Twists are a time-honored remedy to kick-start the digestive system when practiced with conscious attention to breath and posture. According to gastroenterologist Sabine Hazan Steinberg, MD, “Gentle yoga twists increase blood flow to the bowels. If followed by rest, twists help the movement of the bowels. Twists are also shown to decrease inflammation.”
Twists put pressure on the stomach, the small intestine and the large intestine, also called the colon. This stimulation can be beneficial. In Light on Yoga, BKS Iyengar states that jathara parivartanasana (described as churning the stomach winds, or revolving twist), “Tones and eradicates sluggishness…cures gastritis and strengthens the intestines.”
Twist with Caution
While twists can have a beneficial effect on digestion, it is important to practice them with care. When I ask someone who has given up yoga, “Why?” they often grimace and describing their experience of ongoing pain from a twist. If we strain for range of motion at the expense of softness, space, breath and elongation, it is just a matter of time before an undetected disc problem gets exacerbated, which can lead to nerve pain.
The intervertebral discs, located between the spinal vertebrae, are meant to absorb impact. Discs may vary in thickness due to genetics, use, misuse, posture or sudden impact from falls or crashes. My own bulging discs happened many years ago when I trusted a yoga teacher who laid their body weight on my back while I was bending forward in paschimottanasana (seated forward fold); I felt something “open” and since then I have recurring episodes of pain radiating into both hip joints when I practice a rounded forward bend. Because of the great benefits to the internal organs of twisting I re-learned how to twist without placing pressure on the discs or aggravating my old injury.
When we twist the torso, we change the shape of the ribcage and abdomen. We contract muscles in one spiraling direction. We hold this contraction, strengthening the rotation muscles. Imagine a slinky toy with smooth coils. In your mind’s eye, stretch the slinky long and then increase the tension on the twist.
Revolving Twists
In a revolving twist you stabilize the upper body and twist the lower spine by rotating the pelvis and legs to one side (photo). This gently massages the intestines without increasing pressure on the discs.Lay on your back. Outstretch your arms on the floor below shoulder height. Bend your knees in toward your abdomen. Exhale fully and pull your abdominal muscles toward your spine. In the pause after the exhalation, while your muscles are engaged, lower both bent knees toward your right elbow and return them to center. This pause after the exhalation is important. When you practice twisting and returning to center during that pause, it trains your abdominal muscles to support your spine.
Relax. Take a few normal breaths and begin the same sequence on the other side. Coordinating the movement with the breath helps to protect the spine.
Seated Twists
In a seated twist, the pelvis and legs remain stationary. Gently revolving the torso massages the stomach. An open variation of a seated twist (photo) is appropriate for people with spinal injuries, women who are pregnant and people who are overweight. An added benefit of an open seated twist is that it trains the spinal muscles to elongate as they rotate without the help of arm strength.
Lunging Twists
Of the three twist variations, lunging twists (photo) allow for the most movement in the spine. The pelvis and shoulders rotate in opposite directions. If the arms are not forcefully creating oppositional pressure, there is minimal risk to the spine. Continue training yourself to twist during the pause after exhalation so your abdominal muscles are called into action.
Squeeze out Stress
Active digestion happens after twisting has ceased. When resting in savasana (final relaxation) or seated in a meditation practice the nerves in the tongue, esophagus and gut relax. Only when the perception (or misperception) of danger has passed does the blood concentrate around the internal organs of digestion and elimination. That is how yoga, meditation, stress reduction and breathing support digestion. According to Dr. Hazan Steinberg, yoga calms us by training our nervous system to transition from a flight, fight, freeze response (the sympathetic nervous system) to a restorative and healing response (parasympathetic nervous system). When stressed by political debates around the table with extended family, blood is directed toward the outer limbs in case you need to flee or fight. If we approach holiday meals with compassion, breath and enough self-awareness to chew our food no matter how stressful the conversation, we can reduce incidences of suffering from post-holiday belly blues.
Julie Carmen, MA, LMFT, ERYT-500 is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in private practice in Malibu and a certified yoga therapist on the faculty of LMU Yoga Therapy Rx. She’s been teaching at Exhale Center for Sacred Movement since 2001 and has been Suzanne Somers private yoga teacher since 2003. Julie Carmen’s YOGA SLOW FLOW DVD and YOGA FOR HORMONES CD are available at www.yogatalks.com
