Sleeping curled up
“I’m trying to sleep, but I’m not entirely comfortable.” This is exactly what the cat communicates when taking this pose. She curls up and puts her head on her hind legs. Although this position may seem incredibly comfortable and safe to a human, in reality the cat feels some anxiety and is trying to protect the most vulnerable parts of its body. The cat mainly hides its belly and wraps its tail around it. This position also allows the cat to better maintain a comfortable temperature, which is why she often sleeps like this in cold weather.
Lying crunch
Jathara parivartanasana
This gentle twist relaxes and tones the mid-back and lower back, back and abdominal muscles. It literally “rinses” the internal organs of the abdominal cavity, improves physical and psychological condition. This is a great pose to start and end your practice with.
Execution technique
- Lie down and gently pull your right knee toward your chest. The left leg is extended on the floor. Tuck your right knee toward your chest, pointing it toward your armpit, and point your toes toward you.
- Hold your right knee with your left hand and place it on the floor on the left side of your body.
- Extend your right arm to the right and look over your right shoulder.
- As you inhale, lengthen your side.
- As you exhale, direct your navel toward your spine and twist from the center.
- Return to the center and repeat the twist on the other side.
Sphinx pose
The position of the sphinx (the cat lies on its stomach, with its paws tucked under itself and its head raised) means that the animal is quite happy with its surroundings and its place of stay, and enjoys the situation to the fullest. The cat is not going to run away, because it does not see any threat. Rather, she feels completely safe and happy. This position also helps your pet save energy.
Technique and breathing
The exercise begins with vajrasana - sitting with the pelvis on the calves and heels. At this moment, it is necessary to take several preliminary breaths and exhalations. This should be done slowly, trying to include the abdominal muscles and diaphragm in the work. If you inhale through your nose, it will be more effective. Five seconds - inhale through your nose, five seconds - exhale through your mouth. Do 10 cycles.
Next, the first position is executed:
- Get on all fours: arms and hips should be perpendicular to the floor. The head looks forward. The arms are straight at the elbows.
- Inhaling through your nose, bend your back and throw your head back. At the same time, you can’t strain yourself. You can imagine that there is something fragile on the neck that cannot be crushed. Feel the abdominal muscles stretch and it opens. Hold your breath for 3 – 5 seconds.
- As you begin to exhale, slowly lower your head and arch your back upward. Your head will drop down and with your eyes you will be able to see your hips. As you finish inhaling, pull your buttocks and tailbone into yourself. The abdominal muscles should contract completely - beginners may feel some soreness, which will soon go away. In the exhalation state, you also need to linger for 3-5 seconds.
With experience, you can practice taking deeper breaths and longer exhales as possible. You need to move as slowly as possible, trying to synchronize the movements and distribute the air inside the body.
A variation of the cat pose is a slow transition to a position lying on your stomach, resting with outstretched arms, and then back to the starting position. The transition is performed as if a person is trying to crawl under a low fence and back.
Start yoga classes 2 hours after eating. Before going to bed, performing asana calms you down and gives you healthy rest. For greater benefit, it is recommended to concentrate on the sexual chakra - Svadhisthana, the center of which is located in women in the area of the uterus. This will increase the flow of energy to this chakra and eliminate the symptoms of female diseases.
Cats have their own secret places where she does whatever she wants, and no one sees it. She values her boundaries and personal space, does not think about the past, does not criticize herself for an extra piece eaten for breakfast, loves her appearance and is happy with her life - in this you need to take an example from the animal.
Sleeping on your back
The abdominal area is one of the most vulnerable parts of any cat's body. So, if your furry friend sleeps on the sofa with his belly up, with his paws scattered in different directions, he is telling you that he trusts you completely, for which you can be congratulated. This means that you deserve to be liked. This sleeping position is the most common among pets. But cats that live outside rarely experience such a strong sense of trust in the environment.
