Chakravakasana: How to do Chakravakasana (Cat-Cow Stretch) in Yoga: Tips, Techniques, Correct Form and Benefits

Cat-cow stretch or chakravakasana is basically a yoga pose that helps improve your balance and posture. It's an ideal yoga pose for people with severe back pain.

Chakravakasana involves moving your spine from a flexion or rounded position to an extension or arched one. Each movement performed in the cat-cow stretch is done with an inhalation or exhalation of breath, thereby making it a simple vinyasa i.e. linking your breath to yoga movements.

How to do Chakravakasana (cat-cow stretch) in yoga? Correct form:

How to do cat-cow stretch? (Image via Freepik)

To perform the cat-cow stretch, you need a yoga mat, or you may simply do it on a carpeted floor.

Step-by-step instructions:

Take a table pose i.e. start on your knees and hands, with your wrists under your shoulders and your knees under your hips.
Place your palm on the mat with your fingertips pointing to the top of the mat.
Place your knees as well as your shins hip-width apart.
Keep your head straight, and soften your abs downward.
Move into a cow pose; slowly inhale and take your abdomen towards the yoga mat. Lift your chest and chin, and raise your body upwards.
Draw your shoulder blades away from your ears.
As you exhale, take a cat pose; push your abdomen to your spine, and round it back towards the ceiling (just as a cat stretches its back).
Slowly take your head towards the yoga mat without forcing your chin towards your chest.
Inhale, and again take the cow pose; exhale and take a cat pose again.
Repeat at least ten times, and sit back on your heels with your upper back straight.

Few tips to improve chakravakasana:

When performing this cat-cow stretch, keep the following in mind:

When moving into a cat pose, drop your head slowly, and release the back of your neck in a controlled manner. Make sure you don’t force your chin towards your chest.
To enhance the strengthening effects in your abdominal muscles, push your belly button slowly towards your spine.
When moving into a cow pose, make sure to start the movement from your tailbone, and let your head and neck be the last part of the pose.
To protect your neck from pain and strain, keep your shoulder blades away from your ear.
Be particular about your breath, and make it coordinated with each movement.

Variations and modifications of the cat-cow stretch

Chakravakasana is an effective yoga pose for beginners and can be performed without pain or discomfort. However, if you want to modify the movements and make the cat-cow stretch more challenging, try these simple variations to reap the benefits of yoga:

If this pose hurts your wrists, instead of opening your palms, create a fist. You may also place your forearms on the yoga mat.
You can use a stack of blankets, and place your forearms on it to lift your torso more accurately.
If you face any discomfort in your knee, fold the yoga mat, or put a blanket under your knee cap for added cushioning.

Benefits of Chakravakasana

Benefits of cat-cow stretch. (Image via Freepik)

Practicing the cat-cow stretch warms up your body and provides great benefits. You may practice this pose as a warm-up exercise, to relax your body or as an effective exercise to control back pain.

The cat-cow stretch pose is a basic stretch that helps you improve your body balance and posture. It's also an ideal stress-reliever exercise, as it involves breathing and calms your mind. Extending and flexing your back helps improve disk circulation in your back, eases back pain and promotes a healthy spine. That, in turn, enhances your body posture and opens up your shoulders and chest.

If you suffer from back pain from long sitting hours, the cat-cow stretch is a great pose to help ease some of that strain, as it’s simple and convenient to be done anytime. Moreover, if you just want to do some good breathing exercises, combining breathing with the gentle movements of chakravakasana can be beneficial, making it very relaxing and great for a warm-up or a cool-down stretch.

Some common mistakes to avoid:

Common mistakes to avoid while doing the cat-cow exercise. (Image via Freepik)

To maintain correct posture and avoid strains or injuries, avoid these common mistakes when performing a cat-cow stretch.

When you are lifting your torso towards the ceiling, make sure you do not strain your neck. Do the movement with control, and never overextend or push your neck.
Keep your shoulders relaxed throughout the exercise, and do not push them towards your ears.
When doing a cat pose, slowly drop your head rather than forcing it to the mat.
Always keep your arms straight so that each movement comes from your spine rather than your elbows and arms.

Chakravakasana or the cat-cow stretch is an ideal yoga pose that benefits your upper back. Regular yoga practice can also improve sports performance. However, if you have any neck injuries, make sure to keep your head aligned with your torso, and do not drop it back or forward while doing the cat-cow stretch.

Pregnant women and people with back or neck injuries should avoid the cat-cow stretch and shouldn’t allow their abdomen to drop between the movements. Remember to always perform the exercise without any discomfort. If you have any health concerns, consult your doctor before starting any yoga or exercise session.