The 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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If you'd like some in-home yoga instruction, check out this article on choosing the best yoga videos. For more asana articles, click here.
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