Jathara Parivrtti (Supine Abdominal Twist) one leg

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How to do it

Begin on your back with your left knee bent, foot up, and your right leg extended down. Extend your arms out to the sides.

Exhale: Gradually contract your abdomen, bring your left knee across your body and tip your pelvis to your right, while turning your head to your left.

Inhale: Bring your knee back up, turning your head back to the center.

Repeat this movement several times and then stay in the pose.

Breathing in Jathara Parivrtti one leg

Inhale: Lengthen from the top of your head down into your extended leg.

Exhale: Progressively engage your abdomen and gently deepen the twist by turning your pelvis further to your right. Be sure that your upper back stays on the floor.

TRICK: Keep your upper back on the floor at all times to avoid shoulder and neck strain. It is much less important how far your left leg and your pelvis travel. Instead of leveraging yourself with your hand in the pose, initiate and deepen the twist from your abdomen. Stay aware of how your sacroiliac joints feel in the pose.

Pose adaptations

Straight leg twist

Jathara Parivrtti: Straight leg twist works well to stretch the lower back and your hamstrings. Keeping the leg straight makes the pose more challenging and encourages you to engage your core and abductors. If you want to add some more hip work to it, you can lead with the leg when you lift it up.

Leg stretch

Jathara Parivrtti: Leg stretch works really well to stretch the hamstrings. And since you are holding your leg up, it also strengthens your abductors. Make sure that your body doesn’t tip in the direction of the extended leg – if it keeps happening, either support your leg with props or lift it up higher. Holding on to your knee instead of the foot is perfectly fine, too.

Straight leg lift and hold

Jathara Parivrtti: Straight leg lift and hold is a great way to work your abductors while in a twist. The trick is to keep your pelvis steady as you move your leg up and down. Avoid rotating the leg also.

Thigh stretch

Jathara Parivrtti: Thigh stretch is a pretty intense stretch for the quads and hip flexors of the bottom leg. It will only work if you stretch down through your knee. If your sacrum is touchy, this pose might irritate it, so it might not be the best choice for you.