Asana
Build Core Strength with Yoga — Part 2: Stability
Part two of the core series, focused on stability and control. Cat-cow, bird dog, downward dog and boat pose train the core to support better posture, balance and a healthier back.
Step by step
- 1
Cat-Cow (Marjaryasana-Bitilasana)
Start in tabletop position with thighs hip-width apart, toes tucked under, and palms firmly grounded, keeping wrist, elbow and shoulder in one line. Arch the lower back, lifting the head and chest up, then round the upper back, drawing the chin toward the chest/throat as if reaching the upper back to the sky. Repeat this a few more times, then go down to Child's Pose (Balasana) and relax.
Breath: Inhale as you arch the back and lift the head and chest; exhale as you round the spine and draw the chin in.
- 2
Bird Dog (Vyaghrasana)
From tabletop, with wrist, elbow and shoulder in a straight line and toes tucked out, look straight ahead and lift the right leg (knee straight) and left hand up together, then slowly bring them down. Repeat two more times on this side, then switch: lift the left leg and right hand, repeating three times total. Go down to Child's Pose (Balasana) and relax.
Breath: Inhale as you lift the leg and arm; slowly lower on the exhale.
- 3
Three-Legged Downward Dog (Eka Pada Adho Mukha Svanasana)
From tabletop, tuck the toes in and lift the hips up into downward dog, trying to touch the heels to the mat and pushing down through the palms. Lift the right leg straight up, then slowly and with control bring it back down; repeat two more times on this leg. Switch and repeat three times lifting the left leg. Go down to Child's Pose (Balasana) and relax.
Breath: Inhale as you lift the leg, exhale as you lower it slowly.
- 4
Boat Pose (Naukasana)
Sit in an L-sit position with legs straight out in front of you, feet together, hands by your sides, and back straight. Slowly bend the knees, lift the feet up while keeping the back straight, then straighten the arms and place them beside the knees. Hold this shape for a count of 10, then relax, slowly lower the legs and arms, and shake the legs out.
Benefits
- Trains core stability and control
- Improves posture and balance
- Supports a healthier, more comfortable back
- Accessible shapes: cat-cow, bird dog, boat
About this practice
In part two of the series, Sandhya Balakrishnan focuses on stability and control — the qualities a strong core gives to every movement. She points to the benefits she's felt personally: better posture, fewer muscle injuries, improved balance and a real reduction in back pain. The session works through cat-cow, bird dog, downward dog and boat pose to build that steadiness.
Follow the full guided class in the video above, and pair it with parts one and three.
Related practices
Video transcriptIn this session, Sandhya Balakrishnan guides you through Cat-Cow, Bird Dog, three-legged downward dog, and boat pose to build core stability.
Hello and Namaste everyone, my name is Sandhya Balakrishnan and welcome to Yoga & You. This is the second episode of our series where we talk about how to build core strength using yoga. If you haven't checked out the previous episode, please click on the link shown in this video.
Our core is at the center of every movement, especially in yoga, and a strong core is a crucial part of a healthy lifestyle. The top five benefits of a strong core that I have personally experienced are better posture, reduced risk of muscle injuries, overall improvement in balance and stability, significant reduction in back pain and stiffness, and better efficiency in everyday movements. Let's look at some postures to build on our core strength in this episode today.
Let's start with the first posture, which is known as Marjaryasana, Bitilasana, or the Cat Cow pose. For this, we will start in a tabletop position, keeping our thighs hip width apart, toes tucked out, and our palms firmly grounded on the mat. Make sure that your wrist, elbow and shoulder are all in a straight line.
Now from here, take a deep breath in, lift your head up, chest up and arch your lower back, and exhale, bring your chin towards your chest and imagine your upper back is trying to reach towards the sky. Let's do this a few more times. Inhale, arch your lower back, lift your head up and chest up, exhale, curve your upper back, pull it towards the sky, try to touch your chin to the throat. One more time, inhale up, exhale down, inhale up, exhale down, one last time, inhale up and exhale down, now go down to child's pose or Balasana and relax.
Let's move on to the next posture, which is known as Vyaghrasana or Bird Dog. For this, come into a tabletop position as before, making sure that your wrist, elbow and shoulder are in a straight line and your toes are tucked out. Now from here, looking straight ahead, lift your right leg and your left hand up. Lift your right knee straight, fix your gaze forward and slowly bring them down.
Let's do this two more times, inhale, lift your right leg and left hand up and slowly bring them down, one last time, lift your right leg and left hand up and slowly bring them down. Let's repeat this on the other leg and the other hand. Inhale, lift your left leg and right hand up and slowly bring them down, two, up. Make sure your left knee is straight and bring it down, one last time, up and slowly bring it down, go down to child's pose and relax.
Let's move on to the next posture, which is known as the three-legged downward dog or Eka Pada Adho Mukha Svanasana. For this, we'll start off in a tabletop position like this. We will tuck the toes in, lift our hips up, try to touch the heels to the mat, try to push down with your palms, now from here, lift your right leg straight up and slowly bring it down.
Let's do this two more times with control and very slowly. Inhale, lift your right leg up, exhale slowly down, one more time, inhale, right leg up, exhale down, let's repeat this with the other leg. Inhale, lift leg up and exhale down, two, inhale, lift leg up, exhale down, one last time, inhale, lift leg up and slowly down, go down to child's pose or Balasana and relax.
Let's move on to the next posture, which is my personal favorite. It's known as Boat pose or Naukasana. For this, we will start by sitting in this L-sit position where your legs are straight out in front of you, feet are together, your hands are by your side and your back is nice and straight.
From here, slowly bend your knees, now lift your feet up, making sure your back is straight, and now slowly straighten your arms, place them next to your knees, hold this posture for 10 counts. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, very good, nine and 10, relax, slowly bring the legs down, bring the arms down, shake your legs a little and relax.
Thank you so much for joining us on this episode and I hope to see you all in the next episode very soon, till then stay healthy, stay happy, bye bye.
Frequently asked questions
- How does core work help back pain?
- A stronger, more stable core supports the spine and improves posture, which can reduce everyday back strain. Gentle, controlled work like bird dog and cat-cow is a common, well-tolerated starting point — though persistent back pain should be checked by a clinician.
- I find boat pose hard — what can I do?
- Bend the knees, hold behind the thighs, or keep the toes lightly on the floor. Building a long spine and steady core matters far more than straightening the legs.
References
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), 'Yoga: What You Need To Know', nccih.nih.gov · Institution — NCCIH notes yoga can improve strength, balance and support back health when practised appropriately.