower back 53 00:02:37,090 --> 00:02:40,160 by drawing the naval up towards the spine. 54 00:02:40,160 --> 00:02:42,863 So sometimes we get caught in this nice pelvic tilt, 55 00:02:42,863 --> 00:02:44,931 which is lovely. 56 00:02:44,931 --> 00:02:48,035 But we'll want to come into the tabletop position. 57 00:02:48,035 --> 00:02:50,637 So straightening that out. 58 00:02:50,637 --> 00:02:53,173 So there's kind of a lot of activity going on here. 59 00:02:53,173 --> 00:02:55,509 I'm pressing up and out of my palms. 60 00:02:55,509 --> 00:02:57,110 I'm engaging the pelvic floor, 61 00:02:57,110 --> 00:02:59,046 pressing into the tops of the feet, 62 00:02:59,046 --> 00:03:01,581 drawing my naval to my spine, 63 00:03:01,581 --> 00:03:03,150 shoulders away from the ears, 64 00:03:03,150 --> 00:03:04,918 long beautiful neck here. 65 00:03:06,286 --> 00:03:07,120 Then of course, 66 00:03:07,120 --> 00:03:08,989 I'll begin to come into my breath (exhales). 67 00:03:10,524 --> 00:03:13,193 Maybe first just noticing the natural rhythm, 68 00:03:13,193 --> 00:03:15,262 the natural ebb and flow of the breath. 69 00:03:15,262 --> 00:03:17,731 And then beginning to stir it up, play with it, 70 00:03:17,731 --> 00:03:20,067 see if I can extend the inhale (inhales). 71 00:03:21,635 --> 00:03:23,637 And extend the exhalation (exhales). 72 00:03:26,373 --> 00:03:30,777 I'm starting collect tiny beads of sweat on my forehead. 73 00:03:30,777 --> 00:03:32,079 One, because it's kind of hot in the room. 74 00:03:32,079 --> 00:03:33,547 But two, because I'm working here. 75 00:03:33,547 --> 00:03:36,583 I'm already creating a full body experience for myself, 76 00:03:36,583 --> 00:03:38,118 engaging the core (inhales). 77 00:03:40,020 --> 00:03:41,655 Connecting from the crown of the head 78 00:03:41,655 --> 00:03:42,856 to the tip of the tailbone. 79 00:03:42,856 --> 00:03:45,225 Okay, so this is actually Tabletop position. 80 00:03:45,225 --> 00:03:48,428 This is the preparatory pose for Cat-Cow. 81 00:03:48,428 --> 00:03:51,832 So I'll inhale and break this line in the spine. 82 00:03:51,832 --> 00:03:55,669 Scooping my heart forward, pelvis tilts here, 83 00:03:55,669 --> 00:03:59,706 as I shine my heart forward, gaze can come forward here. 84 00:03:59,706 --> 00:04:02,242 I'm drawing my shoulders away from the ears, 85 00:04:02,242 --> 00:04:03,677 and I'm continuing that action 86 00:04:03,677 --> 00:04:05,345 that I had in Tabletop position 87 00:04:05,345 --> 00:04:08,348 of pressing up and out of the earth. 88 00:04:08,348 --> 00:04:10,584 Rather than just collapsing into my bones. 89 00:04:10,584 --> 00:04:13,920 So inhaling, long belly. 90 00:04:13,920 --> 00:04:15,655 Then on the exhale, opposite. 91 00:04:15,655 --> 00:04:18,125 So I'm gonna start at the tailbone. 92 00:04:18,125 --> 00:04:21,962 Curl my tailbone under, travel up the spine, 93 00:04:21,962 --> 00:04:24,664 draw the naval up towards the sky, 94 00:04:25,632 --> 00:04:29,536 chin slowly rotates, tilts towards the chest. 95 00:04:29,536 --> 00:04:31,037 So we wanna draw the chin to the chest, 96 00:04:31,037 --> 00:04:32,506 but not forcefully, 97 00:04:32,506 --> 00:04:35,542 just letting the flow up the spine. 98 00:04:35,542 --> 00:04:37,778 Allow the crown of the head to release. 99 00:04:37,778 --> 00:04:38,845 And then same thing here. 100 00:04:38,845 --> 00:04:40,947 I could be hanging into my bones here. 101 00:04:41,815 --> 00:04:44,785 Or I can really get my money's worth, as I like to say. 102 00:04:44,785 --> 00:04:46,620 I can press up and out of the earth, 103 00:04:46,620 --> 00:04:49,990 really feeling the skin of the back stretch, 104 00:04:49,990 --> 00:04:51,925 drawing the naval up towards the sky. 105 00:04:53,360 --> 00:04:56,696 And then on your inhale, on the next inhale, 106 00:04:56,696 --> 00:04:59,599 same thing, scooping the heart forward. 107 00:04:59,599 --> 00:05:01,001 Lengthening through the side body, 108 00:05:01,001 --> 00:05:02,469 pressing up and out of the palms 109 00:05:02,469 --> 00:05:06,006 as the tailbone lifts up, pelvic tilt. 110 00:05:06,006 --> 00:05:08,708 Heart radiates forward. 111 00:05:08,708 --> 00:05:10,677 Nice big breath in. 112 00:05:10,677 --> 00:05:15,182 On the exhale, tailbone curls under, chin to chest, 113 00:05:15,182 --> 00:05:18,752 naval draws up, pressing up and out of the palms. 