Bitilasana - Cow Yoga Pose

Bitilasana is the sanskrit counterpart of cow yoga pose. It is an easy, gentle way to warm up the spine. This pose helps you in strengthening the core muscles. It helps in massaging of spine and abdominal organs. This yoga pose is often paired with Cat yoga pose for a smooth flow of yoga asanas. The cat and cow poses of yoga are considered opposites by some, the back arched or rounded.

Marjariasana - Cat Yoga Pose

The cat yoga pose, which is also known as Marjariasana is a great way to get your back warmed up and relaxed. It’s a great addition to your back exercises. It directly targets muscles all along the spine, giving them a good stretch. It also helps lubricate the spine and bring the vertebrae through their full range of motion. The dynamic cat pose (alternating between cat and cow) is a good way to pump spinal fluid all over the spinal cord. It is incredibly relaxing and good for your posture.

Procedure for doing Marjariasana - Cat Yoga Pose

1. On the mat, sit on your knees.
   
2. Put your hands down so you are on all fours. Make sure that your hands are under your shoulders. Spread your legs slightly so you are in a comfortable position.
   
3. While taking a breath in, lift your head to the ceiling. Drop your stomach toward the ground. Lift your bottom and hips toward the ceiling. You want to have a nice curve to your back. Do not worry about pushing this motion, as it should come easy without a lot of effort or strain. Only move as far as your body can go comfortably.
   
4. As you breathe out, drop the head, roll the hips under and pull your spine up toward the ceiling. Try to look at your belly button.
   
5. Repeat 5 to 10 times with each breath, in and out.
   

Benefits of Marjariasana - Cat Yoga Pose

• Increases mobility of verterbrae and releases tension in the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine
  
• Strengthens and tones the arms and abdominal muscles
  
• Stretches back muscles and abdominal muscles as well as the neck
  
• Increases circulation of spinal fluid and massages digestive organs
  
• Teaches correct pelvic movements for forward bends and back bends
  

Precautions with Marjariasana - Cat Yoga Pose

With a neck injury, keep the head in line with the torso.

Marjariasana - Cat Yoga Pose Video

Yoga To Tone Your Abs

By Nico Webb

Using specific yoga exercises to get solid abs

Is it possible to get the famous so-called 6 pack abs from yoga? Even if the key objectives of yoga are not aesthetics, yoga can be very effective for firming your stomach muscles and trimming unwanted fat.

Most people today, male or female, appreciate firm abs and today I want to show you three very effective yoga asanas for firming and toning your abdominal muscles and lower back.

The three asanas that we are looking at today, as mentioned work your entire mid-section, lower back, buttocks, the intercostals region as well as internal organs and aside from working your stomach muscles the poses provide many health benefits. Please remember that yoga is completely different from regular gym routines; with yoga we are not interested in endless repetitions of the same exercise and sweating under a heavy, relentless workload. No, we are looking for perfect execution of the pose and holding the pose for a determined amount of time. For reaching the objectives of this article, I would like to suggest that you do each exercise from the list 5 times and consider this as one set, to use the familiar gym terminology, if you have trouble performing the reverse boat posture you can try holding your thighs and do the pose just two or three times only, you may also use a yoga strap.

Please do not sacrifice form just to complete the movement. With practice you can build up your routine – not with individual reps but by holding the pose longer.

Yoga Workouts for Toned Firm Abs

The three basic poses we focus on are the following:

• Marjariasana – The Cat Pose
  
• Supta Udarakarshanasana – The Lying Abdominal Stretch Pose
  
• Reverse Naukasana - The Boat Pose
  

For complete instruction on how to perform the exercises in order to obtain the desired results, please visit our website (follow the link below) where you will find the entire version of this article as well as illustrative photographs which will greatly help you go through the poses using a correct style.

The Benefits of your Yoga for Abs workout

You will probably not get the famous 6-pack abs mid-section from yoga, however you will certainly firm and strengthen your entire abdominal region as well as your lower back. If you add a low-impact cardiovascular exercise to the mentioned yoga routine, such as walking or swimming, you will melt unwanted body fat covering your abdominal region and sides even more rapidly. Not only will you feel tighter and stronger you will also appreciate the following benefits:

Benefits of the Cat Pose

increases mobility of vertebrae and releases tension in the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine strengthens and tones the arms and abdominal muscles stretches back muscles and abdominal muscles as well as the neck increases circulation of spinal fluid and massages digestive organs teaches correct pelvic movements for forward bends and back bends. It also gives your digestive organs a gentle massage.

Benefits of the Lying Abdominal Twist Pose

The spinal nerves will become toned and you will feel emotionally strengthened. Physically your abdominals will become firmer and the metabolism is tweaked, due to the massaging pressure on abdomen, aiding weight loss and trimming of the waist and hips. This pose also will aid in helping in aligning posture. It helps regularize bowel movements and prepares the body for the day ahead.

Benefits of the Reverse Boat Pose

The benefits of doing this exercise are many. As your abdominal section is under pressure, your liver and pancreas can function better. This can lead to increased secretion of bile from the liver and insulin from the pancreas, thus improving your digestion. It could also help to regulate your blood sugar levels. In addition, the muscles of your legs, especially the calf and thigh muscles, and the muscles around your shoulders and neck get toned. Above all your tummy fat is reduced. Although you cannot build six pack abs with this exercise itself, doing it regularly can prepare you for heavier exercises that can make it possible for you to achieve six packs.

There, quite a lot to read and assimilate, but I hope the instructions together with my going through the asanas with you in the photos help you fully understand the yoga poses for toning the abs. Good luck and stick with it – the benefits are far too many to give up!