10 benefits of twists

WINTER TWISTS
When the temperatures drop and we start to move towards to depths of winter twists help to calm the nervous system, balance hormones, release tension, and help the body to adjust to the sudden change in season. They also stoke your internal generator to help you stay warm when there is a nip in the air, warming you from the inside out.

While Springtime is a time for getting into some deeper twists, Wintertime is more suitable for gentler twists to keep the spine supple over the winter months without going too deep into potentially seasonally tight muscles. Try this simple yoga sequence to get some twisting benefits into your day. Explore giving yourself permission to not go into your deepest twist and pause to take a few extra breaths in each twist to build strong winter ready lungs. Here are 10 benefits of adding these twist into your practice:

1. Aids digestion - twists penetrate deep into the body, stimulating the organs of the abdominal region. One of the most important organs which benefits from twists is the digestive system, also known as the enteric nervous system, or the ‘second brain’. Twists stimulate maximum nutrition absorption and distribution throughout the body.

2. Eases constipation - the digestive system is happiest when it is kept regular. Constipation can leave you feeling sluggish and bloated. Twists wake the digestive system up and gently squeeze it to help keep everything moving efficiently. When practising twists turn to the right first to stimulate the ascending colon, then twist to the left after, to stimulate the descending colon.

3. Aids detoxification - twists temporarily constrict blood flow in the bowel, liver and kidneys. In releasing the twist a surge of fresh oxygenated blood rushes back which flushes out unwanted toxins.

4. Increases metabolism - your metabolism is the rate at which your body process matter to create energy. Twists boosts the metabolism by aiding good digestive. The metabolism also functions best in a stress free environment – twists soothe physical and emotional tension in the body through triggering the parasympathetic nervous system.

5. Boosts immune system - a healthy immune system starts in your gut. As 80% of our immune system is generated in the gut it makes sense that twists are a very powerful tool for a strong immune system. Along with the digestive system, twists also stimulate the circulatory, the nervous and the endocrine systems – which all have an important part to play in building the immune system.

6. Increases circulation - good circulation brings oxygen and nutrients to the whole body. Sitting at a desk all day is one of the main culprits of poor circulation. Yoga, twists in particular, increase your circulation – with the additional benefit of adding a healthy glow to your complexion after your practice!

7. Energising - the increased circulation from twists of oxygenated blood to the brain gives you a fresh boost of energy. They also stir up your internal prana (life energy) and increases energy flow throughout the whole body.

8. Eases stress & anxiety - a healthy gut has a strong link to our moods and emotional well-being. Stress leads to gut issues and similarly gut issues lead to stress. As 95% of serotonin (the happy hormone) is produced in the bowel, stimulating the gut through twists release these happy hormones into the system.

9. Balances nervous system - the sympathetic nervous system (fight & flight) is in constant alert in our busy lives. Sometimes we may need a bit of ‘fight & flight’, but most of the time it’s a result of our brain being overwhelmed and leads us to make impulsive decisions. Slowing down and taking some deep breaths in your twists rewires the brain to pause before it reacts, and triggers the parasympathetic nervous system (rest & digest).

10. Improves spinal health - last but not least, twist help maintain a healthy spine by wringing out and lubricating the connective tissue of the spine – keeping them strong, supple. They stretch, strengthen and release tension from all the muscles of the spine.

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Ruth Delahunty Yogaru

The posterior chain

THREE DIMENSIONAL BEINGS
We are very conscious of our front bodies. It is what looks back at us in the mirror and primarily what we communicate with too – it’s much harder to read a person from their posterior! We concentrate most of our movement patterns on our front body too and the back body gets ignored, until it makes itself heard through shoulder, back, glute or hamstring pain or injuries. ‘The posterior chain’ refers to the whole back body, starting from the back of the heel, the calves, hamstrings, glutes, lower back (lumbar spine), upper back (thoracic spine), the neck (cervical spine) and end just under the back curve of the skull. This chain of muscles are designed to hold us upright. If they are weak they can become fatigued more easily and we collapse and curl forward in the front body. The posterior chain become weakened from lack of use or from long periods of sitting where parts are in a static slight stretch and there is very little strengthening and stabilising. A strong posterior chain protects the back and allows more freer fluid movement.

