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Every month at H-Kore we focus on different aspects in our yoga practice. It allows to create a connection to what you are doing in the beginning, allow you to build your energy and find your way to a more advanced practice. This September we will be focusing on increasing spinal mobility by incorporating twisting asanas in our Yoga Flow classes. The practice will include 3 attributes: Physical, Mental & Emotional.
Physical Attributes to foster while working with Twists
The sedentary lifestyle we lead these days puts our poor spines in danger. Slouching and slumping at desks, long hours spent in chairs with poor back support, hunching over smartphones... sound familiar? Of course, it does!
Most of us are guilty of committing these posture crimes daily. Over time, these little habits can cause big trouble, sparking decreased mobility, discomfort, and even severe back pain.
Practicing twisting postures helps to keep the spinal muscles mobile by rotating the spine and stretching the back muscles. Twists help to maintain the length and resilience of the soft tissues surrounding the spine, as well as preserving the mobility of the spinal muscles. In turn, this keeps discs and joints happy and healthy.
Twists are so beneficial for the spine and back body that their ability to open the front of the body is often overlooked. Twisting poses are fantastic chest openers that release tension in the front of the ribs, chest, and shoulders and stretch the front and sides of the abdominals.
If that wasn’t enough, twists also encourage optimal functioning of the digestive system by creating intra-abdominal compression. When a twist is released, the digestive organs receive fresh blood flow; oxygen-rich and packed full of nutrients.
Mental Attributes to foster while working with twists
The physiological impact of twists has a knock-on effect for the mind; twisting leaves you feeling both energised and relaxed. By creating inter-vertebral space and decompression in the spine, twists take care of spinal nerve health boosting the nervous system to function effectively.
Lack of space between the vertebrae affects the energetic flow of the body, energy gets stuck and tension builds up, making us feel lethargic and slumped. Lengthening the spine creates space not only for the vertebrae but for energy to flow more freely, thus giving you an instant lift.
Emotional Attributes to foster while working with twists
Twists are wonderful postures if you’re dealing with stress or anxiety. These postures will help to open the chest, shoulders and back creating a sense of spaciousness in front of the body. This, in turn, facilitates deeper breathing, improve your posture and create a sense of spaciousness and comfort throughout the body; all of which help to decrease feelings of anxiousness.