● This asana is a seated spinal twist. This asana helps massage the digestive and reproductive organs. This pose also helps loosen up and tone the muscles around the spine. It helps lower blood pressure and soothes the nervous system.
● Start by sitting on the floor. Extend both your legs out straight in front of you and keep your spine erect and upright. Fold your left leg back, placing the shin on the floor alongside the left thigh. Point your toes back keeping your left foot flat and make sure that you are sitting on both your sit bones.
● Mindfully place your right leg in half lotus pose/Ardha Padmasana. Bend your right leg using your hands and place your right foot over your left thigh. Using your hands, gently pull your heel in, pressing into the left side of your lower belly. Don’t let your feet go beyond your thigh.
● Take your left hand and hook it under your right knee and twist to the right. Then take your right hand behind you and grab the inner part of your right foot. With every EXHALE try to get deeper in the twist. Hold for 30 to 60 seconds and then repeat on the left.
● Variation 1
If you cannot sit in Half lotus / Ardha Padmasana- Start by sitting on the floor. Extend both your legs out straight in front of you and keep your spine erect and upright. Then bend both your legs from the knees placing your foot onto the floor. Now, drop both the knees to the left side onto the floor. Take your left hand and hook it against your right left. Take a deep INHALE and on the EXHALE straighten your spine and twist to the right side. Hold for 30 to 60 seconds and then repeat on the left.
