Reclining Crocodile Twist, Right Side

How to do Reclining Crocodile Twist, Right Side

1. 1Lie flat on your back with your arms extended straight out to the sides in a T-shape, palms facing down for grounding.
2. 2Draw both knees into your chest, engaging your lower abdominals lightly to support your lumbar spine.
3. 3Extend your legs upward toward the ceiling, pressing through your heels while keeping your legs zipped together.
4. 4As you exhale, slowly lower your straight legs down toward the left side of your mat, hovering or resting your feet near your left hand.
5. 5Turn your head gently toward your right hand, keeping your right shoulder blade firmly anchored to the floor.
6. 6Use your core strength to resist collapsing, maintaining active engagement through your legs and inner thighs.
7. 7Hold for five to eight steady breaths, feeling the expansive rotation across your mid-back and outer right hip.
8. 8Inhale as you engage your abdominals to sweep your legs back up to center before resting or switching sides.

Benefits

• Stretches the outer right hip, iliotibial band, and gluteal muscles.
• Enhances thoracic spine rotation and relieves mid-back stiffness.
• Strengthens the obliques and deep abdominal stabilizers during entry and exit.
• Opens the chest and anterior shoulder on the grounded side.
• Promotes abdominal organ compression and circulation, aiding digestive function.

Common mistakes and cues

• Lifting the opposite shoulder

  Keep your right shoulder firmly pinned to the floor to ensure the twist occurs throughout the spine rather than just tipping the body.

• Collapsing into the lower back

  Engage your core as you lower your legs to avoid straining your lumbar spine or sacroiliac joint.

• Holding the breath

  Maintain smooth, rhythmic diaphragmatic breathing rather than tensing your throat or diaphragm in the twist.

• Forcing the feet to touch the floor

  Lower your legs only as far as you can control without wrenching your lower back or peeling your chest off the mat.

Modifications and props

• Bent-knee variation

  Keep both knees deeply bent at ninety degrees as you twist to reduce leverage and strain on your hamstrings and lower back.

• Block support

  Place a yoga block or bolster beneath your left foot or thighs so your legs can rest securely without hanging suspended.

• Hand support

  Rest your left hand gently on top of your right knee or thigh to lightly anchor the shape without forcing.

• Single-leg variation

  Keep your left leg straight along the mat and cross only your right leg over to make the twist more accessible.

Cautions

• Lumbar disc issues

  Avoid deep loaded supine twists if you have acute disc herniation, sciatica flare-ups, or severe lower-back pain.

• Sacroiliac (SI) joint instability

  Bend the knees and support the legs on props to prevent shearing forces across the pelvis and sacrum.

• Shoulder impingement

  Keep your right arm angled slightly lower than shoulder height or rest your hand on your hip if you feel pinching in the rotator cuff.

If you are working with an injury, pregnancy or a medical condition, check with a qualified professional before practising this pose.

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