When done properly twisting poses have remarkable detoxifying properties. Twists focus on your spinal column and often massage your internal organs especially around the digestive tract. It has direct benefits to the better functioning of your lymphatic system. Lymph nodes are rich in white blood cells which determine the strength of your immunity. The only way lymphatic circulation is ensured is through contractions and stretching of your skeletal muscles and no other exercise does a better job than yoga! Twists offer your body new ways to remove toxins and flush white blood cells around the torso, the better your lymphatic system is functioning the better your whole body feels! The twist increase your lymphatic flow which helps to boost immunity and deep breathing during the twists help to drain out the toxins thereby purifying the blood stream.
The Proper Practice for these Yoga Moves to Increase Your Body Immunity
Make sure you have an empty stomach when focusing on twisting poses, the ringing around the waist will be very comfortable if you’ve just had a heavy meal! Exhale as you deepen you twist, looking further into the corner of your eye- allowing your gaze to determine how far you twist. As you inhale engage your muscles and lengthen your spine upwards to ensure you are not collapsing into the pose. Lengthen up so that the side you are twisting from isn’t shorter than the other, if one side is collapsing down you risk of overstretching the other. Make sure that your spine twists evenly right through, hold the stretch wherever comfortable, if your lower back is tight there is no point is trying to twist your upper back and chest too far, once your lower back slowly loosens the stretch will deepen naturally. Rather, it is better to engage your muscles and feel stable in the pose.
The foundation of the twist is very important; if it is a standing twist then the foundation is your legs, if it’s sitting then it’s the base of your spine. Your foundation must feel balanced and heavy, keep your feet apart to give you more stability. Feel that as you twist on one side that side feels lighter, so to compensate add more weight and strength on the base of the other side to ensure the pose is balanced equally. The more stable you feel in the pose the greater freedom there is in your torso to twist, leveraged by how much you engage your muscles and lengthen upwards. To ensure your have a stable foundation to twist from and to deepen the twist it is important that the axis of rotation is strong, this is the core belt. Our yoga and pilates program is perfect maximize the benefits of twisting poses while ensuring your practice is injury free by strengthening the obliques, abductors and transverse muscles of the core belt.
Unlike other poses, twists start from the inner body and the outer body tends to give resistance to the twists. Notice how in a twist the core of your abdomen feels the intensity whereas it’s your shoulder that is last to move. To minimize this resistance focus on keeping your chest broad and your shoulders relaxed. Your lower back should be curved in twists, therefore the heavier you feel your sitting bones planted down into your mat the more your lower back can arch and thus, the further you can twist. Be careful with the alignment of your neck in twists, ensure that you allow for the curvature at the back of your neck as well, hooking it forward will restrict your breathing. The general rule in twists is to keep your back elongated and allow for the curvature right through your spine.
Good alignment in twists make you feel light and tall, however poor alignment will put pressure on the spine. Check to see that you have proper alignment because if you are misaligned and force the twist you risk a high chance of injury. In essence, twists have a balancing quality in terms of your energy levels. If you are feeling tired twists can help increase your energy levels and feel invigorated, on the contrary, if you feel very frazzled and over active twists will help calm you down and leave you feeling composed.
