Joseph Pilates said, “You are as young as your spine is flexible.” Many of us lose the ability to twist fully as we get older and tighter.
The key to restoring your twist, is to engage your abs to lift through your spine first. Your abdominal muscles support your spine to be free to lengthen and twist.
Initiate your twist with your eyes. Starting with your eyes trains your body to know where it is in space. Look, then move. Twist from your core. Feel your center of gravity extending down through your balanced feet.
As you twist, stretch tall from the crown of your head, as if you are reaching it to the sky. Feel your breath spiral as if it is floating up your spinal staircase to heaven.
Allow your inhale to fill you as if it is part of your strength. Allow your exhale to strengthen you even further.
Time needed: 5 minutes.
How to twist more fully for a healthy spine and fuller breathing:
- Engage your abs as you lift your spine tall, creating space between your vertebrae. Breathe.
- Keeping your hips pointed forward, turn your eyes right. Twist up and right. Look to the upper corner of your eye.
- Return to center as you exhale and relax your abs.
- Engage your abs and repeat on the other side.
- Feel your hips and legs grounded into the earth through your feet, as your spine lifts and twists to the sky.
For the complete program on how to give yourself a wonderfully relaxing, full body self massage, check out our Whole Body Transformation.