AS I’m a big fan of rock and roll music, I remember doing the twist with my late grandfather after his tennis games. In the 80s, my mother and her friends would have fun performing aerobics on a circular twist machine.
Although twisting improves blood circulation and releases tightness in our tummies, I didn’t realise we could apply it to yoga.
My favourite benefit of twisting works the digestive system by creating an intra-abdominal compression that helps loosen your bowels ─ it helps move your stool!
I know that’s too much information, but, seriously, every time I perform a lot of twists in class, my stomach thanks me for it.
When it comes to your ascending, descending, sigmoid and transverse colon ─ all named for the way your colon moves waste toward your rectum ─ performing twists will make your belly super happy.
There are so many twisting postures in yoga. Whether you’re in a seating, lying down or an upside-down position, there are so many twists that can be incorporated into your flow.
What is a yoga twist? When you get into a pose where the shoulder girdle is turned to face the opposing direction of the hips, that’s a twist!
Twists impact our centre or axis, maintaining mobility in and around the spine. We often forget the importance of having mobility in the spine until we start to feel pain or discomfort, or our body starts to make cracking sounds.
Don’t wait until it’s too late! Discover the key benefits of yummy twists, which energises our minds and bodies with better digestion.
As we are always slouching over tables, steering wheels and mobile devices, twisting helps us improve our posture by endowing us with a healthy spine that will not cry out in pain the moment we counter that sedentary posture after hours on end.
Sometimes, lifting your arms up and stretching your shoulders back quickly results in muscle pulls. Over time, this can lead to more acute problems, such as discomfort, decreased mobility or even severe back pain.
Let’s make it a point to twist this week! After all, every twist and turn in life is an opportunity to learn something new about yourself, your interests, your talents, and how you can set goals and, subsequently, achieve them. ─ The Vibes, 20 January, 2021