Marjariasana - description
You can start learning proper breathing with yoga classes - cat pose is suitable for beginners. In addition to breathing, this asana:
- corrects the position of the vertebrae;
- gradually strengthens weak pelvic and abdominal muscles;
- will make your thinking more concentrated and your body more mobile.
Women can count on eliminating many problems that arise due to blood stagnation in the pelvic organs. For men, exercise will give freedom in self-expression and movement. It is safe to assume that those muscles that have long ceased to function will begin to work. If you turn them on again, new neural connections will begin to develop in the brain, which is useful in adulthood and old age, since it prevents many degenerative diseases of the neocortex.
The cat pose consists of alternately arching the back in different directions - up, down. The first position with an arched back is called “cat”, the second - the opposite - “cow”. Alternating these two positions consists of an exercise that in yoga is called the “balancing cat.”
By following the cat's habits, namely smoothness and slowness, you can independently learn to move in a similar way. A person’s brain will gradually get used to the idea that in order to maintain health, it is necessary to devote at least one hour of time a day to oneself. This is not much, but this minimum allows you to abandon everyday problems, concentrate on your own body, give it a lot of oxygen, and it will thank its owner in full - with a cheerful mood and good health.
There are different levels in yoga. Some require serious physical training - they are of the “don’t try this on your own” category. But the main task of all levels is to learn to relax with the brain, that is, switch to alpha, theta rhythms, which exclude the work of consciousness and put the body into recovery mode. Physical fatigue can be corrected quite quickly and yoga is one of the ways to do this.
Breathing exercises help to relax, which should be devoted to a separate chapter. Everyone has noticed that when there is a high or low level of oxygen in the environment, they begin to feel dizzy. There is little oxygen high in the mountains and it is difficult for a city person to get there. But it is quite possible to increase the ventilation of the lungs and brain tissue, even in an apartment. The effect will be similar - along with the flow of air, negative thoughts and emotions leave the head.
It’s as if a person creates a wind that carries away everything unnecessary that prevents you from relaxing, resting, and having fun. That's why deep intense breathing is so important - it distracts, forces the diaphragm to work, switches thoughts to your own body, restoring the strength spent during the day.
Sleeping with half-closed eyes
No matter how cute and domesticated your cat may be, she is still a predator at heart. Cats remain alert to everything that happens around them, so they have to fight the urge to doze off and settle into a more comfortable position. This way they stay alert. If your cat sleeps with one eye open, it means that one part of her brain is asleep and the other is awake.
Main working muscles
This exercise is aimed at stretching the entire length of the spine and stretching the back muscles (especially the erector spinae).
Back extensor muscles
:
erector spinae muscle (spinalis muscle, longissimus muscle, iliocostalis muscle), semispinalis muscle, group of deep spinal muscles.
Back flexor muscles : rectus abdominis, external oblique, internal oblique.
Accessory muscles
Abdominal muscles that stabilize the spine
:
Transverse abdominis muscle.
Muscles that extend the leg at the hip joint
:
gluteus maximus, posterior thigh muscle group.
Muscles that flex the arm at the shoulder joint
:
anterior bundle of the deltoid muscle, pectoralis major muscle (clavicular bundle).
Muscles that extend the arm at the shoulder joint
:
latissimus dorsi, teres major, pectoralis major (sternocostal band).
Muscles that abduct the shoulder blades
:
serratus anterior muscle.
Muscles that extend the arm at the elbow joint
:
triceps
Sleeping on your side
This is one of the most comfortable positions a cat can assume. She feels completely safe, so she has no need to protect her vital organs. The cat is probably sleeping deeply and not worried about anything at all. Purrs who sleep in this position usually have a strong emotional connection with their owners and are not afraid to show trust.
Features of cat sleep
Every average nine-year-old cat slept for at least six years! However, “overslept” is a rough definition, more like dozed off. Cats allow themselves sound, healthy sleep much less often; they spend most of their lives in the relaxation stage.
