Twists And Ten Benefits
Posted by terrepruitt on August 17, 2016
Twists. We do twists in Nia, we do twists in yoga, we do twists in stretching, we do twists in life. Twists are good. Twists stimulate adrenal glands, and since they make necessary hormones, it is nice to have them stimulated in a positive way. Twists can also stimulate the kidneys. Twists are thought to improve digestion, could be due to the massaging of the organs. When the body twists around the organs move and press against each other. All the movement in the digestive tract is said to help move food along. Twists are said to “tone” the organs. Practicing twists is good!
I always teach to lengthen before moving, especially in a twist, so we want to lengthen on the inhale and twist on the exhale. Sometimes inhaling/lengthening and exhaling/twisting bit further. When we lengthen we allow for the space in between each vertebrae to get bigger and that allows for more room for the bones to move.
Twists help with flexibility in the back, the spine mobility and the muscles of the back. The old “move-it-or-lose-it” that so often applies. When we include twists in our practice we help to ensure that we will be able to do all the everyday things that include twisting.
While doing a seated twist, try to keep both sitz bones connected to the earth. The twist comes from the upper spine. One reason we anchor the ischial tuberosity (sitz bones), is to stabilize the lower back. When we work to keep ourselves firmly rooted it helps keep the lower spine from twisting. I’m sure many of us have done it or have had a friend who has done it. You hear that statement, “I twisted, and hurt my lower back.” That is because the lower back tends to have more mobility and without moving mindfully it is easy to over do it. So we keep our sitz bones anchored.
Seated twists can be done “open” or “closed”. An “open” seated twist is where you are twisting away from the bent leg, in some cases putting your arm or shoulder against the bent leg. In a sense allowing your chest to open away from your body. A “closed” seated twist is where you turn TOWARD the bent leg, in some cases drawing the knee towards the chest. If you have a leg bent in a seated twist it usually allows for a stretch into the hip area.
In B.K.S. Iyengar Yoga The Path To Holistic Health, he says, “Twists – These asanas teach us the importance of a healthy spine and inner body. In twists, the pelvic and abdominal organs are squeezed and flushed with blood. They improve the suppleness of the diaphragm, and relieve spinal, hip, and groin disorders. The spine also becomes more supple and this improves the flow of blood to the spinal nerves and increases energy levels.”
So twists are good, in summary they:
1) stimulate the adrenal glands
2) stimulate the kidneys
3) improve digestion
4) massage the organs
5) allow space in between each vertebrae
6) help with flexibility in the spine
7) help with flexibility in muscles of the back
8) help to ensure that we will be able to keep twisting
9) increase energy levels
10) feel pretty good
How do you feel about twists? Do you include them in your practice?
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