STRETCH OF THE WEEK:

Cat Cow Pose

The cat cow pose is very calming and stress relieving, but this #stretch is beneficial in so many other ways! The Cat Cow Pose Improves posture and balance, strengthens/stretches and revitalizes the spine and neck, as well as stretches the hips, abdomen and back. Furthermore, it massages and stimulates organs in the belly to stimulate both the digestive, and reproductive systems. One more perk for women, the Cat Cow Pose has been proven to relieve menstrual cramps! With that said, this stretch is PERFECT for pregnant and postnatal women, and is often used in prenatal yoga classes. However, with the plethora of other benefits, this stretch is for everyone!

DO THIS STRETCH!

1. Start on hands and knees on the floor
2. Hips are directly over your knees, and shoulder are directly over your hands.
3. Knees are hip width apart and the arms are shoulder width apart and parallel to each other.
4. We will begin with the Cow part of the pose, and take a deep breath in while performing the following.
5. Keep your head up and eyes forward
6. Pull your shoulder blades down and back like you are trying to put them in your back pockets.
7. Allow your lower back to sink towards the floor without forcing it down.
8. Then begin to exhale as we head into the Cat portion of the pose.
9. Tuck your chin towards your chest while beginning to bow your back up to the ceiling.
10. Further bow your back to the ceiling by using your transverse abdominals and drawing your belly button toward your spine.
11. Allow your shoulder blades to separate and stretch trying to reach every part of your back as high as you can.
12. Repeat Cow Pose again with a deep inhalation followed by the Cat Pose while exhaling rhythmically.
13. Repeat for 10 deep steady breaths while keeping even distribution of weight on the knees and hands.