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Get Into Asana Twists For A Yoga-Calm Mind
from: Rebecca PrescottThe most popular form of yoga in the western world is hatha
yoga, which concentrates on a series of poses, or asanas,
designed to increase flexibility, boost energy levels, improve
balance and tone muscles.
In this form of yoga, the body is seen as an energy system,
divided into areas or chakras. Each asana focuses on increasing
energy flow to a particular chakra to stimulate organ function,
enhance blood flow, and work specific muscles to generally
improve your wellbeing in that chakra.
There are a huge variety of asanas and each person requires a
tailored program of poses to address their particular aims or
health concerns. Asanas are divided into broad categories with
certain properties. One of the major categories is asana twists
which are designed to extend and open the spinal channel, tone
the abdominal muscles and untwist the mind.
The aim of most asana twists is to bring the shoulders to a
right angle with the hips. The pose will be held for between
thirty seconds and a minute and with each outward breath we
should aim to twist a little further towards our goal. Asana
twists can be performed standing or sitting.
One of the most popular asana twists is the spinal twist pose or
Matsyendrasana, named after Sri Matsyendrasana who originally
conceived hatha yoga. This pose realigns the spinal column, and
is used to treat diabetes, constipation, dyspepsia and urinary
problems. The spinal twist asana increases energy flow to the
stomach, colon, liver, spleen, pancreas and kidneys.
All yoga asanas should initially be performed under the
supervision of a qualified professional, but twists have
particular potential for injury so great care should be taken.
When performing a twist you should always lead with the belly or
torso, and never the head. The head should be the last part of
the body to twist.
You should be particularly careful about performing asana twists
if you are pregnant, and if you do not want to avoid doing them
altogether, you should always perform open twists. These are
asanas that involve keeping the abdominal muscles soft and not
contracting them as you would in a closed twist. Other people
that should only attempt an open twist with a relaxed belly area
are hernia sufferers, menstruating women, and anybody with
detached retina or glaucoma.
Some people should avoid asana twists altogether. They are not
recommended for people with high blood pressure or those prone
to migraine headaches as the restriction of the blood vessels
during a twist can trigger an attack.
Back problems such as lumbago, slipped discs or rheumatism can
actually be treated by asana twists as they can relieve tension
in the back muscles. However, great care should be taken, and
professional supervision is mandatory.
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