Without going outside, you may know the whole world. Without looking through the window, you may see the ways of heaven. The farther you go, the less you know.

-Lao tse, Tao Te Ching

The Cat series is ideal for loosening and stretching of the spine and hips. Pregnant woman and sufferers of chronic back pain will find the Cat series beneficial. During pregnancy, the Three Traditional Yoga poses of Cobra, Locust, and Bow cannot be performed. The stretches offered in this series are a good substitute for the Three Traditionals; or, as my students have discovered, the perfect warm up for those three challenging poses.

• From your hands and knees exhale and arch the back, tilting the head down and looking toward your feet (Bidalasana)
• Inhale, Look up, and reverse the arch of your back letting your stomach hang down like a cow that needs milking (Marjaryasana)
• Repeat both stretches several times to loosen the back. Following your last cow, exhale to a neutral hands and knees position. Then bring your right shoulder toward your right hip, and then your left shoulder toward your left hip. Return to neutral and swing your hips in a circle both directions
• The weight of your body is being supported by your arms and legs, so your back is free for complete movement. See how many ways you can move and stretch your spine. Return to neutral
• Extend the right foot behind you and raise it up as high as it will go (Vyaghrasana I)
• Bring the right knee to the forehead (Vyaghrasana II)
• Extend the right leg behind again, but keep it at hip level this time (Vyaghrasana III)
• Stretch it to the right (Vyaghrasana IV)
• Bring the leg back behind, then stretch it to the left (Vyaghrasana V)
• Bring the leg back behind, then raise the right hand and left foot together. Reach back and take hold of the foot with the hand and stretch with an arch of your back (Utthitha Dhanurasana)
• Bring the knee to the forehead again (Vyaghrasana VI), then return to the neutral hands and knees pose
• Repeat the Vyaghrasana (Tiger Pose) series with the left leg
• Walk both hands out in front of you, then push your hips back and to the ground (Bidalasana II)

Bidalasana	Marjaryasana
Vyaghrasana I	Vyaghrasana II
Vyaghrasana III	Vyaghrasana IV
Vyaghrasana V	Utthitha Dhanurasana
Vyaghrasana VI	Bidalasana II