The sitting twist Marichyasana III
has many important benefits. It tones
the belly organs (such as the liver and
intestines), helps relieve lower-back
stiffness (but only if done properly;
otherwise it will increase stiffness),
and keeps the intervertebral disks—
those little jelly-filled “doughnuts”
between your vertebrae—supple.
Like all seated twists, several ele-
ments are needed to make the exercise
safe. First, even before you begin to
twist, it’s essential that your pelvis be
in a neutral position so that your spine
can fully lengthen. To do this, imagine
your whole pelvis as a bowl filled with
water: If the bowl of the pelvis tips too
far forward or backward, the water
will spill. When the pelvis is in a neu-
tral position, the top rim of the bowl
will be more or less parallel to thefloor, and the imaginary water will
stay safely inside.
To prevent straining the lower
back, twist evenly through your spine,
initiating the twist from the base of
the spine at the sacrum. The sacrum
is shaped like an upside-down triangle.
Touch your lower back and feel the
two indentations on either side of
your spine, just above your buttocks.
These are the sacral joints that con-
nect the spine to the back of the pel-
vis. You’ll need to know this later.
Remember that while you’re in the
twist, your belly should stay as soft
as possible. Just as a dishtowel short-
ens and thickens when twisted, so too
does the belly, and that can prevent
the spine from lengthening and twist-
ing fully. Does all this seem like a tall
order? It isn’t really, and a few simplePRESS THROUGH HEELLearn how to protect your lower back
as you spiral your spine. by Richard Rosen
LOWER-BACK LOVE
YOUR 6-WEEK YOGA GUIDE TO BUILD STRENGTH YOGAJOURNAL.COM 81