Today's session

Exercise 1 of 6

Cat-cow + supported child's pose

2 × 8 · warm-up

Cat-cow + supported child's pose — Neutral spine — start

Neutral spine — start

Cat-cow + supported child's pose — Cow — belly drops, chest lifts

Cow — belly drops, chest lifts

Cat-cow + supported child's pose — Cat — round spine to ceiling

Cat — round spine to ceiling

Why this exercise

Decompresses the lumbar segments and primes the spine for movement.

Setup

·Start on hands and knees, wrists under shoulders, knees under hips.
·Neutral spine, gaze down.

How to do it

1Inhale: drop belly, lift chest and tailbone (cow).
2Exhale: round spine to the ceiling, tuck chin and pelvis (cat).
3Move slowly with breath for 8 cycles, then rest in child's pose for 3 breaths.

Form cues

·Move from the pelvis, not the neck.
·Keep elbows soft.

Can't do the full version?

If wrists ache, make fists or use a folded towel under the heel of the hand.

Note for your clinician

Today's session