Video - How and where cats prefer to sleep
Sleep phases
Table 1. Physiological changes in different stages of sleep
Criterion | Slow phase | Fast phase |
Heart | Reducing heart beats | Increased heart rate, pulse may be uneven |
Lungs | Slowing down your breathing rate | Breathing rate is variable |
Muscles | Muscle relaxation | Convulsive movements of the tail, paws, twitching of the ears |
Eyes | Slow fading eye movements occur under the eyelids | Rapid eye movement |
Body temperature | Decreases (to several degrees) | Increasing |
Arterial pressure | Decreases | Increasing |
During half-sleep, pets do not cut off contact with the outside world, but continue to receive a continuous stream of information about what is happening around them. This feature is reflected in the position they choose to rest. If we take a closer look at the position of the entire body, we will notice that in most cases the animal takes a “on the alert” position. This means that if an irritant appears, the cat is ready to jump up sharply, and then either run away or attack.
Light, short sleep helps predators quickly regain strength for a short period of time to do intense work before the next period of slumber.
It is impossible to stay on constant “recharging”, so cats plunge into a healthy and sound sleep at a certain moment for the full restoration of the entire body, in particular the immune system. In this case, cats do not immediately wake up in full mobilization of strength.
A cat may unexpectedly end up on its back while sleeping
You can tell that the cat didn’t just close his eyes for five minutes, but fell asleep fully by his posture. It happens that a cat falls asleep in a half-curled position, but over time it begins to toss and turn and ends up on its back, with its paws tucked or spread out. Lying with his eyes closed in this position, the cat is not just dozing - he is completely relaxed and immersed in deep sleep, being completely indifferent to external stimuli.
Sleeping curled up in a ring
This is also one of the most common poses among domestic cats. This position is convenient as it helps maintain heat in the body and at the same time protect the most sensitive areas. If your cat sleeps curled up, she feels safe and completely relaxed. But be careful! Sometimes cats adopt this position when they feel pain due to certain health problems. Pay attention to your pet's behavior so you don't miss any warning signs.
Contraindications and restrictions
There are no contraindications for performing this chakra. It is practiced in kindergartens, when preparing women for childbirth. During contractions, women get on all fours, arch their backs upward (the second cat position), and some hug their partner by the neck, arching their backs down, thus relieving pain.
The only way to fail the exercise is in a state of fever or fever, when it is difficult for a person to get up or take a few steps around the room. The exercise should be performed with caution if your blood pressure is high.
Covers its face with its paw
Cats don't like to be disturbed, and this attitude is a clear sign that you should leave your cat alone. If your meow tries to cover its head with its paw or tail, and also shows irritation when you touch it, then most likely it craves peace and quiet. Just let your cat enjoy his own time and space, and save the sussies for later.
By observing your cat while she sleeps, you can understand what your pet lacks, what worries her and how you should behave with her. If your pet is not behaving as usual, then this is a reason to contact a veterinarian. By the way, useful conclusions can also be drawn from the meowing of cats.
Source
Benefits brought
This asana can be performed during menstruation to relieve heaviness and facilitate the process. If a woman suffers from excess discharge or painful symptoms, regularly practicing this one pose will relieve the negative effects over time.
The most interesting thing is that Svadhisthana affects the social stereotypes to which a person is exposed. Sometimes they are completely alien to him, but he, out of habit or suggestion from the outside, allows these beliefs to guide him, which causes malfunctions in the body, as well as energy blocks and subsequent diseases.
Activation of Svadhisthana allows creative abilities to manifest themselves and be realized, since in women and men the sexual chakra is the area of creative potential.
From an energetic point of view, the cat pose also activates the sacral Mulathara chakra, which is located in the tailbone area, so it must be felt and activated by exhalation. There is a direct connection: if mulathara is problematic, then the svadhisthana that follows it will also reduce its energy for balance, which will lead to various diseases of the reproductive system.