Seated Spinal Twist is a beginner spinal twist in yoga that opens up the hips and improves mobility through the upper and lower back. It’s a fantastic pose to alleviate pain in the neck and upper back—and a nice one to do every day.
SEATED TWIST BENEFITS
- Improves spinal mobility, particularly through the upper and lower back, as the torso rotates from the base of the spine.
- Works the obliques as the torso twists—contracting on one side to drive the rotation, stretching and the other as it lengthens away.
- Opens up the hips and stretches the groin, in the cross-legged seated position.
- Improves posture.
- Can help alleviate neck pain and upper back pain, as improving mobility through the upper spine eases the compensatory tension that often builds up in the neck.
CATEGORY
SKILL LEVEL
- Beginner
INSTRUCTIONS
- Set-Up
Sit cross-legged with one leg folded in front of the other and your back straight.
- Action
Bring your left hand to your right knee and place your right fingertips on the mat behind you. Inhale, sit up tall—lengthen your spine. Exhale, twist from the base of your spine to the right.
- Refinements
Make sure that your spine is straight before taking the twist and keep your eyes at eye-line.
- Modification
If you’re unable to sit cross-legged with your back straight, sit on the edge of some cushions or blocks to lift your hips up higher than your knees.
- Duration
Hold the pose for 3-5 breaths on each side. Inhaling to lengthen your spine and exhaling to deepen the twist.
CONTRAINDICATIONS
- Avoid Seated Twist if you have a foot, ankle, knee, lower back or neck injury.
MASTER SEATED TWIST
If you’d like to practise Seated Twist as part of a sequence, watch T-Spine And Scapular Mobility—a 15-minute guided practice designed to improve your mobility in the thoracic spine and shoulders. This video can be accessed along with my full library of 360+ videos as part of the 14-Day Free Trial.
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