Cow Pose or Bitilasana:
Cow pose or Bitilasana is one of the yoga poses for starters that extend the spine and improve your posture. To do cow pose, begin in table top posture with hands and feet on the mat. Push the navel downward so that the tailbone presses up, generating a deep arch in your back. The heart and chest push outward as the head should be tilted a bit back. People with wrist pain can adjust this pose by placing the forearms on the ground instead of just the palms.
When you bring the chest up, there’s an inclination towards to squeeze the shoulders and limit the neck. Remember to draw the shoulders down from the ears and allow the shoulder blades expand into the chest. Chair Pose or Utkatasana
How to do Cow Pose or Bitilasana – Instructions with Step by Step:
- Begin with your hands and knees in a tabletop position. Ensure your knees are set directly below your hips and wrists, elbows and shoulders are in line and perpendicular to the ground. Have your head in a neutral position, eyes viewing at the floor.
- As you breathe in, lift your chest and sitting bones toward the ceiling, letting your belly to sink toward the ground. Level your head to look straight forward.
- Breathe out, come again to neutral “tabletop” position on your hands and knees. Repeat 10 to 20 times.
- This cow pose asana is often combined with Cat Pose on the exhale for a gentle, flowing vinyasa. When practiced together, the poses help to stretch the body and prepare it for other activity.
- For Cat pose, start to breathe out the belly button toward the spine and continue that lift toward the heart, scoop the tailbone, let the chin to rest on the chest, and drishti toward the nose. Perform as many rounds as you would like, possibly adding intentional movement and activation of the spine by observing if your head, chest, belly, and/or tailbone tend to initiate your flow.
Benefits of Cow Pose Includes:
- Stretches the muscles of hips, back, chest, and lungs.
- Tones back muscles
- Improve digestive tract and female reproductive system
- Relieves lower back pain
- Increases flexibility of the spine, neck and shoulders
- Improves posture
- Release tension from the stomach and groins
- Strengthens arms
- Tones abdominal muscles
- Improves circulation
Precautions for Cow Pose:
- This is the pose that benefits for you neck but people with severe neck pain must keep the head ranged with the body and should not tilt it upwards. Those with knee and wrist damages should also avoid practicing this pose.
- If you have very firm body and very tight at the shoulder may have to face some problem. If it is the case the use of a prop becomes very important to reach that level of satisfaction with your asana.
- Anyone who is suffering from any medical condition should consult with their doctor or yoga teacher before performing any of the yoga asanas.
- Avoid forcing your body to stretch beyond its capacity and ability.
- It is recommended to have a trained yoga professional to guide you with the movements in the begining level so that you perform the poses in the right manner and not stress out your body.
Regular practice of yoga asanas will help your shoulders to drop, your chest to open, and your breath to come more easily and deeper.
