It was 19 degrees outside with over 18 inches of new snow. The sun is shining on my face as I sit inside in a patch of warm sun. I’m a happy girl. It isn’t really even an “official” yoga pose, just a twist. And it feels really, really good.
Twists are my favorite kind of yoga poses. There are seated twists that I can do in my office chair and twists for when I am sitting or lying on the floor. They all have fancy Sanskrit names, most that I’ve forgotten.
I could cite all the benefits of twists here…(watch the video link here and you’ll hear some of them) but, well, I’m tired of overcomplicating life.
Twists help align the spine in that
spiral nautilus shell kind of way
that just feels good.
There are really only two things to keep in mind with twists. First, since it is yoga it’s about the breath. Yes, it’s always about the breath. In twists the inhale is about making some space between each vertebra, often called lengthening the spine.
If you are seated, it’s about feeling the crown of the head reaching toward the light and the tailbone anchoring down. Or if you’re lying down it’s about letting the head and tailbone soften away from each other.
The exhale is where the twist happens, after you find that tiny bit of space with the lengthening, you can soften into the twist. It’s like the spiral of the nautilus shell, just cascading open in the most beautiful way from your tailbone to the crown of your head. No pushing, no tension. Unfolding with ease.
In yin yoga, a pose is held for several minutes, with almost no movement. Just the breath and that softening with every exhale. Twists are best when savored, when you take 8-10 long deep breaths with your eyes closed. Coming back to your body, coming back to this moment in time.
Life is meant to be savored. The pool of sun, a miraculous body that works, the love of family and friends, a job where you make a difference in the lives of others. Inhale and exhale. Stretch and anchor, soften and unfold. It’s yoga and it’s life.
Here’s to the beauty of the twist. Go be an explorer, find your patch of sun. Trust your body. It knows what to do. Just say yes. And breathe.
Leave a Comment