The best twisting yoga poses for intermediate practitioners

Twists, a major category of yoga poses, offer multiple advantages, fostering openness in the hips, spine, and shoulders while enhancing muscle balance and coordination. Beyond these physical benefits, they also play a crucial role in soothing the nervous system, energizing the body, and relieving pressure along the spinal column, easing tension in surrounding muscles. These poses serve as a significant aid in calming the nervous system, uplifting mood, and harmonizing emotions. Additionally, by expanding the chest, they contribute to improved respiration. Twisting yoga poses engage the spine and torso in rotational movements, fostering core strength and enhancing spinal flexibility, while stimulating the abdominal organs and promoting digestion.

When preparing for twists, practice core strengthening poses such as the boat pose, warrior poses, plank drills, push-ups and Surya Namaskars. Lateral bends such as the gate pose, triangle pose and seated side bend are also helpful. Spine lengthening postures such as the tree pose and seated forward bend help achieve the right alignment in twists. It is also advisable to practice twists in a standing position first, supine and then in seated position.

5 Twisting Yoga Poses for Intermediate Practitioners

Revolved Triangle Pose

A standing posture, the Revolved Triangle Pose is known as Parivrtta Trikonasana. Requiring stability and balance, the Revolved Triangle Pose provides a deep twist to the waist region, strengthening the muscles in the surrounding areas. The arms, shoulders, back and legs also get strengthened and stability improves. It improves focus and concentration as well.

How to practice Revolved Triangle Pose

Begin in a wide leg stance, facing the mat's long edge. Keep the feet a meter apart, heels aligned, and toes pointing forward.
Rotate your right foot 90 degrees toward the mat's short end and angle the left foot about 45 degrees for a stable base.
Now shift the hips to face the mat's short edge, grounding through feet, engaging legs and pelvic floor, drawing the lower belly in and upward.
Inhale, lengthen the spine, and lift the left arm upward. Exhale, hinge at the hips, maintaining the length in the spine and neck, extending the left arm forward until the upper body is parallel to the floor.
Place the left hand on a block outside the right foot, bringing the right hand to the sacrum. Press through both feet, moving the right sitting bone backward, maintaining spine length during inhalation.
On exhalation, twist to the right, aligning the right shoulder over the left, and raise the right arm.
Now turn the head to the side or upward, holding for 5 breaths with engaged legs, pelvic floor, and lower abdomen.
Repeat the posture on the other side.

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Revolved Extended Side Angle Pose

Known as Parivrtta Parsvakonasana, this asana requires all three - strength, stability and flexibility. It enhances the stretch in the waist and back, stimulates the abdominal organs and effectively strengthens the arms, shoulders, back and legs. As it requires focus to balance in the asana, concentration also improves. A little challenging to do at first, one can start by practicing with the support of blocks.

How to practice Revolved Extended Side Angle Pose

From Adho Mukha Svanasana, take the right leg forward between the palms and drop the left heel at a 60 degree angle.
Stand up and stretch the arms sideways in line with the shoulders.
Bend the front knee so that the thigh is parallel to the floor.
As you inhale, lengthen the back and as you exhale rotate the trunk and bring the Left upper arm outside the knee and place the palm down. The armpit rests on the outer side of the front knee.
Now extend the other hand over the ear, keeping the back leg firm.
Stay here for a few breaths. Repeat the posture on the other side.

Revolved Crescent Lunge Pose

‍The Parivrtta Anjaneyasana is a hip opener as well as a twist. It works on improving hip flexibility and mobility, stretching the hamstrings and quadriceps, and the twist works on reducing fat from the waist, massaging the abdominal organs and deepening the stretch.

How to practice Revolved Crescent Lunge Pose

Start in Downward Facing Dog, then lift your right leg and step it forward for a Low Lunge.
Maintain a 90-degree angle in the right knee, straighten and engage the back leg, while checking hip alignment with hands on hips.
Inhale, rise up with arms stretched up and bent knee at 90 degrees, engaging core and bringing hands to heart center.
Exhale, gently twist by hooking the left elbow outside the right knee, placing hands in prayer at the chest's center.
Inhale to lengthen the spine, exhale to deepen the twist, repeating at least three times.
Release gently and repeat the posture on the other side.

Half-lord of the Fishes Pose

Known as Ardha Matysendrasana, this seated twisting pose is ideal for intermediate practitioners. It opens up the chest region, corrects a hunched posture, strengthens the back muscles and improves spinal flexibility. The abdominal region receives a massage, stimulating the organs and improving blood circulation.

How to practice Half-lord of the Fishes Pose

Sit in Dandasana with your feet together and spine straight.
Now bend the left leg and place the left foot flat beside the right hip.
Take the right leg over the left knee and place the left hand on the right knee and the right hand behind you.
Now slowly twist the waist, shoulders and neck to the right and look over the right shoulder.
Ensure your spine is straight.
Now look over the right shoulder while taking slow deep breaths.
As you breathe out, first slowly release the right hand (the hand that is behind you), release and turn the waist, chest and neck.
Sit up straight and relaxed.
Now repeat this on the other side.

Revolved Head to Knee Pose

A seated, twisting side bend, this asana is known as Parivrtta Janu Sirsasana. The asanas stretches the sides of the body, the waist region, extends and contracts the spinal muscles, improves strength and flexibility of the back and opens up the lungs, improving respiration.

How to practice Revolved Head to Knee Pose

Sit in Dandasana, the Staff Pose. Now stretch the right leg to the side and bend the left knee bringing the heel in towards the groin.
Inhale, tighten the stretched leg and ground your sit bones. As you exhale, twist the upper body and bend towards the right leg.
Keep the lower ribs pulled in and gently rotate the ribcage upwards.
Now bring the right elbow towards the right knee or the floor. Raise the left arm and bring it over the head. If you can reach the left arm to the right foot, hold onto the toes. If not, do not strain. Simply keep the arm where you can reach.
Tuck the chin and stay here for a few deep breaths.
Repeat the posture on the other side too.

Remember to practice safely by keeping your awareness on the back and taking slow, deep breaths throughout. Twist only as much as you can, avoiding injuries. Slowly, as flexibility improves, you can push beyond existing limits to improve your twist.

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What are the benefits of twists in yoga?

Twists provide an openness in the hips, spine, and shoulders while enhancing muscle balance and coordination. They also play a crucial role in soothing the nervous system, energizing the body, and relieving pressure along the spinal column, easing tension in surrounding muscles. These poses serve as a significant aid in calming the nervous system, uplifting mood, and harmonizing emotions.

What is Parivrtta Janu Sirsasana?

A seated, twisting side bend, Parivrtta Janu Sirsasana is called Revolved Head to Knee Pose in English. It stretches the sides of the body, the waist region, extends and contracts the spinal muscles, improves strength and flexibility of the back and opens up the lungs, improving respiration.

What is Parivrtta Anjaneyasana?

Parivrtta Anjaneyasana is the Sanskrit name for Revolved Crescent Lunge Pose. It is a hip opener as well as a twist. It improves hip flexibility and mobility, stretching the hamstrings and quadriceps, and the twist works on reducing fat from the waist, massaging the abdominal organs and deepening the stretch.

What are the benefits of Parivrtta Parsvakonasana?

Known as the Revolved Extended Side Angle Pose, Parivrtta Parsvakonasana requires strength, stability and flexibility. It enhances the stretch in the waist and back, stimulates the abdominal organs and effectively strengthens the arms, shoulders, back and legs. As it requires focus to balance in the asana, concentration also improves. A little challenging to do at first, one can start by practicing with the support of blocks.