FORWARD BENDS VS BACKBENDS
In our practice we naturally come into more forward bend poses than backbends. In a Classic Sun Salutation you will take six forward bends (where the upper body is moving towards the lower body) and one backbend (where the upper body is moving away from the lower body) on each side which means twelve forward bends to two backbends to a full round of a Classic Sun Salutation. As with everything in life and especially in movement balance is best. Adding more poses that actively strengthen all or part of the posterior chain and will ignite the muscles of the back body.

EXPLORING THE POSTERIOR CHAIN IN YOUR PRACTICE
This sequence intermittently adds poses that will strengthen your whole back body. Salabhasana/Locust is one of my favourite poses for strengthening the posterior chain from the heels to the top of your neck. Ardha Uttanasana/Half Forward Fold is also very easy to add into your sequences and will help to counteract long periods of sitting and improve posture by strengthening the back. To concentrate the actions into the back strength keep your knees slightly bent and press your hands strongly into the tops of your knees to reach your chest forward and up, taking care not to bring too much flexion into the back of the neck.

ALIGNMENT CUES
The sequence starts lying prone and connecting with all the muscle groups of your posterior chain. The peak pose is Urdhva Mukha Svanasana/Upward Facing Dog. When you find yourself in this pose lift up with the back body and work on taking as much weight off your hands through the strength of your back as you can. Press into the tps of your feet and reach them back as you hug to the midline and lift through the core to protect your lower back. It is not a pose to stay in for too long, but you can add a few more of them in between mini flows if you are enjoying finding your back body strength.

• From Chaturanga Dandasana, inhale, reach your sternum forward and up, roll over your toes onto the tops of the feet, straighten your arms, hands either side of your ribs.

• Press into your hands and tops of feet, lift chest and hips up. Broaden through the collarbones, firm your shoulder blades onto your back.

• Reach your toes back, firm your legs, hug your outer hip to the midline

• Pull your hands back, draw your sternum forward and up, draw your navel towards your spine. Gaze forward or arch your head back and gaze up.

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Ruth Delahunty Yogaru

Ojas flow

JUICE UP YOUR OJAS
The art of Ayurveda medicine dates back to the Vedic period in 1500 BCE. This holistic healing tradition tailors to your individual needs based on your constitution, or your dosha, for prolonging life. In Ayurveda ojas, sanskrit for ‘vigor’, is thought to be responsible for strength, health, long life and strong immunity. Ojas, or life energy, is your vitality, your drive for life that brings with it longevity. It is the essence of every cell in your body that powers your immune system and fight disease. It manifests in more than the physical body, ojas gives you a strong resilient mind too. Signs that you have an abundance of ojas are mental and emotional wellness, feeling rested, radiant complexion, feeling content and balanced, good digestion, a clear mind and feeling light and energised.

FINDING YOUR OJAS
Ojas comes from eating pure and nourishing foods. A diet full of fresh organic sattvic food and plenty of plants as close to nature as possible will boost you ojas stores. A diet high in processed foods, oily foods and too much meat increases your toxicity and depletes your ojas stores. Similarly negativity, anger, greed and attachment depletes your ojas too. Self care is an important component in honouring your ojas life force. Running on empty and living in a constant state of heightened stress will burn out your ojas stores.

EXPLORING OJAS IN YOUR PRACTICE
Ojas sit at our heart centre. Gentle heart opening backbends and juicing up all your joint with this ojas flow which will tap into your stores and circulate this life energy through your whole body. The sun salutations will move all the joints in every directions and replenish the synovial fluid. Find new sensations in the poses by spending some extra time in the standing poses. Meet yourself exactly where you are today and find your vital energy.

ALIGNMENT CUES
You will start low and start slow with this sequence and very gradually build up to the standing poses. The peak pose is Baddha Virabhadrasana/Humble Warrior. Look for an opening of the heart centre and a humble nod to the power of Ojas.

• From Virabhadrasana I or Ashta Chandrasana, interlace your hands behind your back.

• Inhale, lengthen the spine, exhale hinge forward from the hip joint just to the inside of your right leg.

• Raise your arms up behind you with a soft bend in your elbows, broaden through the collarbones, keep your shoulders level to the ground.

• Press into your left heel, hug your right hip to the midline, gaze down.

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Ruth Delahunty Yogaru