114 00:05:19,886 --> 00:05:21,821 In kids yoga, here we pretend like 115 00:05:21,821 --> 00:05:24,925 we're black Halloween cats here. 116 00:05:24,925 --> 00:05:26,509 We go hisses. 117 00:05:27,761 --> 00:05:30,831 Now on the inhale, scooping the heart forward, 118 00:05:30,831 --> 00:05:33,733 I want to just take a quick moment to say 119 00:05:33,733 --> 00:05:36,308 rather than thinking of this as a U shape, 120 00:05:36,308 --> 00:05:40,698 the letter U, like I love you, 121 00:05:40,698 --> 00:05:44,098 or other things, 122 00:05:45,278 --> 00:05:47,781 rather than thinking of it as a U shape, 123 00:05:47,781 --> 00:05:49,216 and then an N shape, 124 00:05:50,483 --> 00:05:51,685 think about it as a journey. 125 00:05:51,685 --> 00:05:54,221 So the breath is taking us on 126 00:05:54,221 --> 00:05:56,456 the journey up into that U shape. 127 00:05:56,456 --> 00:05:59,192 And then we'll connect the breath and the movement 128 00:05:59,192 --> 00:06:00,694 by then traveling into the N shape. 129 00:06:00,694 --> 00:06:02,562 So a good example of that, 130 00:06:02,562 --> 00:06:04,798 if you're like, what did she just say? 131 00:06:04,798 --> 00:06:08,368 Is when I'm here in this kind of U shape, 132 00:06:08,368 --> 00:06:10,370 stretching the skin on my belly, 133 00:06:10,370 --> 00:06:14,441 rather than just thinking about going from here to here, 134 00:06:14,441 --> 00:06:16,576 I'm gonna really enjoy how I get there. 135 00:06:16,576 --> 00:06:17,944 So connecting it with the breath. 136 00:06:17,944 --> 00:06:20,447 I'll maybe start at the tip of the tailbone. 137 00:06:20,447 --> 00:06:22,182 Start the movement there. 138 00:06:23,049 --> 00:06:26,386 And then slowly travel up the spine, 139 00:06:26,386 --> 00:06:29,889 like two little fingertips walking up my spine 140 00:06:29,889 --> 00:06:33,226 until they continue to walk, walk, walk up my neck. 141 00:06:33,226 --> 00:06:36,496 And then the crown of the head releases 142 00:06:36,496 --> 00:06:39,499 only because I finally made it there in my journey. 143 00:06:39,499 --> 00:06:41,334 And then I begin again, inhale. 144 00:06:41,334 --> 00:06:43,370 Looping the shoulders away from the ears. 145 00:06:43,370 --> 00:06:46,373 Again, scooping the heart forward. 146 00:06:46,373 --> 00:06:49,676 So this is a really great spinal flex warmup. 147 00:06:49,676 --> 00:06:50,677 And I feel like a lot of times, 148 00:06:50,677 --> 00:06:52,746 we just blow through it like everything else, 149 00:06:52,746 --> 00:06:54,180 like really fast. 150 00:06:54,180 --> 00:06:57,183 So take your time, consider the breath. 151 00:06:57,183 --> 00:07:00,420 And then marry the breath to the movement. 152 00:07:00,420 --> 00:07:02,222 Always wanting to marry the breath to that action, 153 00:07:02,222 --> 00:07:04,024 the action to the breath. 154 00:07:04,024 --> 00:07:05,625 So here we go, Cat-Cow. 155 00:07:05,625 --> 00:07:07,827 Inhaling, scooping heart forward (inhales). 156 00:07:18,405 --> 00:07:20,006 And again, inhaling. 157 00:07:20,674 --> 00:07:23,543 Heart radiates forward, long puppy belly here. 158 00:07:23,543 --> 00:07:26,246 Pressing into the tops of the feet. 159 00:07:26,246 --> 00:07:28,681 In kids yoga, here we say, moo. 160 00:07:29,516 --> 00:07:31,017 And then, exhaling. 161 00:07:31,017 --> 00:07:33,953 Traveling up the staircase of the spine. 162 00:07:33,953 --> 00:07:36,142 Pressing into my palms. 163 00:07:37,057 --> 00:07:40,973 All of this is on that exhale (exhales). 164 00:07:46,166 --> 00:07:48,968 Long breath in, long neck. 165 00:07:50,236 --> 00:07:54,341 And we can close the eyes and really enjoy this (exhales). 166 00:08:00,447 --> 00:08:02,415 So that was Cat-Cow. 167 00:08:02,415 --> 00:08:05,952 A wonderful basic foundational pose 168 00:08:05,952 --> 00:08:09,656 that you can do every day when you wake up, 169 00:08:09,656 --> 00:08:11,157 or before you go to bed. 170 00:08:11,157 --> 00:08:12,892 Super yummy for the spine. 171 00:08:12,892 --> 00:08:13,927 Thanks for being with me. 172 00:08:13,927 --> 00:08:15,695 If you have any questions, 173 00:08:15,695 --> 00:08:19,366 leave them in the comments box area. 174 00:08:19,366 --> 00:08:21,501 I'll get back to you as soon as I can. 175 00:08:21,501 --> 00:08:23,303 Make sure you subscribe to my channel 176 00:08:23,303 --> 00:08:26,239 and visit poccox.com. 177 00:08:26,239 --> 00:08:30,477 Hope you have a beautiful time practicing Cat-Cow. 178 00:08:30,477 --> 00:08:31,311 Namaste. 179 00:08:31,311 --> 00:08:34,481 (lighthearted music)