Movement for back, hips, neck and brain---cat and cow

CAT AND COW
IN SITTING ON A CHAIR
Come to the front of the chair
Both feet on the floor

CAT:
Back is rounded
by
Pulling stomach in
Rolling back on your pelvis
Lowering your sternum
Letting your head slump down

COW
Back is arched
by
Pushing stomach forward
(extra credit, figure out how to do this on the outbreath)
Rolling forward on your pelvis
Raising your sternum
Letting your nose lift up toward the sky (Do not cram your neck way back)


NORMAL DEAL
In sitting
alternate cat and cow

slowly
taking a few turns to mainly notice the pelvis
a few turns
to mainly notice the ribs and arch/ round of the spine
and
a few turns
feeling your head's involvement in this
and
then
a few turns feeling it all together

VARIATION ONE

In this variation your head does the opposite as the "normal" version

So
VARIATION ONE -- CAT
All is the same except for the head:
Back Rounded
by
Belly in
Pelvis rolled back
Sternum down
and
Head goes UP this time

Two ways to notice this:
The head goes back as the back goes back
and
Your head is rotating the same way your pelvis is

VARIATION ONE -- COW
All is the same except for the head
Back Arched
by
Belly forward
Pelvis rolling forward
Sternum up
and
Your HEAD goes DOWN this time

as before;
Head and belly going forward
and
Your head is rotating the same way your pelvis is

LINK THESE UP:
AND
go slowly
and pay attention
and enjoy the movement
and find something new and delicious
and interesting
each time you do the movement

Go LESS than your full range
Use LESS force
Use MORE attention, ease and pleasure

Enjoy


CAT AND COW AS THEY DO IT IN YOGA

ON YOUR HANDS AND KNEES

NORMAL CAT
Back arched up toward the ceiling
as
Pelvis tucks under
Belly tucks in
Head lowers toward the pelvis
And your sternum moves as if down into your belly

NORMAL COW
Back and ribs come toward the floor
as
Your pelvis rotates so your butt is moving toward the back of your head
The back of your head , as you nose lifts, is moving toward your butt
Your sternum is expanding and coming as if up toward your neck

CAT and COW in Yoga:
Go back and forth between these two

VARIATION TWO
Put your weight on your left hand and knee
Have your right knee free

As you do cat,
Bring your right knee toward your nose

As you do cow
Bring your right foot back and up toward the ceiling

Alternate these two


VARIATION ONE IN THE YOGA VERSION

HANDS AND KNEES VARIATION ONE,      CAT
Your back is up toward the ceiling,
Rounded we call it, though blah blah, it could seem an arch
Think of rounding forward in standing or sitting,
This is rounding, just go along with it

Your back is toward the ceiling
Your pelvis is tucked under , tailbone tucked under, as if toward your head
Your belly is pulled in and up toward the ceiling
and
Your head is looking up toward the ceiling/ sky also

as before:
the back and the head are both toward the sky
and
the pelvis and the head are rotating the same direction

HANDS AND KNEES VARIATION ONE,    COW
Your back is arched
Meaning ribs are pushed "forward" if forward is the way your chest points
or
Ribs and belly are pushed toward the floor
and your sternum lifts a bit toward your neck
and
Your pelvis rotates as if the point your butt toward your head
and
Your head this time is
Going down toward the floor

as before:
The ribs and mid section is toward the floor and so is your head
and
Your pelvis and your head are rotating in the same direction

Combine these two
Go slowly
Go slower
Stop a lot

Feel it
feel it
feel it

as sensation

it's very relaxing
and
brain expanding

as are
all of these lessons

cheers
Chris

Cat and Cow and Brain ( Yours)

Hey, you with a brain and a back.
It's easier to stand on four legs. Like a table.

