Fresh off a plane, Los Angeles-based yogi Lauren Taus joined us within the Health studio for any quick yoga session, and let’s say that we are impressed. Taus combined her experience like a clinical therapist and yoga instructor to walk us via a flow that aids obese through twisting movements.
If you hear a yoga instructor rave about the advantages of twists, it’s because these moves are “creating extra space inside for effective organ function,” says Taus. These types of stretches are perfect whenever you’re coming off a flight, have cramps, or feel bloated, she adds.
By twisting, we boost the spine’s capability to move in that direction, and “when we still practice twisting, we have more agility and adaptability that allows for us to become more protected in life,” Taus says.
Taus began the session lying on her behalf back, and instructed us to bring the soles in our feet together, keeping knees open wide. Resting one hand on the heart and the other around the stomach, Taus took some deep breaths. In the Reclined Bound Angle pose, she asked us to really focus on our breath.
Next, Taus seamlessly transitioned into a Supine Spinal Twist, reaching her arms overhead, stretching her legs out long, after which hugging the right knee to her chest, bringing it over to the left side. To activate the twist, she checked out her right shoulder and held that pose for 15-20 seconds to get a deep stretch.
Taus then moved to her hands and knees right into a Cat-Cow position, where she instructed us to inhale, sink the belly, lift the heart, and exhale while rounding our back. While in it, she encouraged us to maneuver our bodies around, making circular movements using the spine. By doing this, she explained, we are able to find more mobility, which allows for increased space and more effective digestion.
Taus practiced a Half Lord From the Fishes Pose towards the end of the yoga flow, twisting her body while educating us on our breath. “Every inhalation activly works to lengthen the spine, and each exhalation activly works to deepen the twist,” she said. “You broaden the space across your chest, and you notice any tendency to break down, and then work towards spaciousness and expansion.”
