Cat Cow is a great morning pose because it gently mobilizes the spine, said Maria Eilersen, RYT 200. "A slow flow between Cat and Cow warms up the body and brings flexibility to the spine, while matching breath to movement — inhaling to find Cow and exhaling to find Cat — relieves stress and calms the mind."
Begin on your hands and knees with your knees under your hips and your wrists under your shoulders. Your spine should be in a neutral position, with your back flat and your abs pulled in towards your spine.
Take a big, deep inhale.
On the exhale, round your spine up toward the ceiling, and imagine you're pulling your belly button up toward your spine, really engageing your abs. Tuck your chin toward your chest, and let your neck release. This is your cat-like shape.
On your inhale, arch your back, let your belly relax, and go loose. Lift your head and tailbone up toward the sky — without putting any unnecessary pressure on your neck. This is the Cow portion of the pose.
Continue flowing back and forth from Cat Pose to Cow Pose, and connect your breath to each movement — inhale for Cow Pose, and exhale on Cat Pose.