One of my favorite things to teach in yoga is twists. For many twists have been taught with a rigid and restrictive mindset rather than the fluid and integrated movement our bodies are made to do. While both have merit in this 20-minute Somatic Twist Yoga Sequence we explore the latter. Allowing ourselves to fully explore the twist as a whole body experience.
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Somatic Twist Yoga Sequence
As with most of the yoga classes I create, this somatic twist yoga sequence starts with grounding and warm up. This is achieved with small mindful movements like windshield wipers and moving onto “fire starter”. This mobilizes the hips, spine and shoulders preparing us for the movements ahead.
Coming onto all fours, we’ll explore cat and cow, before settling into downward facing dog. Peddling the feet in down dog is something that just feels right in my body and something that I offer in almost all of my classes. Especially the first time in down dog.
Lift the right leg up and step it forward, dropping the left knee to the floor. Let the torso rise coming into a low lunge with the arms forward. Practice again the firestarter movement we explored on our back before drawing back into archer’s arms.
Repeat this somatic twist yoga sequence on both sides before settling into child’s pose. In the cool down explore kneeling upward salute (flowing from child’s pose) and then a seated twist.
Over-all this 20-minute somatic twist yoga sequence explores the movement of the whole body before resting into paschimottanasana with support. Adding blocks under the knees allows less hamstring and a full exploration of the stretch along the whole of the back body.
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Questions
- Have you tried somatic yoga before?
- Is there a difference in your twist right to left?
- Do you suffer with lower back pain?
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