Twisting to Detoxify the Body
Authored by Matthew Mitlas
Do you catch yourself over-indulging in the deliciousness of the holiday season? With temptations such as holiday cookies, thanksgiving dinners, eggnog and other specialty drinks, it is hard not to! Fortunately, there is a whole category of Yoga postures that can aid in the cleansing of the body after consuming these treats.
In Yoga, twists are practiced to wring out the body from the inside out. When we enter into a spinal twist, our abdominal organs and glands press against each other, massaging every cell in the body. In addition, because twists restrict blood flow to some areas of the body, when you unwind from a twist blood rushes to the recently deprived vessels with such pressure that it cleans the inside walls of our blood vessels, power-washing the body from the inside. The toxins that are released into the bloodstream after a twist are then carried away to the body’s systems of elimination. Thus, twists are incredibly beneficial to detoxify the body after over-indulging, leaving you with a feeling of cleanliness, contentment, and all-around health!
Here is a simple twist, called Marichiasana, which you can practice this holiday season!
1. Take a seated position with your legs extended out in front of you. You may choose to sit up on a blanket for more comfort.
2. Bend your right knee up, placing the sole of the right foot on the floor by the inside edge of the left knee.
3. Place the left hand on the outside edge of the right knee.
4. Extend the right arm out in front of you.
5. Breathe in and lengthen the top of the head and the tailbone away from each other.
6. Breathing out, feel the belly hugging into the spine as you slowly spin your right arm around behind you. Let your body follow the arm and you will begin to twist. Feel the twist beginning in the back of the left side of the rib-cage. The ribs spiral to the front, followed by the chest, neck, head, and eyes.
7. Place the back hand behind you on the floor.
8. Hold in the twist as you inhale to lengthen the spine and twist deeper on the exhalation.
9. Slowly unwind from the top down as you spin your right arm to the front.
10. Repeat on the other side!
After twisting, take a moment to observe how you feel. You may find that you feel lighter, healthier, and energized. May your holiday season be filled with peace and joy and lots of delicious treats! Namaste.
Matthew Mitlas is R3's Yoga instructor. He offers 10 classes a week: $10.00 for a single class and $8.00 when you purchase a package of 4 or more classes. Visit http://clients.mindbodyonline.com/ws.asp?studioid=37853&stype=-101 to look at our schedule.
