Twisty flow

SUNNY TWISTS
The sun is finally making an appearance and the winter coats are being put into storage. I’m finding recently I’m drawn to twists in my practice to help shed the stagnation in the spine and step into a sense of new beginnings and the start of new energy patterns. The warm weather brings everyone out of hibernation and there is a general air of happiness around as we shed our winter layers and make use of the great outdoors and brighter evenings.

THE BENEFITS OF TWISTS
In our twists we mirror nature by growing that little bit taller through the spine to reach for the sunny sky and finding space between the vertebrae to twist into. Twists balance the nervous system, help good digestion, ease stress, tension and anxiety, and boost the immune system. In a twist the cells are activated in the organs and circulation is boosted which generates internal heat. When the circulation is stimulated it supplies the brain with more oxygenated blood and give you an extra boost of energy. Making them great to add into your morning practice but maybe not so beneficial to do too many in an evening practice.

There is a misconception that they ‘wring out’ the organs of the body. They will press on the intestines and help move waste along but in terms of the liver and detoxification the liver is very efficient at doing its job and isn’t stimulated with applied pressure of a twist. Where that can help is through the added flow of circulation which will help the organs work more efficiently at detoxing the body. The heat they generate through the activation of the cells will also encourage the skin to emit moisture to control the temperature of the body which will help remove toxins from the body.

EXPLORING TWISTY FLOW IN YOUR PRACTICE
There is two different schools of thought when it comes to twists – the first is to keep the hips level and facing forward to facilitate the full rotation to come from the spine, and the second is to allow a small rotation of the hips in the direction of the twist to prevent unnecessary pressure being added to the sacroiliac joint. The way I approach the twist is to keep the hips level but not to go to full range of motion to protect the connective tissue and the precious ligaments of the sacroiliac joint. Play around with both versions and see which suits your unique body best.

ALIGNMENT CUES
The peak pose in the Twisty Flow is Parivrtta Ardha Chandrasana/Revolved Half Moon. This pose is the ultimate challenge in a standing twist. The whole body is twisting along the spine and at the same time you have the added challenge of balancing on one leg. Have a read through these steps and pay particular attention to the level of the hip as you twist.

• Staring with transitioning into Virabhadrasana III/Warrior III from Parsvottanasana/Intense side stretch. Place two bricks about a foot forward of your front foot. Bend your front knee and place your hands on the bricks.

• Exhale, hinge forward from the hip joint, lift your left leg parallel to the ground behind you, hips level to the ground. Roll the inner thigh of your left leg up, flex your foot and press out through the heel.

• Lengthen through your spine and the sides of the body, gaze to the ground.

• To move into Parivrtta Ardha Chandrasana/Revolved Half Moon place your left hand on the right brick. Keep your left leg parallel to the ground, toes facing down.

• Reach your right arm up high, palm facing right, stack your shoulders. Bottom waist rolls forward, top waist rolls back, lengthen from the heel of your lifted leg to the tip of your crown, gaze forward or to your right fingertips.

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Ruth Delahunty Yogaru

The ultimate runners flow

SYMBIOSIS
There are more similarities to the benefits of yoga and running than you might expect. They both cultivate a meditative mindset to help you unwind and relieve symptoms of stress, tension and anxiety. Both practices are a constant journey with no finishing line, pardon the pun! In running they say you are racing with people not against them and in a yoga class you have a shared group energy. The breath is one of the most important components of both. In yoga we link the breath with movement to stimulate the rest and restore response, and in running the breath can be the differentiating factor between running the distance and running out of puff. From a physical point of view both strengthen your bones, increase lung capacity and strengthen the immune system.

They are the perfect partnership for balance and wellness. Running challenges your cardiovascular fitness and yoga helps you stay injury free and improves your strength, stability, flexibility and endurance. The movement skills in yoga loosens tight spots, stabilises weak spots, increases range of motion and improves your running posture. It gives you the opportunity to connect to your body and help you move with a fluid, reactive running cadence. It also cultivates a focused and calm mindset on and off the mat, and helps prepare you for long endurance runs.

WHAT A RUNNER NEEDS
Runners need strong, stable, flexible and responsive muscles. The feet in particular need to be strong enough to weather the repeated pounding and the changing terrain for off road running. Stability of the ankle and knee will help you go the distance injury free, and as with everything in life, prevention is better than cure. Strong, stable and flexible hip flexors, quads, calves and hamstrings are important for building performance levels, and a strong and supple core will protect the back as the body twists from side to side to project the legs forward with each stride.

EXPLORING RUNNERS FLOW IN YOUR PRACTICE
Contrary to popular belief yoga is not just about stretching, it is about equal amounts of stretching and strengthening for a balanced body. This sequence is not your traditional ‘yoga for runners’ sequence. It offers different ways of looking at runners needs beyond a hamstring stretch. With lots of ways to find strong, flexible and stable muscles and the supporting muscles around each joint. Pay particular attention to your transitions from pose to pose. They are often a missed opportunity and are just as important as the poses themselves. They are sometimes a safer way to stretch a tight muscle rather than in a static stretch and will also give you the opportunity to work on your mobility and stability of the joints too.

