It may feel like our lives are paused due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but the world continues to spin and seasons continue to change. Winter becomes spring! Spring is a time of renewal and cleansing. We use this time to clean our homes and yards, welcoming sunny, warm weather. We ramp up our exercise routines and, maybe even, get a new haircut! In our yoga practice, we also cleanse our internal body by practicing twisting asanas (or revolved asanas). These asanas create flexibility of the spine and rejuvenate the abdominal organs. They bring a peaceful state of mind when the breath is used to support the twisting action.
In the sequence provided, find the stability needed in the hips/legs to support the movement in the trunk and chest. In the twisting asanas, use the inhalation to lift and lengthen the sides of the trunk and the exhalation to deepen the twist and massage the abdominal organs. It’s encouraged to repeat the twisting asanas several times to reduce stiffness and get deeper into the poses. As seen in the sequence, the wall is a helpful prop to support the turning of the torso. Use the hands on the wall to deepen the twist and find stability.
Read through the practice sheet a few times before you begin your practice so that when you begin your practice you can stay focused on your poses and breath, and not glued to your device. Have a good practice!
For menstruating women, do not practice twists across the body (e.g., Parivrrta poses, Marichyasana III, Ardha Matsyendrasana), abdominal poses (e.g., Paripurna or Ardha Navasana), or inversions (e.g., Salamba Sarvangasana, Viparita Karani). You could do open twists instead like Marichyasana I or Bharadvajasana I. Utthita Trikonasana and Utthita Parsvakonasana at the wall are ok too (as shown in sequence). See the blog post about the menstrual cycle sequence for more info.
I add my heart felt gratitude for making this practice work available to Laurie, Becca, and David.
Becca, I quickly reviewed the poses before beginning and was happy and surprised with the addition of Bhramarj at the end!
Yes, perfect with the spring theme. Photographer…YAY!
Thank you Becca for the great practice! I learned that in my home practice of standing twists I should use the wall more often. In addition to the better alignment, I was able to hold the asanas longer than I typically do. I also inserted sirsasana before shoulderstantd. I practiced this sequence a couple of days ago but still feel the effect of the twists, especially in the abdominal area and sides of the trunk. I love the yacht and canoe references 🙂
Many thanks to your photographer!!! Stay well everyone.
Great comments all! Kathy, I have a rounded block that I use for that too. A blanket or rolled sticky mat is a great idea too! Cynthia those are great additions! I inserted adho mukha svanasana and salamba sirsasana before shoulderstand. I felt adho mukha svanasana was an especially nice reprieve from the twists.
I am so grateful for all of these series. They are extremely helpful and grounding. Thank you and Laurie and Dave so very much. This particular series, today, left me feeling much more mentally and physically resilient. I added a couple of forward bends and a sirsasana (with cycle) as well for a long practice.
Stay strong and take good care!
Hi Becca, this is great! The wall is a tough teacher, though!
In the standing Marichyasana I put a folded blanket under the heel of the standing foot, which helped me level the pelvis. Also, I tried it with the bent leg resting along the wall which showed me how to twist from the spine rather than just turning the pelvis.
Very helpful photos, too!
Kathy
Loving your practice, Becca!
Thank you for the inspiration!
Donna