These are an important series of Asanas for spinal health. Every Asana session should include atleast one practice from this group, preferably after the forward and bending postures. The twist imposed on the spine and the whole trunk, exercises the muscles, makes the spinal column more flexible and stimulates the spinal nerves. It also has a strong influence on the abdominal muscles, alternately stretching and compressing them as the body twists from one direction to the other. Beginners need to be careful to not twist the trunk more than the flexibility allows.
The twisting poses in Yoga are often said to be detoxifying. Sri B.K.S. Iyengar said that this is so because of the ‘squeeze and soak’ action. The organs of detoxification and elimination are compressed, pushing out old blood so that when we release the twist fresh blood can flow in. This is widely accepted in the Yoga industry though there has been some healthy debate on the matter. But one can safely say that twists help to stimulate our organs, including the organs of elimination which in turn can help stimulate our metabolism and rate of excretion.
So maybe twists are not literally ‘wringing out the internal organs’ but they do stimulate circulation, creating heat, releasing tension in the muscles of the spine, abdomen and ribcage which has a beneficial effect on the other systems of the body.
Most of the twist poses can be categorized into standing, seated or reclining . They are often variations on the ‘regular’ poses eg Parivrtta Trikonasana [Twisted Triangle] , Parivrtta Janushirshasana [Spiralled Head to Knee Pose] etc.
With twists, alignment is very important so its essential to know how to do them correctly.
On the emotional and psychic levels, controlled twisting and untwisting represents a means of managing the knots and problems we encounter. These Asanas give insight and inspire a systematic approach to untying the tangled knots of life!
Some of the twists are to be avoided in the following cases and need to be practiced only after medical clearance:-
-Pregnancy
-Spinal disc injury
-Chronic digestive issues
-Sacroilliac [SI] joint issues
Meanwhile remember that twists are like a tonic for your spine so practice them to experience the benefits firsthand!
See you next week with the benefits of the Sideward Bending Poses, till then do Yoga and stay centred!
Namaste!
