Even if you’ve never been to a yoga class, you’ve probably done a version of a “cat/cow” flow in a warm-up to a fitness class, in physical therapy, or just on your own.
It’s one of the most basic and intuitive combinations of poses you can do to stretch your back and mobilize your spine.
Setting Up a Cat/Cow
In case you’re unfamiliar, cat/cow pose is done on your hands and knees—known as quadruped or tabletop position. Set up with your hips directly over your knees and your shoulders over your wrists. This gives you a series of right angles, like a table.
Since many people are often confused by which pose is which, here’s a clarification:
- For cat pose, round through your spine like an “angry cat,” dropping your head and tucking your tailbone under.
- For cow pose, you arch your spine and look up, opening through the front body.
The Cat/Cow Breath Patterns
In a cat/cow flow, you link these movements with your breath.
Here’s where you might find some variations — and some debate in the yoga community.
Most yoga teachers will cue an inhale for cow pose and an exhale for cat pose.
When I first started my journey with Katonah Yoga, I was confused to hear the opposite breathing cues: inhaling in cat pose and exhaling in cow pose.
I’ve also learned this “reversed” breathing pattern from physical therapists.
There’s often a lot of debate about which is the “correct” pattern. But both patterns have their purpose. Rather than simply following a dogma, it helps to know why you’re doing what you’re doing.
What’s the “Correct” Breath Pattern for Cat/Cows?
Here’s a breakdown of the traditional breathing pattern and the reversed pattern.
Traditional Breathing Pattern
In a typical yoga class, you’ll be cued to inhale for cow pose and exhale for cat pose. This aligns with typical yoga breathing principles, which is to inhale for lengthening poses and exhale on the contraction.
In cow pose, your lungs and chest are coming forward and your spine is extending, which is an expanding action that naturally pairs with an inhale.
In cat pose, your abdominals engage to push the air out, and your body contracts, which naturally pairs with an exhale.
This “traditional” pattern correlates to the body’s natural tendency.
“Reversed” Breathing Pattern
Why would you want to breathe the “opposite way” in a cat/cow?
For one, sometimes it’s good to experiment with different patterns just to mix it up. Maybe you’ll find you like it better. Maybe it will feel more natural to you, or better in your body.
Another reason to switch it up is that maybe it serves your functional needs better. I’ve personally found the “reverse breathing” to be especially useful training for weightlifting and other movement practices I engage in.
This breath pattern can also serve you if you tend to be a belly-breather, have a weak diaphragm, or have a stiff upper/mid-back, all of which apply for me.
Here’s a look at the bio-mechanics of the reverse breathing pattern and why it can be helpful.
Why Inhale for Cat Pose
Many people tend to breathe into their chest or belly, or use accessory muscles like their scalenes (neck muscles) to help them breathe. We do this because we have weak diaphragms.
By inhaling in this rounded, contracted position you force the breath into the back body. This will help you consciously expand through the back ribs and the shoulder blades. This helps mobilize the entire spine and mid back, where many people are naturally stiff.
Inhaling in cat pose also strengthens your diaphragm, the main muscle that facilitates your inhale. When you inhale in the rounded position where your body is compressed, your force your diaphragm to push against resistance, which strengthens it.
Why Exhale for Cow Pose
Exhaling in cow pose, when the front body is open, challenges your body to engage the core muscles in a lengthened position, which helps stabilize the lower back.
In the traditional cat/cow pattern, you exhale in cat pose as your body naturally contracts, which passively lets the air fall out. When you exhale in cow pose, you must consciously engage the abdominal muscles to push the air out, rather than allowing the air to fall out passively as you contract. This strengths your core, diaphragm, and pelvic floor, and is a form of controlling the breath.
Re-educating the Neuromuscular System
Another benefit of this “reverse breathing” pattern is that it reeducates the neuromuscular system by forcing you to be intentional about how you’re breathing.
You go through your day breathing, but how often are you truly aware of how you’re breathing?
This intentionality is at the core of yoga. (No pun intended.)
Yoga is not just about making shapes with your body on the mat. Part of the point is to bring awareness to what you’re doing and how you’re doing it — to get out of your habits.
The Bottom Line
Ultimately, there’s not just one “correct” way to do anything. It helps to understand the why behind the different methods so that you can formulate an intention around what you’re doing and give yourself the medicine you need.
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