Gaze ahead, neck longTailbone liftsChest opensHands press downCow Pose
Biṭilāsana
Read what the gnome says
Cow Pose! From all fours, inhale and lift the sitting bones and chest, letting the belly drop. Gaze forward, shoulders away from the ears. Don't crunch the neck. Breathe slowly. Gentle, grazing cow gnome.
Works on Spinal extensors · Chest · Front of the neck
How to do it
- Come onto hands and knees, wrists under the shoulders and knees under the hips.
- On an inhale, drop the belly and lift the tailbone and the chest.
- Look forward with a long neck and let the chest open; return to neutral on an exhale.
Common mistakes
- Don’t crunch the back of the neck.
- Don’t dump the weight into the lower back.
- Don’t shrug the shoulders.
Benefits
- Stretches the thighs and the front of the hips.
- Opens the chest and eases the back.
- Grounding and calm.
Take care: Go easy or skip if you have knee pain. Pad under the knees and shins with a blanket.
Not medical advice. Ease off if anything feels sharp or wrong.
Similar poses Kneeling
Ankle StretchBeginner
Cat PoseBeginner
Hero PoseBeginner
Lion PoseBeginner
Puppy Pose with Elbows on BlocksBeginner
Rabbit PoseBeginner
Practised by real people
Share your own version of this pose: it helps others practise and puts your profile in front of the community.