Mind-Body Ritual: Seated/Standing Cat Cow (Chest Opening)
Position
Seated or standing with legs spread to shoulder width or wider. Core engaged to create neutral spine and balanced sit bones.
Breathing
5 second INHALE through nose
5 second EXHALE through nose
Intention
Mobilize the thoracic spine with flexion and extension. Open Heart-center for reception. True Receivorship.
Practice
- •Bring your hands to your hips with your elbows out at your side
- •Breathe in and arch your thoracic spine into the "cow position" (extension)
- •Plug your shoulders into your spine and pinch your elbows backwards
- •Continue to breath in to this expansive posture
- •Breathe out and round your thoracic spine into the "cat position" (flexion)
- •Let your shoulders and elbows round forward
- •Continue letting the breath out in this contraction posture
- •Continue to alternate between the Cat/Cow flexion-extension breath and movement rhythm
- •Keep your face and neck relaxed as you find a nice steady pace of breath
- •You should feel your midback going into extension with each inhalation and into forward flexion with each exhaling
- •Continue to "pump" this region of your spine as your chest and belly expand
- •Focus especially on the upper thoracic spine between the shoulder blades and at the base of the neck as this tends to be the most restricted region
Important Note
*You should feel well oxygenated and clear following this. If you feel light-headed, you pushed too hard and need to slow down the pace in order to take more full, quality breaths.
Heart-Center Connection
**Following this, we can go palm over palm to our Heart-center (sternum - middle chest bone). Here we can tune in, feeling the rhythmic beating of our Heart, the expansion and contraction of our lungs, and our energy in flow. Bring an intention to this area, even if it is simply telling it that you will continue to listen and honor it.
From the True Self Series - Empowerment Movement Module
Shine Family Chiropractic