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Cat and Dog Tilts

Practicing the Cat and Dog Tilts are useful both as a gentle warm-up to the spine, and as a way of learning basic movements of the thighs and pelvis which help create a better opening in the hips and extension of the spine.

The 'spirals' mentioned here are basic principles taught by Anusara teachers which apply universally to all hatha yoga poses to create greater stability and mobility in the hips and lower back, and greater extension to the spine.

Basic Form

Begin on your hands and knees with the hands directly under the shoulders and knees under the hips.

While keeping your arms straight and firm, soften your heart down toward the floor to bring your spine into a neutral position, with your shoulderblades flat on your back and a natural curve in your back.. 

‘Dog Tilt’

As you inhale, lift your head and top chest while bringing an arch into your back; tip your hips toward the floor, lifting your sitbones as your midback arches downward toward the floor.

This movement of the pelvis is known as a ‘dog tilt.’ It approximates what is known in Anusara Yoga as an inner spiral of the legs and pelvis; the upper inner thighs turn inward toward each other, move back and press apart with a spiraling action as the back arches. This creates space in the pelvis for the top of the sacrum to move into the body, giving the spine greater freedom to extend with the action of the 'Cat Tilt' or outer spiral.

 ‘Cat Tilt’

As you exhale, press down through your arms and round your back up toward the ceiling. As you round your back, firm your stomach muscles to press your navel upwards against the spine, while drawing your tailbone down and forward to tip your pelvis back. Allow your head to drop down between your arms.

The movement of the pelvis in this stretch is known as a ‘cat tilt.’  This movement approximates what is known in Anusara Yoga as an outer spiral of the thighs and pelvis; as the tailbone scoops down and forward into the body, the tops of the thighs turn out, opening the hip joints. The front of the spine lengthens upwards as the lower belly draws in and up toward your heart.

Cat and Dog Tilt as a Warm-up for the Spine

Continue moving back and forth smoothly between a cat tilt and a dog tilt at your own pace, moving with your breath. Let the movements with the breath bring fluidity to all parts of the spine.

-- Doug Keller

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