BENGALURU: This is a simple sitting posture with a twist. Let’s get ready for it.
STEPS: Sit on the floor with your legs extended and fold your right knee so that the right foot is near the left calf muscle. Let the left leg remain straight and the left ankle flexed.
Sit upright, inhale and take the right arm up- hand stretched towards the ceiling, as you exhale twist the torso by moving the right shoulder forward and place the right arm on the outside of the bent left leg so that your right elbow and right palm face outward (if this is not possible you may hug the left knee with the crook of the right elbow).
Keep the left arm behind you but straight and close to the spine with the left palm on the floor very close to you, left fingers can face away from you.
Turn and look over your left shoulder, the endeavor is to get your chest and shoulders parallel to the wall on your left-the right shoulder to point to the front of the hall and the left shoulder to point back. Hold the pose as you breathe normal for 20-30 seconds. Use each exhalation to twist more.
Release and switch legs and repeat the posture on the other side.
BENEFITS:
This pose alternatively stretches and contracts the oblique muscles and transverse abdominals on the sides of the waist.
This helps to tone the abdomen and also keep the back muscles stretching and contracting. There is a lot happening in this simple twist- many muscles are actively stretching in pairs- two-by-two! The back stays supple and the spine twists gently to help you feel invigorated.
Anshu Vyas Seetharaman is a yoga and fitness trainer at Sri Aurobindo Society, Bengaluru. (110 Gangadhara Chetty Road, Ulsoor) Email: bodysculpting.yogatherapy@gmail.com