Get into the crawling position.
Slowly
Slowly
Slowly
Rock your belly forward
and bring your eyes up to the sky or ceiling
and bring the back of your butt toward the back of your head

this is the cow,
about to moooo:

Belly down
But toward back of head
Back of head toward the butt


Now the cat:
Move everything the other way:

Eyes and head down
Belly in and back, as if you are lifting the midback toward sky or ceiling
Crotch rotating toward your nose

So:
Belly up
Head toward genitals which are rotating toward the head

Back and forth,
five times:
Normal
Sensing the lower back
Sensing the mid back
Sensing the upper back
Sensing the whole back

Take a break, crawl around, lie down, whatever

Now,
Get fancy,
after you are sure sure sure you've got the "normal" cat and cow

Try this for starters,
I'll have a harder one a little later:

Do the cat and cow as above
the same five times,
but with the chin tucked toward the chest and the eyes down.

So in the cat part, the head will be the usual place,
and in the cow part it will be opposite of what it is "supposed" to be

Rest, crawl, cavott

Now, arch your head up and look at the ceiling/ sky and
have the belly and pelvis go through five times as per above
of
the modified cat and cow

Then rest

Then do it the easy/ normal/ feels good way

Now, get up on your feet and notice how tall and connected to the ground you feel

Good.

A movement for pleasure, undoing pain, and talking to both sides of our brain

We could do this lesson with pictures,
and it would be "easier" because it would all
be on one side of the brain.

Most "movement" classes, not only are watch and copy,
but also don't really require a use of mental attention that
actually increases our intelligence.

This lesson,
giving you words to translate into actions,
and giving your brain/self some challenge and non-habitual chances
for your attention,
can do a lot for your ability to move think and be
with more ease grace and pleasure
in the world.

Take advantage.

Go slow, slower, slowest.
Do the movements many times,
as if each time were new.
Look for pleasure and connections you might not
have known before.
Look for ways to make this easier and more alive for you.

So, here goes.

Get on your hands and knees.

There is a yoga thing called cat and cow.
That's our start.

A.
Begin with the regular cat and cow,
where for the cat,
you lift your back and belly towards the sky,
let your head drop,
pull your belly in,
and rotate your pelvis so your sex and nose are
going toward each other.

You might even like to breathe out in the cat phase.

Do this slowly, and stay "relaxed."

Then undo this and come to the "cow,"
which is belly down and forward toward the floor,
back arched,
head with nose up to the sky,
pelvis rotated as if the bottom of your rear end
is coming toward the back of your head.

Go back and forth between cat and cow
and then rest.

Kneel, or lie down, and put your head down,
or get up and walk around. You decide how to rest.

Now the first variation:

B.
Let your head hang down toward the Earth
the whole time.
So in cat it's like it would be anyway,
but then as you arch your back and rotate your pelvis
for cow,
keep your head loose and hanging down.

Rest after doing this ten or twenty or thirty times.
Do it "many," and so slowly it is pleasure,
and so much in awareness that is as if each time
is new.

C.
Second variation:
Your head will go the opposite of the way
it did in A, the "normal" cat and cow.

Which means:
in the cow part, when you arch your back
and tilt your pelvis so the rear end is toward your neck,
your head will travel down toward the floor,
even as if you were to look at your belly.

And in the cat part, when you round your back,
and tuck your pelvis under, you bring your head "up"
as if to look at the ceiling.

This can be confusing.
Realize that the back and head are here
going up and down in sych: head toward the ceiling when belly lifts,
head towards the floor when belly drops.

Rest.

D. Now do the "normal" cat and cow,
or A,
and in the first way:
D.1. notice what your eyes want to do,
and deliberately look up when your head is going up,
and look down when your head is going down.

Rest a bit.

D.2. Now,
continuing to do the "normal" cat and cow,
bring your eyes the opposite of your head

so in cat, head down, belly up, and eyes up

in cow, head up, belly down, and eyes down

go slowly, very slowly,
be gentle
follow your breathing
take it easy
rest if confused
go slowly and gently,
did I say that?

Rest.

E. for extra credit,
do C, where the head goes down when the belly goes down,
and up when the belly goes up,
and have your eyes go opposite your head.

Rest.

F. Do, just a few times do the "normal" cat and cow, but with almost delirious pleasure
at how sweet and easy the "normal" way has become.

Rest on your back.
Notice feelings of upgrade and feelings of relaxation.

Roll slowly to sitting and then easily come to standing
and walk around.

Again notice feels of ease (relaxation) and potency ( increased connection inside of yourself)

Good.