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Week 18 : Seated Twist
Today we are building on last week’s gentle spinal twist into a much stronger twist for the spine and back muscles. Seated twists, help us to stay supple in our practice, they also tone the belly , massage the internal organs and help to release lower back pain. Because of their work on the internal organs, twists are also recognized as a valuable detox for the body.
Come to sitting on the floor with your legs stretched out in front and your hands behind taking with the arms taking your weight.
Bend the right leg up and bring it over the left leg so the foot is on the floor on the outside of the left thigh.
Bend the left leg, so you are sitting with the outside of the left leg on the floor with the left heel against the outside of the right buttock.
Steady yourself with the buttocks firmly on the floor between the legs.
Inhale and reach the right arm up and then drop it to the floor behind the body – this arm should be used as a prop to keep the spine upright, if it is too close to the body you will be leaning too far forward and if it is too far from the body you will be leaning back.
Inhale and as you exhale take the left arm around the outside of the right leg, trying to bring the forearm down the length of the thigh. at this point you are still facing forwards.
Now, inhale and lengthen the spine, and as you exhale twist the body to the right, using the left arm to gently squeeze the thigh into the upper body. Finally turn the neck, so you are looking back over your shoulder, to complete the twist.
Once you reach your deepest twist, hold for 5 breaths.
To come our gently release the arms and allow the body to rotate back to centre.
Repeat for the same length of time on the other side.
Posture: Half Lord of The Fishes Pose
Sanskrit name: Ardha Matsyendrasana
Benefits
*Stretches the hips, spine, shoulders, and neck.
*Stimulates the digestive system and detoxifies the body.
*Energizes the spine.
*Relieves sciatica, back ache and fatigue.
*Helpful for asthma and infertility.
Avoid if: You have a back or spine injury.
Beginners tip: You can sit cross legged, reach the right hand to the left thigh, inhale and lengthen the spine and exhale and twist to the left and look over the shoulder. Repeat to the other side.
I have used a variation of this posture, which I hope will give you the best opportunity of maintaining your spinal alignment in the pose. If you have a very flexible spine and supple hips, the classical version of the posture may be for you. Happy twisting this week and remember it is a good detox so be sure to drink lots of water today.
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Serena is a yoga teacher and the founder of The OM Space . She is a passionate believer in yoga as a life enhancing practice and runs several classes in Colombo including the very popular Yoga for Children and Yoga for Pregnancy. Serena trained in the UK with the British Wheel of Yoga and is a UK Yoga Alliance registered Senior Teacher.
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