ALIGNMENT CUES
There is no single peak pose in this sequence. Each pose is there for a specific reason related to a runners needs. The single leg standing poses will build stability in your feet, ankle and knee joint; the standing poses will build strength, stability and flexibility in the hip flexors, quads, calves and hamstrings; the reclined core work and leg lifts will work build a strong and supple core; and the steaded poses will stretch out any build up of tension in the hips, inner groins. You’ll notice there is no mention of intense hamstring stretches. For most runners hamstring stretches are a frustrating endeavour that needs to be approached from a different angle. Pulling at tight muscles is the fastest way to cause injury to the connective tissues. As you move through the sequence the hamstring will gradually begin to lengthen in a more dynamic way than labouring through a sequence filled with static forward folds. Here are some tips to help you navigate your way through the sequence:

• Move slowly through your warm up poses in row one. Circle each joint, remember to go both directions and notice any areas that feel tighter.

• In Adho Mukha Svanasana/Downward Dog pause for a few breaths on each side with one knee deeply bent and the other leg straight as you press the heel down towards the ground. Feel the stretch through the back of the whole leg.

• Flow through you toe taps and leg lifts mini flow in row two as slow as possible and notice the ankle of the standing leg working hard to find your balance.

• In Ashta Chandrasana/Eight Crescent Moon press out through your left heel, lift your thigh up and firm your back leg. Squeeze the glute of your left leg to strengthen the hamstring and open the left hip flexor. Hug your outer hips strongly to the midline for balance.

• Use a brick to raise the ground up for Ardha Chandrasana/Half Moon and Ardha Chandrasana Chapasana/Half Moon Sugarcane centre of row three.

• Step back from Garudasana/Eagle to Ashta Chandrasana/Crescent Moon, take a breath and step forward to Tadasana/Mountain.

• Spend at least 5-10 minutes in Savasana/Corpse Pose after you have finished the final pose which is a restorative spinal twist.

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Ruth Delahunty Yogaru

Strong legs

SLOW MO
Stability is considered to come from the core, but the legs are also working very hard to stabilise your movement while standing, walking and running. Conscious movement through transitions give the opportunity to add depth to our yoga practice. When we move slowly from pose to pose we recruit all the strong stabilising muscles of the body. Take the simple step forward from Ashta Chandrasana/Eight Crescent Moon to Tadasana/Mountain at the top of the mat – you can use momentum to lift and swing your leg forward, this is a cardiovascular output, or you can press strongly into your front leg, lift the back leg up and gradually draw it forward to the top of the mat as slow as you possibly can – this is a strong muscular output.

CULTIVATING STRONG LEGS
When it comes to strong legs in your practice look to build from the ground up. Press into the three points of contact with the ground – the big toe mound, the little toe mound and the centre of the back of your heel. Feel the arches of your feet lift, and the energy travel up your legs, as the muscles react to this simple action of grounding down. When the legs are strong, supportive and reactive in our everyday movement, the upper body becomes more fluid and holds less tension.

EXPLORING STRONG LEGS IN YOUR PRACTICE
As you move through this sequence concentrate your attention on the quality of your movement from pose to pose. Feel for the stabilising muscles around your joints and how the body is constantly correcting it’s balance with proprioception. See can you isolate the sensations in the muscles of the legs as you move slowly through the ‘step back’ flow. Take your time and don’t rush. You might even find that you don’t get through the full range of standing mini slow flows in one practice. If so, come back to it at your next practice, start with the warm up section and explore the next mini slow flow.

ALIGNMENT CUES
You will flow through the peak pose of Ashta Chandrasana/Eight Crescent Moon several times as you work through this sequence. This pose is a opportunity to strengthen and stretch all the muscles on of the legs in the alternate sides. In the front leg the hamstrings and glutes are being stretched, and the quads and hip flexors are being strengthened; while the hamstrings and glutes are being strengthened, and the quads and hip flexors and being stretched in the back leg. The alignment cues below will guide you through your optimal alignment for Ashta Chandrasana/Eight Crescent Moon and how to approach the first mini slow flow.

• From Adho Mukha Svanasana/Downward Dog, inhale, step your right foot between your hands, exhale here.

• Inhale, press into your feet to come up, place your hands on your pointy hip bones and lift them up to stack the pelvis.

• Press out through your left heel, lift your thigh up and firm your back leg. Squeeze the glute of your left leg to strengthen the hamstring and open the left hip flexor. Hug your outer hips strongly to the midline for balance.

• Reach your arms up high, shoulder width apart or palms together. Stack your front knee over your front ankle. Press strongly into your right foot and feel the quad working hard to keep you balanced.

• Draw your navel towards your spine, broaden through your collarbones, lengthen through your spine to the tip of your crown, gaze forward or to your fingertips.

• Exhale, lean your weight forward over your front foot. Inhale, slowly lift your left leg and draw it forward to Urdhva Hastasana/Upward Salute with a lifted leg. Pause.

• Bend your front knee and on an exhale slow as you can step back to Ashta Chandrasana/Eight Crescent Moon. Repeat three times.

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Ruth Delahunty Yogaru