Sitting Right Twist

How to do Sitting Right Twist

1. 1Begin seated in Dandasana with your legs extended straight in front of you.
2. 2Bend your left knee and slide your left foot beneath your right hip, resting the outside of the left leg flat on the floor.
3. 3Bend your right knee and step your right foot flat on the mat across the outside of your left thigh.
4. 4Place your right fingertips on the floor just behind your sacrum to support an upright spine.
5. 5Inhale and reach your left arm high, creating maximum space between your pelvis and ribcage.
6. 6Exhale and twist your torso to the right, hooking your left elbow over the outside of your right knee or hugging the knee toward your chest.
7. 7Gaze softly over your right shoulder while keeping both sitting bones anchored and the back of your neck long.
8. 8Hold for five to eight steady breaths, then gently unwind on an inhale and repeat on the opposite side.

Benefits

• Increases rotational flexibility and mobility throughout the thoracic and lumbar spine.
• Stretches the abductors, piriformis, and gluteal muscles of the top leg.
• Expands the chest and shoulders while countering habitual forward slouching.
• Stimulates digestive organs and improves abdominal circulation through gentle compression.
• Strengthens the spinal extensors and postural muscles supporting an upright seat.

Common mistakes and cues

• Slumping into the lower back

  Lift your sternum and sit tall on your sitting bones rather than collapsing your weight into your rear supporting hand.

• Lifting the top sitting bone

  Keep both hips firmly grounded on the mat to ensure the rotation distributes evenly along the spine.

• Over-cranking from the neck

  Initiate the twist from your belly and ribcage, allowing your cervical spine to follow naturally without forcing your chin.

• Collapsing the back shoulder

  Roll your rear shoulder blade down and back away from your ear to keep your chest broad and open.

• Holding the breath

  Maintain smooth, continuous breathing rather than bracing your diaphragm against the rotated ribcage.

Modifications and props

• Straighten the bottom leg

  Keep the bottom leg extended straight ahead if your knees or hips feel pinched when bending it underneath.

• Sit on a folded blanket

  Elevate your pelvis on a firm blanket or block to tilt the pelvis forward and prevent lower-back rounding.

• Hug the front knee

  Wrap your front arm around your top knee instead of hooking the elbow to reduce leverage on the shoulder and hip.

• Place a block behind you

  Rest your rear hand on a yoga block if your fingers do not comfortably reach the floor with a straight spine.

Cautions

• Active spinal disc issues

  Avoid deep closed twists if you are managing acute disc herniations, sciatica flare-ups, or sacroiliac joint instability.

• Knee pain

  Extend the bottom leg straight if you feel torque, twisting, or pinching sensations in either knee joint.

• Pregnancy

  Practice an open twist away from the front leg rather than across the thigh to avoid compressing the abdomen.

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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