Steps
- Come to hands and knees. Wrists under shoulders, knees under hips.
- Spread the fingers. Keep a tiny softness in the elbows.
- As you breathe out, gently round the spine and let the head release. Do not crank the chin to the chest.
- Move slowly. Return to a neutral back before the next breath in.
What this pose may help with
These lines describe why people practice the shape. A pose may help with ordinary stiffness or with settling your attention. They are not claims that the pose treats or cures a condition.
- Moves the spine through flexion in a supported position.
- A useful warm-up before standing poses.
- Easy to pair with the breath.
Common mistakes
- Forcing the chin to the chest.
- Collapsing into the wrists.
- Moving so fast the breath cannot follow.
Modifications
- Fists or forearms if the wrists hurt.
- A blanket under the knees.
Safety
- Wrist pain: use fists or forearms, or do the movement seated.
- Knee pain: extra padding, or skip kneeling shapes.
- Move only in a range that does not create sharp spinal pain.
If you are pregnant, injured, or dealing with back pain, consult a doctor before you follow this page. Stop for sharp pain, numbness, dizziness, or chest pain. This is movement education, not a diagnosis or a treatment. Read the medical disclaimer.
Cat Pose (Marjaryasana, said mar-jahr-ee-AHS-uh-nuh) is listed here as a Beginner Kneeling pose. The body area it emphasizes is Back. From hands and knees, you round the spine as you breathe out. It pairs with Cow.
Read the steps in order. Set the pose up before you try to deepen it. The first mistake called out on this page is: Forcing the chin to the chest. That line is there because the usual error is doing too much, not because a tighter shape is a better practice. The modifications keep the same idea when the full shape does not fit today. Use them on purpose. They are part of the pose, not a demotion.
People practice Cat Pose for a plain reason: Moves the spine through flexion in a supported position. That “may help” is a description of why the shape is in a beginner library. It is not a claim that the pose treats, cures, or prevents a condition. Wrist pain: use fists or forearms, or do the movement seated.
If you are pregnant, returning from an injury, or your back has been painful, consult a doctor before you practice Cat Pose. A safety note on a website is education. It is not clearance. Sharp pain, numbness, dizziness, or pain that runs down a leg is a reason to stop and get care, not a reason to hold the shape longer. The medical disclaimer on this site says the same thing in more detail.
When you are done, come out slowly. One calm repetition you can repeat tomorrow is the point of the page. Pair Cat Pose with a short routine from this site if you want a sequence, and keep the timer as a guide you are allowed to pause.