Right Twist with Right Leg Bent

How to do Right Twist with Right Leg Bent

1. 1Begin seated in Staff Pose with both legs extended straight in front of you.
2. 2Bend your left knee and slide your left foot next to your outer right hip, resting the left leg flat on the mat.
3. 3Bend your right knee, lift your right leg, and plant your right foot flat on the floor outside your left thigh.
4. 4Root both sitting bones evenly into the floor and press down firmly through the big toe mound of your right foot.
5. 5Inhale your left arm toward the ceiling to lengthen your side waist, and place your right fingertips on the floor just behind your sacrum.
6. 6Exhale and rotate your torso to the right, hooking your left elbow outside your right knee or wrapping your left arm around your right shin.
7. 7Turn your gaze softly over your right shoulder while keeping your collarbones broad and your spine tall.

Benefits

• Increases rotational flexibility and mobility along the entire spinal column.
• Stretches the outer right hip, gluteal muscles, and piriformis.
• Broadens the chest and stretches the front of the shoulders.
• Stimulates abdominal organs and supports healthy gastrointestinal motility.
• Relieves built-up muscular tension across the upper and lower back.

Common mistakes and cues

• Collapsing into the lower back

  Lift continuously through your sternum and crown rather than slouching back into your rear hand.

• Lifting the right sitting bone

  Anchor both sitting bones firmly to the mat to keep your pelvis level and protect your sacroiliac joint.

• Over-cranking with the neck

  Initiate the twist from your core and thoracic spine rather than aggressively turning your head past its natural range.

• Dumping weight into the back hand

  Use your rear fingertips lightly like a kickstand for postural support rather than leaning your full weight into your wrist.

Modifications and props

• Bottom leg straight

  Keep your left leg extended straight along the mat if your hips or knees feel restricted.

• Sit on a folded blanket

  Elevate your hips on a folded blanket or block to ease tight hamstrings and maintain natural lumbar curvature.

• Hugging the knee

  Wrap your left forearm around your right knee instead of hooking the elbow if the deeper bind strains your back.

• Hand on a block

  Place a yoga block behind your sacrum under your right hand to prevent leaning backward.

Cautions

• Spinal disc injuries

  Avoid deep rotation and keep twists gentle if you have acute disc herniation or severe sciatica.

• Knee pain

  Straighten the bottom leg immediately if you experience sharp compression or torque in either knee joint.

• Pregnancy

  Perform an open twist toward the left rather than compressing your abdomen against the right thigh.

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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