What are Yoga Twists?
3 Jan 2023 HYN Himalayan Yoga Academy
Yoga twists are this yoga poses that rotate your spine—moving your shoulders in the opposite direction to your hips. Moving your spine in all directions is important to keep the spine healthy.
As discs in our spine are avascular, which means they don’t get a direct blood supply. Instead, they rely on a mechanism called “imbibing,” in which the changing pressures around the discs cause them to drink up or take in nearby fluids. This fluid is what keeps the discs healthy and plump (think the opposite of degenerative discs) and creates separation between the vertebrae for a range of motion. Twists are the perfect way to shift pressure through the discs and help support this process.
Popular Twisting Poses include:
- Twisted Chair Pose (Parivrtta Utkatasana)
- Parsvakonasana
- Parivrtta Natarajasana
- Half Lord of the Fishes Pose, aka Half Spinal Twist (Ardha Matsyendrasana)
- Revolved Triangle Pose (Parivrtta Trikonasana)
- Supine Spinal Twist (Jathara Parivartanasana)
- Marichyasana C
To receive all the benefits and stay safe when practicing these yoga twists, it is important to understand the anatomy behind the twisting action.
4 Benefits of Yoga Twists
While providing a soothing stretch after a stressful day, this is not the only benefit of twists in yoga. Twisting yoga poses increase spine mobility, relieve blocked energies, and stimulate the digestive system and other organs. Let’s dive deeper into each of these benefits.
1. Keeps your spine healthy
A famous saying in yoga is, “You are only as young as your spine is flexible.” This is, in fact, true, but have you ever wondered why?
In between your spine vertebrae, there are gelatinous-like discs. These intervertebral discs help your spine move with ease and absorb shock. But as you age, they become thinner, which results in back stiffness and pain.
The gentle and controlled movement of yoga twists slows down the deterioration of these spinal discs. It also maintains the spine’s natural range of motion and ensures it does not become stagnant.
Whether you struggle with back pain or want to feel younger, yoga twists can help.
2. Opens blocked energy pathways
Yoga twists have physical and emotional benefits. If we do the yoga asanas, especially yoga twists, we also create space for energy that has been blocked. The space created improves energy flow, which calms the mind and aligns the chakra system.
3. Improves digestion
As said yoga twists create space in the body. The space created in your gut allows food to pass through. Twisting your spine also creates movement in your digestive system. This constant stretching and contracting of muscles stimulate your digestion and metabolism.
4. Stimulates and detoxes your organs
Yoga twists not only stimulate our digestive system, but they also activate and purify other vital organs in the body. The lymphatic system drains lymph fluid (containing the blood’s waste and toxins) from the body. Twisting poses assist the lymphatic system in detoxing your body by stimulating this flow of lymph fluid. Half Spinal Twist (Ardha Matsyendrasana), for example, stimulates the lymph flow in your torso and activates the Solar Plexus Chakra. This improves the functions of your stomach, gallbladder, liver, spleen, and pancreas, which all play vital roles in the body’s blood detoxification and waste excretion processes.
5. Enhances Pranic Flow
The main purpose of a yoga twist is to enhance the movement of Prana throughout your body. It ultimately creates a better flow of prana in your whole body. As these practices create more space in your body for the most efficient movement of positive energy through your system.