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  • Home
  • Blog
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    • My Yoga Journey
    • About Me
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Somatic Yoga Cat Cow for Lower Back Pain

May 6, 2022 //  by Di Hickman//  Leave a Comment

I’m no stranger to back pain. While yoga can help it’s important to be mindful, move slow and with intention. This 10 minute class is somatic yoga exploring cat cow for lower back pain. It’s a few of the movement patterns I practice to experience where my tension is, and then work on a practice to release and stretch that area. Hope it helps give you some relief!!

If you can’t view the embedded video above, you can view the video on YouTube. Maybe add it to a playlist? Above all, remember to subscribe to my channel. New videos are uploaded regularly. However, for exclusive longer format videos sign up for my Patreon community. Each month we explore poses, transitions, and trouble areas. Patrons also get early access to all my videos, along with lots of other benefits. You join today for as little as $1 a month, but prices will be increasing soon!

Cat cow for lower back pain

We’ll begin this practice on all fours. If you’re like me and want some comfort I suggest a folded blanket under your knees. Take a little more space between the hands and knees then begin a cat cow movement. Notice your lower back and how it feels.

yoga teacher on all fours on a yoga mat

After a few repetitions take a pause and offset the knees by bringing the right knee just a few inches forward of the left. Then repeat the movement. This variation of cat cow for lower back pain allows us to notice the difference in tension along the lower back. When doing cat cow here with the knees offset HOW are things different?

yoga teacher demonstrating offset cat pose

Again, take a minute or so to experience the movement, then pause. Keep the knees offset and now do the same with the hands by bringing the left hand just a few inches forward. Repeating this offset cat cow exercise. Notice how this feels different from the regular cat cow, and the variation with just the knee forward.

yoga teacher demonstrating offset cat pose

After a few repetitions, the pause in cat with the back rounded up and sit halfway into child’s pose. Hopefully, here you are feeling a deep stretch through the lower back on one side. Hold for a few breaths, resettle onto all fours, and sit into child’s pose for a reset. Rise back up to hands and knees and repeat on the other side with the left knee coming forward, and then the right hand. At the end of the cat cow for lower back pain practice then rescan in regular cat cow. Has anything changed about the movement?

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somatic yoga get relief from lower back pain

Want more?

If you’re looking for real yoga for real bodies, consider joining my Patreon. Each month I release two yoga classes exclusively for my Patreon community. On the other hand, other ways to find more yoga with me are signing up for my 7-day yoga challenge, or subscribing to my YouTube channel. Remember you can get your reminder to practice more with my “do more yoga” t-shirt.

Questions

  • Have you experienced back pain?
  • Is it something you deal with regularly?
  • What do you do to relieve back pain?
Previous Post: « Purvottanasana for beginners – modifications, variations and progressions
Next Post: Somatic Yoga Stretch for lats and Shoulder »

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Hi, I’m Di. A yoga teacher with over 20 years experience in the health and wellness industry. My mission is to give you information so you can be fitter, healthier, stress-free and happier (no, seriously).

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