Cat-cow and thoracic openers

1. 1Set up on all fours with hands under shoulders, knees under hips and shins flat. Keep the neck long rather than dropped.
2. 2For cat, exhale and push the floor away, rounding the upper back and tucking the tailbone. For cow, inhale and let the belly sink, lifting the chest and tailbone.
3. 3Move between the two slowly, one breath per position, letting the movement travel through the whole spine rather than just the lower back.
4. 4For the opener, place one hand behind your head and bring that elbow down toward the opposite wrist. Then rotate the elbow up toward the ceiling, following it with your eyes.
5. 5Return under control and repeat on that side, then swap hands so both sides get the same work.
6. 6Keep the hips square and level throughout the rotation, and breathe out as you open. Stay slow for the whole effort rather than speeding up.

• Bending only at the lower back so the mid-back stays stiff.

  →Fix: Think about pushing the floor away in cat and lifting the breastbone in cow, so the movement starts between the shoulder blades.

• Cranking the neck back in cow and jamming the joints.

  →Fix: Lift the chest first and let the head follow only a little, keeping the back of the neck long.

• Letting the hips swing side to side during the rotation.

  →Fix: Keep the hips stacked over the knees and turn from the ribs, not the pelvis.

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