Supported Spinal Twist (Jathara Parivartanasana)
Why You Need to Do It:
Have you ever had one of those days when you just need to be held up and supported so you can drift off into your happy place? Well, my friend, this pose is for that sort of day.
Supported Spinal Twist frees the tension and stress from the day from your spine, shoulders and hips. This pose helps to calm the mind and open up the lungs. Supported Spinal Twist is detoxifying and gently energizing as it encourages blood to flow to the organs.
Your thoughts will dissipate into the ether....
“When there is no mind, you are in yoga; when there is mind you are not in yoga. So you may do all the postures, but if the mind goes on functioning, if you go on thinking, you are not in yoga. Yoga is the state of no-mind. If you can be without the mind without doing any posture, you have become a perfect yogi. It has happened to many without doing any postures, and it has not happened to many who have been doing postures for many lives."-Osho
How to get in to it:
For ultimate benefits, you’ll want to pull some props aside. If you don’t have yoga bolsters, large pillows will do. Bolsters are best though. A bolster, two blocks and two blankets.
I’ll walk you through set-up.
1) Two blocks on high and medium setting
2) Lay your bolster over the blocks creating an incline
3) Fold a blanket or pillow at top of bolster
4) Bring your hips to the base of the bolster and place a blanket between your legs to soften the space between bony ankles and knees
6) Set an eye pillow on your shoulders or cover your eyes
How Long to Hold?
5-7 minutes per side will do. Set your phone alarm to something soothing.
This is a great pose for try after a long and stressful day at work.
So...what do you think?