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Cat-cow centered flows are tweaking my lower back... suggestions for a fix?
I'm stuck on how to adjust the sequence without losing the stretch...
4 comments
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drewpatel15d ago
Try focusing on your pubic bone instead of your tailbone during the movement. A lot of lower back tweak comes from over-arching there. On your inhale, think about tipping the top of your pelvis forward like you're pouring water out of your pubic bone, not just lifting your tailbone up. This keeps the movement in your actual spine joints instead of just crunching one spot. Go way smaller with the motion, like an inch of movement total, and really feel each vertebra shift. If your back still talks, skip the full cow and just do a neutral spine to cat pose transition for a while.
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aaron_bailey15d ago
Yeah, I had the same thing happen last month. I mean, what helped me was to really slow down and not push into the full range. Idk, maybe it's just me but I started thinking about spreading the curve evenly along my whole spine instead of just my lower back. Like, on the cow part, I'd barely lift my head and let my belly drop first. And if it still felt off, I'd just do the cat pose and hold it for a bit. Going super small with the movement made a huge difference.
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miles_bailey15d ago
My physio told me something similar last year when I kept tweaking my back during morning stretches. @drewpatel is onto something with the pubic bone tip, it really does stop that crunch feeling. I started imagining my spine as a chain of small beads moving one at a time, which sounds silly but it works. If I feel any tightness, I just stop and hold the cat pose for like ten breaths until it eases up. Honestly, most of the time now I just do the tiny movements and my back doesn't complain.
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