Mind Body

I don't really feel the stretch when doing cat/cow, what am I missing?

Unlock the Secrets: Why Cat/Cow Stretch Isn't About Flexibility

So the question is, I don't really feel the stretch when doing Cat-Cow What am I missing? So you can see in this video, I'm demonstrating Cat-Cow This part is Cow, and this part is Cat. So here you can see that I'm stretching muscles across my upper back. But this is more an exercise for spine, shoulder, and pelvic mobility. So what this means is that it is great for alleviating aches and pains in the upper body, but it's not so much for increasing your flexibility, which is something that you'd be looking to do in a static stretch more than you would in a dynamic sequence. I hope that answers your question.

Cat-Cow is an exercise for improving spine, shoulder, and pelvic mobility and relieving pain in the upper body, but it's not as effective for increasing flexibility as a static stretch would be.

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When doing Cat-Cow, if you don't feel a significant stretch, it's important to understand that this exercise primarily focuses on spine, shoulder, and pelvic mobility rather than increasing flexibility. While it can help alleviate aches and pains in the upper body, it may not provide the same sensation as a static stretch. Cat-Cow is more of a dynamic sequence rather than a dedicated stretching exercise.

What are your favorite poses for easing achy hips?

Unlock Hip Relief: Instagram yogi shares favorite poses!

OK, so my favorite poses for achy hips-- this is from my Instagram. First of all, we have dead pigeon for the glutes and piriformis, reclining head to big toe for calves and hamstrings, happy baby for glutes and groin, reclining butterfly for the groin, half-reclining hero for the quads, reclining spinal twist for the outer hips. My Instagram is @yoga15abi.

My favorite poses for achy hips are dead pigeon, reclining head to big toe, happy baby, reclining butterfly, half-reclining hero, and reclining spinal twist. Find me on Instagram @yoga15abi.

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My favorite poses for easing achy hips, as shared on my Instagram, include:

1. Dead Pigeon: This pose targets the glutes and piriformis.
2. Reclining Head to Big Toe: It helps stretch the calves and hamstrings.
3. Happy Baby: This pose is great for releasing tension in the glutes and groin.
4. Reclining Butterfly: It specifically targets the groin area.
5. Half-Reclining Hero: This pose focuses on stretching the quads.
6. Reclining Spinal Twist: It helps relieve tension in the outer hips.

For more poses and insights, you can find me on Instagram @yoga15abi.

How can someone make the most of an early morning yoga session?

Unlock the Power of Early Morning Yoga with These Pro Tips

Yr un o'r fforddau i wneud mwy o'r sesiwn ioga' yn awr yw i ymwys, yn hyfforddi a chael lle sy'n ymwneud â'r hollbwysig a lle byddwch chi'n cael eich ymddangos. Felly oherwydd ein bod yn ymddangos yn gyffredin, mae angen i chi ymwys ychydig a ddim yn rhoi o'r bwyd a'n ymwneud â'ch mat ioga. Felly, ddim angen i chi wneud ychydig o ddynion neu burpi, gallwch i chi fynd i'r wg. Ac ie, gwneud yn siŵr eich bod chi'n hyfforddi ac eich bod chi ymwneud â lle mae gennych chi rhai o'ch hyder a chyfathrebu i ffocws ar eich ioga.

To make the most out of an early morning, warm up with some jumping jacks or burpees and go for a walk. Hydrate and find somewhere quiet and free of distractions to focus on your yoga session.

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To make the most of an early morning yoga session, it's important to prepare, train, and create a space that is conducive to your practice. Since we often appear common, you need to prepare a little and not eat and engage with your yoga mat. So, there's no need to do a few push-ups or burpees, you can go to the mat. And yes, make sure you train and engage with a place where you have some confidence and communicate to focus on your yoga.

Breaking barriers: Making yoga accessible for athletes

The reason that making yoga accessible is important is that the very people who most need it are often those who are put off from it for some reason or another, for example, athletes and perhaps even more so male athletes. When  I first started practicing yoga, I found it strange to set an intention before each session. As I saw it   as a physical and mental discipline rather than a spiritual one. Athletes have so much to gain, especially from the flexibility and recovery aspects of yoga that it's key to meet them where they're at so that they too can reap the benefits There is a quote as   I   love by Laird Hamilton's, I think expresses this really well. All you flexible people should go bang some iron and all you big weightlifters should go do some yoga.

Making yoga accessible is important because it allows people, especially athletes, to reap the physical and mental benefits of the practice even if they don't view it as a spiritual discipline.

Making yoga accessible is important because it allows those who could benefit from it the most to actually engage in the practice. Often, individuals who would greatly benefit from yoga, such as athletes, including male athletes, are hesitant to try it for various reasons. Initially, I also found certain aspects of yoga, like setting intentions, to be unfamiliar since I viewed it more as a physical and mental discipline rather than a spiritual one. However, athletes have a lot to gain from yoga, particularly in terms of flexibility and recovery. It's crucial to meet them where they are and make yoga accessible so that they can experience these benefits as well. There's a quote by Laird Hamilton that I love and think captures this idea perfectly: All you flexible people should go bang some iron and all you big weightlifters should go do some yoga.

How do you get into Yoga if you’ve never tried it before?

Unlock the Benefits of Yoga and Get Started Today

If you've never tried yoga before, it's probably time that you did. The first thing to decide is what your goal is, whether that's recovery, increasing flexibility, inducing a state of calm and clarity or building strength with just your own body weight. You can then find an in person class, look for free content on youtube or you can sign up for my website, which is yoga 15 dot com for a free trial where you'll find sessions that cover all these objectives.

New to yoga? Consider what your goals are, and then look for in person classes, free content on youtube or sign up for a free trial on yoga15.com for sessions that cover your objectives.

If you've never tried yoga before, it's time to give it a shot. Start by determining your goal, whether that's recovery, flexibility, mental clarity, or building strength using your own body weight. From there, you have several options. You can find an in-person yoga class, explore free yoga content on YouTube, or even try out my website, yoga15.com, which offers a free trial and provides sessions covering all these objectives.

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Abi is a two-times Yoga Alliance Certified Yoga Instructor and NASM Qualified Personal Trainer. She was born in England but now travels all over the world learning cutting-edge exercise, nutrition, and health techniques to share with her online community. Abi produces Yoga 15, a series of 15-minute yoga videos designed to enhance your athletic performance and support your recovery. 

Neither AnyQuestion nor its Experts provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment or otherwise provide professional healthcare services.

Abi Carver