Cow Pose

Instructions

1. 1Begin on all fours in tabletop position with wrists under shoulders and knees under hips.
2. 2On an inhale, drop your belly toward the mat and let the sit bones lift toward the ceiling.
3. 3Broaden across the collarbones and draw the shoulder blades together and down the back.
4. 4Lift your gaze gently forward and up, keeping the back of the neck long rather than compressing it.
5. 5Press all ten fingers evenly into the mat to protect the wrists throughout the movement.
6. 6Hold for one breath, then exhale back into Cat Pose, moving between the two in coordination with your breath.

Contraindications & precautions

• ⚠Lumbar herniation or acute lower back pain — avoid the deep lumbar extension and work with a minimal range of motion or skip the pose entirely.
• ⚠Wrist injury or carpal tunnel syndrome — practice on fists or forearms to reduce hyperextension and compressive forces on the wrist joint.
• ⚠Neck injury or cervical stenosis — keep the gaze toward the mat rather than lifting the head to prevent compression of the cervical vertebrae.