Time to Twist

I've noticed twists are coming up as a theme for a lot of my clients this past week. As it is with most things, there is a reason wringing out sounds sooooo nice right now.

Winter is still very much in the air, but you may have noticed the bipolar weather is starting to make you feel similarly off-kilter. As spring starts to slowly creep it's delightful little green head out of the frozen ground, our mind and bodies are feeling this angst to feel motivated, social, energetic again. Meanwhile, winter is still begging us not to rush out of our hibernation before we've fully internalized and rested our systems. 

It is definitely time to start shedding the winter skin and opening our bodies and lives up for manifesting and transformation of a new energetic season. The best way I know to do this physically and mentally.... WRING IT OUT! 

If you're like me, movement, motivation, and general enthusiasm to 'do' has been low the last few months. So, how do we start the process of wringing out the gunk of hibernation without prematurely destroying our less-than-ready bodies? TWISTS!

Gentle, Slow Twists

The problem is that most of us who twist, perhaps to pop our back or quickly realign our neck, we are chronic 'crankers.' We twist quickly and yank on our body, pulling it into position. This is definitely NOT how we want to cleanse our spine, body, and mind. 

Try:

Sitting on a chair, hands on placed evenly on the head of the chair, feet and body turned to one side. Place your feet square and firmly into the ground. Take a big breath in, release the shoulders down the back, and on your exhale GENTLY, and SLOWLY allow your spine to twist away from your body's position. Do not crank or pull, but similar to slowly wringing out a sponge, ALLOW your body to move with your exhale. I usually tell my clients to align their chin with their chest as they move, so they are less inclined to twist with their neck.  Pause and then repeat, never going further than your exhale allows. Do this for 10 breaths. 

A Few Benefits of Twists:

  • Lubricates and refreshes discs of spine
  • Improves digestion and metabolic processes 
  • Maintains and improves spinal alignment
  • Calms sympathetic nervous system - this is a BIG DEAL. 
  • Reduces tension on cervical vertebrae, which is often associated with headaches and mental tension. 
  • Releases stress and tension in shoulder and pelvic girdles
    • Twisting postures help realign the relationship between the shoulder girdle and the spine, and between the pelvis and the spine. Every time you twist your body to the right, your right shoulder blade moves closer toward the spine, contracting the muscles that bind it to the ribcage and spine. At the same time the left shoulder blade moves further away from the spine, stretching the muscles that bind it to the rib cage and spine. 
Rachelle Ballard1 Comment