I Love Anatomy – SRL

ILA – Lesson 4: Twists – SRL

Twists are profoundly delightful

(For more, read Anatomy and Asana pages 73-80)

Where backbends are delicious and forward bends are gracious, twists are profoundly delightful. They take us deep into the spine - rotating, twisting, squeezing, strengthening, and releasing all the tissue that lies along the midline of the body. The effects of twists can be felt with even a brief practice - just one or two asanas midday can help release locked up tension that occurs from daily activities at home or work. Twists indeed feel great. The delightful exclamation in a student's voice as the twist releases tight, tension areas is as if freedom has been born from within. Almost immediately, the upper body stands more upright with greater ease and relief.

This incredibly awesome feeling that twists unleash can also lead to a certain addiction of going deeper. With addiction, comes the potential for dysfunction and possible injury. For example, depth in twists before the body is ready can shift the mechanics of the shoulder girdle and pelvic girdle as they relate to the spine. In the shoulder girdle, depth too soon can lead to instability of the scapulae. Instability of the scapulae does not bode well for moving in to other asanas like backbends or inversions. In the pelvic girdle, twisting deeply too soon can lead a student to over-twist the pelvis, creating an imbalance of the SI Joint. So it is important to begin by relaxing, breathing, and setting the foundation. Be gentle as you consider the primary action of a twist - rotation of the spine. Then, when you do initiate movement, begin with the spine in mind.

So, find your seat – put yourself up on blocks, bolsters, whatever - find your neutral pelvis so that your spine lifts easily and naturally.

Simple Seated Twist

Simple Seated Twist is where twisting all begins.

Anatomy: With this asana, you are focusing on your obliques and ensuring that you are not over-leveraging with your arms. If you do, your SI Joints become very, very vulnerable.

Exploration: How are you moving in your torso? Can you feel the difference when the pelvis comes around and when it doesn’t? And your arms – are you able to feel the connections from your arms into your obliques?

Marichyasana

Marichyasana combines Dandasana and Simple Seated Twist for some twisting splendor! Enjoy!

Anatomy: With this asana, we get a bit more complex. One leg is bent and one leg straight – and – we are twisting. So be sure your body has the muscular stability to handle it. Check the position of the pelvis, relative to the bent knee leg and relative to the spine. Remember – twisting a spine in flexion is a dangerous position.

Exploration: Sit, bend the left knee. You can take the left foot across the right leg, if it makes sense in your body. Now, here is the trick. Move into your twist. Keep your arms out of it – feel it as a true twist, not an arm leverage.

Parivrtta Trikonasana

Parivrtta Trikonasana takes exploring the obliques to a whole new level. Check it out!

Anatomy: When performed with a square pelvis, the prime mover in this asana are the obliques.

Exploration: Stand in your Tadasana. Feel feet. Take your preparatory stance for Parivrtta Trikonasana. Watch yourself move into this pose – be clear – are you leveraging with your arms? Are you initiating the rotation at your spine? Are you locking your knees?

As you continue to twist, are you truly using your obliques or are you using your arms to ‚”pull you around”?

Tonia Hayes Testing: is there where you want us to post the questions for the calls?

Posted 4 years ago Reply

Charlotte Huggins Very interesting.

Parivrtta trikonasana is one that I don’t like especially and I think for me it’s more to do with the fact that it highlights where I can functionally move to in reality compared to what the posture “should” look like. So an ego issue.

I have practised being very strict with myself keeping hips square and have a sense of an energetic buzz in my spine.

Practising with the movement initiating from the pelvis was fine for me and then using the twist principles so that I was consciously rotating my spine but I see that perhaps the twist element can become secondary.