Twists...its spring!

Spring has sprung!! Spring is a time of manifestation of planting seeds that we want to blossom.

This week I thought it would be great to focus on twists. Using the action of a twist is similar to weeding the garden before you plant your seeds and flowers. When we twist we massage and tone the entire visceral system, and bring great circulation to the spinal disks and muscles. We also increase the mobility for the lungs allowing us to breathe more fully. John Friend writes in the Anusara teacher training manual that “when the twisting action is completed and the organ is returned to its original position, fresh blood surges into the organ flushing out wastes and purifying the organ.…It is a natural and powerfully effective way to detoxify the organs and glands, thereby boosting the health of the whole body.”

As humans we cling and attach to so many things. We tend to attach to things that bring more suffering into our life out of habit. We cling to fights we had a day, week, a year+ ago. We cling to limiting ideas and thoughts…we don’t think we are good, or strong, or special enough…

I like to imagine when I twist (or weed my inner garden) that not only am I letting go of physical toxins but I am also letting go of limiting ideas, inner hostility, negativity, self judgment…as if twisting was a way to let go of anything that no longer serves me. If we can twist out toxins, ideas, thoughts, stress and tension, we can create more room and space to plant new seeds of love, happiness, patience..anything that we want to bloom in our life.

Can we use the physical action of a twisting in our asana practice to help remove any “weeds” in our garden so we may plant new seeds with an open heart.