There are some days where I just feel like doing twist after twist in my yoga practice. Since twists are known to help digestion and detoxification, maybe it is my body’s way of telling me I need to re-set. Or maybe it is just because twists feel really, really good. Regardless of the cause, here is a short sequence for you to try if you ever feel yourself in the need to twist things up a bit!
- Start by lying on your back on your yoga mat, taking a few deep breaths.
- Bring your arms up above your head and stretch like you have never stretched before! Reach your fingers and toes in opposite directions and make yourself as long as possible!
- Bring your knees into your chest, hugging yourself into a little ball. Here is a great place to gently rock back and forth, and from side-to-side. It is a great massage for your spine and back.
- If your head was in the air, place it on the ground and bring your arms out to your sides, in a “T” shape. Drop your knees to the right and look over at your left hand. Always make sure to keep your left shoulder on the ground. If you can’t, back out of the twist a little bit until you can comfortably do so. Repeat on the left side.
- Return to center, with your knees in your chest, and rock yourself up to sitting.
- Step back into Downward Facing Dog and hold for a few breaths.
- If necessary, shorten your stance in Down Dog, and reach back to your right calf with your left hand. Hold for a few breaths and repeat on the other side. Return to Down Dog.
- Look up at your hands and hop or step with and exhale into a Forward Fold.
- Inhale and bring your chest forward for Standing Half Forward Fold.
- Exhale and return to a Forward Fold.
- Place your left hand on the ground directly under your nose. Raise your right hand high to the sky and open your side ribs and chest to the right. Look up at your right hand and breath.
- Repeat with your right hand on the ground, and then return to a Forward Fold.
- On an inhale, come to stand in Tadasana .
- Reach your arms high to the sky and stretch up. Take your left wrist in your right hand and bend over to the right, keeping your hips level and not jutting out. Take a few breaths, return to center, switch the grip on your hands and bend to your left. Return to Center.
- Bend your knees and come down into Chair Pose. Bring your hands into prayer at your heart center.
- Hold Chair for two breaths, and then twist to your right, bringing your left elbow to rest on your outer right thigh. Open up your chest, keeping your hands at the center of your chest. Breathe.
- Return to center, and repeat on your left.
- Return to Chair Pose, hold for a breath and then SLOWLY sink down until your backside reaches the floor.
- Come into Half Lord of the Fishes pose on your right. Breathe.
- Repeat Half Lord of the Fishes on your left.
- Straighten your legs and lay back down.
- You can opt to twist one more time to each side like we did in the beginning, or feel free to rest in Savasana.
