Majariasana, or cat's pose, is designed to produce a gently theraputic vinyasa for the spine.
Like Bitilasana (cow's pose), cat's pose can also be practiced on its own by starting from table pose (covered in an earlier column).
Cat’s pose massages the internal organs while stretching the spine from the nape of the neck to the tip of the tailbone. It also calms and destresses the mind.
From table pose, exhale and lift the mid spine towards the ceiling. Reach your tailbone down and toward the back of the knees, while tucking your chin toward your breastbone.
Feel your lower spine and neck vertebra opening and rounding to stretch the interspinalis muscles that hold the vertebrae tightly together in these two areas.
As with cow's pose, if you suffer from a neck injury, keep the angle of your eyes the same as the angle of your breastbone.
This will allow you to maintain openness and stability within the cervical spine.
If you suffer from slipped discs either in the lumbar or the cervical spine, you may wish to avoid cat's pose.
While holding cat's pose, be sure to draw your shoulders wide and down. Don't allow the inside part of the elbows to turn inwards.
This is the most frequently made error while practicing this pose.
Continue to lift the weight of the body off of the arms so as to not overfatigue the shoulder muscles and stress the shoulder joints. Keep your bandhas engaged and lifted within.
Inhale and slowly move back into either table pose or cow's pose, moving your spine vertebrae by vertebrae.
Repeat several times to gently release your spinal muscles.
Breathe evenly and slowly as you move in and out of cat's pose. Do not hold your breath as you hold the pose.
If your wrists are uncomfortable throughout either cat or cow's pose, you may wish to place the heel of your palm upon some padding, while the fingers reach down toward the floor.
This will decrease the angle of the wrist, thus decreasing the flexibility required to support your body upon your hands.