Backache? Cat cow child pose flow yoga is just what you need to get freedom from the pain

Blame our lifestyles for our constant backache issues! We have become so used to neglecting it thinking it will go away on its own, but beware because that can increase the risk of serious injuries or complications. As you age, or when you go through your menstrual cycle, backache is common, but there are many other factors which lead to backache, and finding a solution is important.  

If your work from home routine has given you a sore spine, read on. Cat cow child pose flow yoga is all you need! Basically, it is a combination of two yoga poses; child’s pose and cat-cow pose, both of which are effective ways to reduce backache.

Child’s pose: It may look like you’re resting, but the child’s pose is an active stretch that helps elongate the back. This pose stretches and relaxes your spine, glutes, and hamstrings, helping to relieve the tension in your back and neck. 

Also, read: Suffering from back pain? These 10 everyday habits could be the reason why

Cat cow pose: This pose is a gentle backbend stretch. When you perform cat-cow stretch, it targets the spine and abdominal and involves moving the spine from a rounded position (flexion) to an arched position (extension). 

Here’s how you can do this flow in a right way

Let’s start with the child’s pose aka balasana:

1. Sit on your shin bones with your knees together, your big toes touching, and your heels splayed out to the side as you would while performing vajrasana. 
2. Bend forward and walk your hands in front of you and rest your forehead gently on the floor. 
3. Sink your hips back down towards your feet, keeping your spine straight. 
4. Keep your arms extended in front of you or rest them along your body. 
5. Remain in the pose for 2-3 minutes or, while continuing to breathe deeply. 

Follow these steps to shift to the cat-cow pose:

1. To perform a cat-cow pose, get on all fours, in a tabletop position, slowly moving from the child’s pose. 
2. Align your wrists underneath your shoulders and your knee underneath your hips. Make sure your toes are pointing backward.
3. Keep your back and neck straight and look down, balancing your weight evenly between all four points.
4. Inhale and look up, pushing your shoulders further away from your ears. 
5. Your belly drops down, but keep your abdominal muscles hugging your spine by drawing your navel in. 
6. Now exhale and drop your head down, pointing your chin towards your chest and your tailbone towards the yoga mat. 
7. Continue this fluid movement for at least one minute. 

From here, to move into child’s pose once again, when you exhale, just sit back on your heels and relax 

Here’s what the cat-cow child pose flow yoga can do for you

1. Strengthen your spine and back muscles

The flow between the cat-cow pose to the child’s pose activates and revitalizes back muscles by increasing the blood flow and releasing the tension around your neck and upper back area.

Also, read: From improving flexibility to easing back pain, here are 4 benefits of the yoga wheel

2. Massage and stimulate organs in the belly

It stimulates your abdominal organs like adrenal glands and kidneys because they get massaged while doing this yoga pose, helping reduce your backache. 

3. Increases the flexibility

This yoga flow relieves backache and makes the spine more flexible. This movement involves curving, rounding, and lengthening the spine, and stretching back, which means a perfect flow to boost flexibility.

Practicing this pose regularly can help relieve you from pain and soreness around your back and improves the flexibility of your back muscles. 

4. Relieve menstrual pain

This is a great yoga flow to relieve menstrual pains especially if your back hurts a lot. The movement between these two poses allows your muscles to stretch, while also helping you relax. 

5. Stretches the hips abdomen and back

Cat-cow child stretch helps to release the tension of the upper back and neck by stretching lower and upper back muscles along with the spine. 

6. Improve balance

By strengthening the back, spine, or core this flow is great for improving balance. With its great benefit of relaxing the body, calming the thoughts, and stimulating a gentle flow in the back, this pose is good for posture and balance as well. 

This flow is deeply relaxing, so there is no doubt that your back pain will go away in no time!