Yoga offers a broad range of benefits for the body, mind and spirit. Each type of pose offers different benefits. For example, twist poses offer very beneficial both physically and emotionally.
Twists energize the body and are great on days when you feel tired and need a boost. This benefit can be enjoyed during your regular yoga practice or at any time. for example, if you are feeling tired at work in the afternoon, a few seated twists in your desk chair helps improve your energy level and is much healthier than a cup of coffee or energy drink.
Twist poses are calming to the body. The twisting action is effective for releasing tension from the body. This relaxes the muscles and brings a peaceful, calm feeling to replace the tense and stressed feelings.
Twists are beneficial for the spine and ligaments surrounding the spine. The twist poses stretch and strengthen the spine and keeps it in proper alignment. These poses also improve flexibility and strength in the ligaments and muscles of the back.
Different types of twist poses help to stretch and strengthen different areas of the body. Depending on the type of twist, the neck, shoulders, hips, spine and knees will be stretched and strengthened. Most yoga classes feature a few different twist poses to get the full benefit throughout the body.
Another benefit of twist poses is improved digestion. The twisting action encourages efficient digestion and keeps the body regular. People with digestive problems or constipation find twists help to improve these conditions.
This helps to remove toxins from the body, which is another benefit of twist poses. The toxins are wrung out of the spine and internal organs of the body. This allows the body’s natural processes to carry the toxins out of the body, either as waste or through sweat.
There are many different twist poses and you can find instructions for each in the Yoga Poses section of this blog. However, there is one thing all twists have in common. The twist moves with the breath. You will lengthen the body on the inhalation and deepen the twist with each exhalation breath, so that you are relaxing into the twist.