Yoga Postures – Twists
2 YOGA POSTURES – TWISTS -By Pooja Doshi
1. Revolved Side Angle Pose – Parivrtta Parsvakonasana
Stand in mountain pose. With an exhalation, making sure your feet are 4 feet apart, rest your hands on your hips. Turn your right foot to 90 degrees and turn your left foot in slightly towards the right. Firm your thighs also making sure your right thigh is a little outwards.
Turn your torso to the right until you’re facing directly out over the right leg. Lift your left heel off the floor until the inner left foot is parallel to the inner right foot. Exhale again and bend your right knee. Bring the right thigh parallel to the floor.
With another exhalation, turn further to the right and start leaning down placing the left hand on the floor inside the right foot. Firm the shoulder blades and lean the torso back slightly.
You can keep your right hand either on your hip, or stretch it over the back of the right ear with the palm facing down. Make sure the spine is well extended as you inhale and exhale.
Inhale to come up gently and do the same on the other side. Stay in this posture for at least a minute.
Benefits:
This posture strengthens and stretches the legs, knees, and ankles
It stimulates the abdominal organs and also strengthens the core
Increases stamina, improves digestion and improves balance
It also stretches the groins, spine, chest, lungs, and shoulders
2. Half Lord of the Fishes Pose – Ardha Matsyendrasana
Sit on the floor with your legs straight out in front of you. You could sit on a folded blanket for comfort. Bend your knees, put your feet on the floor, then slide your left foot under your right leg to the outside of your right hip. Step the right foot over the left leg and stand it on the floor outside your left hip, pointing the knee up at the ceiling.
As you exhale, twist toward the inside of the right thigh. Press the right hand against the floor just behind your right buttock, and set your left upper arm on the outside of your right thigh near the knee. Pull your front torso and inner right thigh close together.
Keep the inner right foot on the floor as you lengthen the front torso. Make sure your shoulder blades are pressed together as you turn your head on either one of the directions.
Stay in this posture for 30 seconds to 1 minute, then release with an exhalation, return to the starting position, and repeat to the left for the same length of time.
Benefits:
This posture stretches the shoulders, hips and neck
It also stimulates the liver and kidneys
Stimulates the organs in the stomach
Helps with menstrual discomfort, fatigue, sciatica, and backache
The above are examples of key twisted postures. The benefits of yoga are endless but it is essential that you attend lessons to perfect your body alignment to avoid injuries and to maximize the benefits before you embark on practising independent yoga postures.
To derive the most out of these and other postures which will benefit you highly, you can contact me for a comprehensive online session, where I will be able to focus on your practice with you.
Contact Pooja:
Yoga postures- twists with Pooja Doshi
Pooja Doshi – Yoga & Zumba Practitioner
Chest opening stretches with Pooja
