Anyone that has been to my yoga classes enough knows that I often express my own love of twisting poses. In an odd paradox they feel so relaxing yet rejuvenating to me. I just like them. But a friend recently asked me to explain how to twist safely. This is an important question because done without attention to the alignment of the spine a delicious twist could be quite damaging and not at all delicious. Basically, the spine curves forward at the neck, backward at the mid back, and forward again at the low back. The sacrum finally curves back again as it completes the back of the pelvis. Good spine health means maintaining the normal curves throughout the entire spine and moving in a single plane. Twisting is ok, forward folding is ok, but dont ever do the two at the same time. Similarly, twisting and back bending at the same time is asking for pain. Twists will narrow the spaces between vertebra, making it possible to compress (squish) discs, nerves, ligaments, muscles, and blood vessels between the bones. This causes pain. Imagine shoveling. Often people stoop to lift the snow onto the shovel then twist to distribute the snow away from the path. Then they hurt. Instead, its advised to pivot and step to the side so the back doesnt twist as the snow is removed. One of the most horrifying move Ive seen in yoga classes is camel pose with a twist, placing one hand to the heel and the other overhead like wild thing and alternating left to right. Eek! Dont ever twist and back bend or twist and fold. Just say no and your spine will thank you for it! Its difficult to maintain spine alignment when hamstrings are tight. Sitting twists may be safer sitting on the edge of a blanket instead of directly on the floor. Sitting on the blanket tilts the pelvis forward slightly to maintain the low back curve. Only with that curve maintained is twisting safe. If your pelvis rounds backward and your low back curve flattens then the twist isnt a good idea. Twists lying on your back arent a concern because the curve will be maintained and because you wont have the weight of your body on the low back. My friend also asked about the role of twists in digestion. Ive also heard many yoga instructors state that twists aid digestion. I cannot for the life of me figure out a plausible physiological reason for this claim. We have skin, fat, and muscle layered on top of organs. These tissues protect the viscera from external forces. This is a great thing. I certainly dont want something poking my abdomen and piercing my intestines. I cant see how a 30-second or even 3-minute twist would affect digestion.
Posted on: Wed, 06 Aug 2014 19:11:38 +0000
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