Mastering Yoga Twists

A SAFE AND EFFECTIVE GUIDE FOR ALL LEVELS

What is your experience with yoga twists? Do they make your back hurt? Or they make your back feel supple, strong and amazing? This post is so that you can achieve the latter and most of above all to contribute in the journey of understanding your body.

What is a yoga twist and it's benefits?

A yoga twist is the rotation of your spine to one direction to restore and retain it's

natural range of motion, I put emphasis on the natural . It is important we do not to overdue it and for that it helps to better understand our spine:

THE SPINE

It is made up of 3 main sections, lumbar, thoracic and cervical spine and each of these have a different capacity to rotate.

WE CAN'T ASK THE SAME DEGREE OF ROTATION TO EACH PART OF OUR SPINE.

Cervical Spine:

It starts just below the spine and ends above the thoracic spine (neck area).

It has the most ability to rotate for about 50 degrees.*

Thoracic Spine:

It starts from the base of your neck to the bottom of your ribs. It has the midrange capacity to rotate at 35 degrees.*

Lumbar Spine:

This the lower back, it runs from the thoracic spine to your sacrum . It has the least range of motion to rotate at 5 degrees.*

*Yoga Anatomy, Kaminoff

TRY IT NOW!

Rotate to one direction and notice these parts of your body and their capacity to rotate.

Now with the awareness of our spine

try these 4 guidelines for safe and effective twists:

#1 - Lengthen first

Find a strong connection to the base of the yoga pose (e.g. feet, sit bones) from there lengthen your spine.

#2 - Use your core

Use your abdominal muscles to ignite the rotation.

#3 - Focus on twisting the mid-back and upper back

Focus on twisting your mid-back (thoracic spine) showing your ribs and chest to the side of the rotation while expanding your shoulders away from each other (chest open) and maybe following with your gaze (cervical spine).

#4 - Listen to your body

The most important guideline above all! Move slow, pay attention and continue from a place of wisdom rather than your ego.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Avoid twists during pregnancy (specially closed twists) and consult your doctor if you have any disc injury.

And what better way to understand our spine and twists than putting it into action!

Set your mat down and enjoy this FREE 25 minute session with me, where we explore our spine and twists. This class is part of a one-month program of 20 minutes of yoga everyday, it will officially launch in April 2024, you can pre-order at $15 after that the price will be $30.

PRE-ORDER HERE