Take look at why so many yoga poses are named after animals and how they can help to improve strength, balance, and flexibility.
If you’ve ever watched a pet dog getting up from its bed and dropping into a stretch, with its front paws on the floor and its tail pointing up in the air, you’ll know where the downward-facing dog pose gets its name. You’ll have noticed that many other well-known yoga poses take their names from animals too.
Think of the movements and positions named after butterflies, tortoises, cobras, cats, cows, locusts, pigeons, frogs, eagles, camels, and more. Sometimes the link is obvious – like the feline arching of the back in cat pose, for instance – but just why is it that so many poses are based on animals, insects, and birds?
The ancient origins of yoga
To understand where these poses came from you have to think like an ancient yogi. The practice of yoga started many thousands of years ago, in India, and the world looked very different back then. There were no cars, computers, high-rise buildings, or playgrounds, so instead people looked to the natural world for inspiration.
Dawattie Basdeo is a regular Teen Breathe writer and teaches yoga to children and young people. She explains: ‘Ancient yogis sat in nature and observed the world around them. They would have been watching the way that animals moved and thinking about copying those shapes. Yoga is about the union of everything; by moving and meditating you understand how the world works and your place within it.’
How nature inspires yoga movements
Young children are flexible – you may have seen a baby easily putting its foot into its mouth. But as humans grow up, they spend more time sitting at desks or travelling in cars, and their flexibility decreases. Animals don’t have this problem – in fact, they often depend on their bodies and their ability to move for their survival.
Dawattie says: ‘Thinking about animal forms and shapes can make the different yoga poses easy to understand and remember. When you think of the way a dog stretches, you can easily picture what a downward-facing dog pose might look like. It’s a clear visual image in your mind.’
Yoga is also a spiritual practice, where you think about improving your self-awareness as you move, hold positions, concentrate on your breathing, and meditate. When you pose like a powerful lion or a majestic eagle, you might also think about the strengths and characteristics of that particular animal.
Some of the breathing exercises practised in yoga also take inspiration from nature, such as Bhramari Pranayama – or bee breathing – where the exhale is like the buzzing sound of the bumblebee.
Why animal-inspired poses improve flexibility
As well as taking inspiration from the creatures around them, the ancient yogis were also inspired by the landscapes of the natural world. There are postures that mirror the stillness of a mountain or the strength and balance of a tall tree. The simple sequence of morning sun salutations (see Issue 37) includes some animal poses, such as cobras and downward dogs, performed in harmony with the breath, to welcome the new day.
‘Humans think of themselves as being at the top of the species ladder,’ says Dawattie. ‘But we can learn so much from the other animals on the planet.’
3 animal-imitating yoga poses to try
1 DOWNWARD-FACING DOG
This pose looks a dog stretching with its front paws on the floor and its rear end in the air. Start on all fours and allow your belly to fall forward as you raise your knees off the mat and push your hips up into the air. Your heels can be flat on the mat, or you can stay on your tiptoes. Your arms should be straight, with your head hanging down so your ears are in line with your elbows and your spine is long.
2 CAT-COW STRETCHES
Here you can move from the arched spine of a stretching cat to the bowed back and jutting hips of a cow. Start on all fours with your shoulders and hips square. Drop your head and arch your back as you breathe out, creating an arched spine like a cat stretching. Then as you breathe in you can let your belly drop forwards, raise your head to the sky as your tailbone comes up, and arch your back in the opposite direction like a cow (see Issue 41).
3 BUTTERFLY
This seated position takes its name because it looks like the symmetrical opened wings of a butterfly. Sit squarely on your mat, pull your feet in towards your pelvis and place your soles together, allowing your knees to fall open like wings. You can hold onto your feet or toes as you bow your head, keeping your spine straight and long.
As with all physical activities, do not attempt if you have any medical conditions that may be aggravated. If in doubt, talk to your doctor. Younger children should be supervised.
WORDS: JADE BEECROFT
ILLUSTRATIONS: SARA THIELKER
This article was originally published under the title Flex Your Wild Side in Issue 43 – Finding Your Brave. You can get this issue here to enjoy more mindful inspiration.
