De-Toxify With A Twist

This entry was written on Dec 01, 2008 by our Running Guru Heidi Splete

In my yoga class tonight, we did several twisting poses. I remember hearing in a yoga class a few years ago that twists are supposed to help rid the body of toxins. Whether or not that's true, twists always make me feel looser (although not always while I am doing them).

I don't know whether my yoga teacher had this in mind, but especially for those of us who had post-Thanksgiving travel yesterday, the twists felt especially good.

Here's a simple spinal twist to try, whether you have been traveling or not:

Sit with your right leg straight in front of you, and bend your left leg, crossing your left foot over the right leg and placing the left foot flat on the floor. Keeping your right leg straight, raise your right arm up and slowly twist to the left, hooking your right elbow behind your lerft knee. It's not as hard as it sounds, really!

Push against your left knee with your right upper arm and twist, placing your left hand on the floor behind you for support. You should feel a stretch in your lower back and the outside of the right hip. Hold for a count of 15-20, then release and repeat on the other side. Remember to breathe--it can be tempting to hold your breathe during a twisting exercise. And remember that correct stretching shouldn't  be painful; stretch within your limits to the extent that feels good.

Happy stretching, and happy de-toxifying!