Twisted Roots Pose

BENEFITS

Mechanics: By rotating the spine, this pose creates a pleasant compression of this bone structure. It also stimulates the obliques, gluteus maximus and iliotibial tract. If you pay attention, you will most likely feel more compression on the lumbar segment, as it is the least mobile in the rotation.

Energetic: Targets the gall bladder meridian linked to the Wood element, the urinary bladder meridian linked to the Water element as well as the heart and lung meridians linked to the Fire-Metal elements when the arms are raised backwards.

Mental / emotional: calming, relaxing and neutralising.

CONTRAINDICATIONS

Proceed with care in case of herniated disck.

HELP & PROPS

Support the knees if they are not on the floor, so that the body can relax. If the shoulder is off the ground, use a support to prop up the arm to enhance relaxation. If you feel tingling in the arms or numbness in the hand or fingers, lower the arms and place them alongside the body on the floor.

TIMING

Three to five minutes or more.

RELEASING THE POSE

Release the arms down, bring the knees back to center, uncross the legs and relax in Savasana

TIPS

By changing the angle of the knees on the floor, you can stimulate different segments of the spine. The position of the head can be neutral or opposite to the knees to increase the sensation of rotation.

Variations of the Dog

Twisted Roots Variation a

Keep your knees together if you cannot intertwine your legs. Feel free to change the position of your lower limbs to influence the different segments of the back. The position of the arms is left to your choice, up, centre or down.

Twisted Roots Variation b

For more comfort, you can relax the upper leg on the floor and the lower leg further back, you can also keep the arms spread up and down to facilitate the connection with the diagonal myofascial chain from the armpit to the buttocks.

The Cat's Tail

This posture is both a rotation and an extension of the spine, it will also work the iliopspoas and the quadriceps on the leg on the ground, as well as the glutes and hamstrings on the leg above. Quite a programme.

Other poses