Yoga Pose Primer: Parvrtta Anjaneyasana (Revolved High Lunge Pose)

In almost every class I teach, when I ask what people in the class would like to focus on, twists are high on the list. Whether we twist while standing, sitting or lying down, spinal rotation often feels like a remedy for whatever ails us.

Why do people love twists so much? I speculate that one reason is that we just don’t have that many opportunities to rotate our spines in daily life. Sure, we turn to look behind us while we’re driving sometimes, but for the most part, we keep our bodies in the sagittal plane. So twisting feels like a refreshing change.

Rotating the spine is one way to release tension in the soft tissue around the spine and increase our general mobility, particularly in the upper body. Twisting stimulates circulation, especially in the muscles, fascia, and organs of the abdomen and thorax. Spinal rotation also compresses our internal organs to stimulate digestion.

How Your Spine is Designed to Rotate

It’s important to understand where rotation actually takes place in the spine. A popular alignment “rule” instructs you to keep your hips squared while twisting in order to create more of a twist in the lumbar spine. Unfortunately, because the facet joints in the lumbar spine prevent that section of the spine from twisting more than about 5 degrees, the result of this action, over time, is to cause the sacroiliac (SI) joint to bear the twist. Rotation of the sacroiliac joint can, over time, destabilize the joint and cause dysfunction, which can cause a number of painful conditions, including sciatica.

The thoracic spine, the part of the spine connected to the ribcage, is designed for rotation. So when you twist, keep in mind that this is where you should focus your efforts. Rather than keeping the pelvis squared in twists, allow it to move in the direction of your intended rotation, while focusing the twist in the thoracic spine.

Parvrtta Anjaneyasana (Revolved High Lunge Pose) is a great pose to explore this concept because your hips have lots of room to move. Here are some tips on Tips on Revolved High Lunge Pose:

How To Twist in Parvrtta Anjaneyasana: Tips on Revolved High Lunge Pose

Stand in Tadasana at one end of a non-skid yoga mat.

Fold forward into Uttanasana. Bend your knees so that you can place both hands on the floor next to your feet.

1. Step your right leg back three or so feet, so that your left shin is vertical and your whole body is angled at a slant. This is the high version of Anjaneyasana (Lunge Pose).
2. Placing your right hand on the floor or on a yoga block, lengthen your torso as you rotate it toward your left leg, allowing your pelvis to rotate along with the torso. Your left hip will be higher than your right hip.
3. Keep your right leg active. Extend back through your right heel.
4. You can place your left hand on your hip, or if you like, you can extend it straight up toward the sky. Take care not to throw your arm back in order to open your twist further. Instead, let your thoracic spine lead the rotation.
5. Breathe and relax. You may feel that your torso wants to move in and out of the twist as you exhale and inhale. Relax your pose enough so that you can feel your body oscillate in rhythm with your breath.
6. Take 5 to 10 deep breaths.
7. Unwind, turning the torso back so that it’s resting over your left leg.
8. Step your right leg forward and relax in Uttanasana with your knees slightly bent.
9. Repeat on the other side.

There are many arm variations to this asana. I chose this simple variation because it gives you lots of latitudes to move and explore. So these are some good starting tips on Revolved High Lunge Pose.

Placing the opposite elbow on the outside of your front knee can force your spine into a twist it may not be ready for. It’s much easier to maintain length in your spine with your arms in the position I suggest here.

Another yoga asana article from special contributor, Charlotte Bell- Yoga Pose Primer: Anjaneyasana – Reach for the Sun.

Avoiding Yoga Injuries: Common Alignment Mistakes in Forward Bends and Twists – Study more on twisting postures with YogaUOnline and Yoga Therapist, Olga Kabel

Reprinted with permission from Hugger Mugger Yoga Products blog.

Charlotte Bell began practicing yoga in 1982 and began teaching in 1986. She was certified by B.K.S. Iyengar in 1989 following a trip to Pune. In 1986, she began practicing Insight Meditation with her mentors Pujari and Abhilasha Keays. Her asana classes blend mindfulness with physical movement. Charlotte writes a column for Catalyst Magazine and serves as editor for Yoga U Online. She is the author of two books: Mindful Yoga, Mindful Life and Yoga for Meditators, both published by Rodmell Press. She also edits Hugger Mugger Yoga Products¹ blog and is a founding board member for GreenTREE Yoga, a non-profit that brings yoga to underserved populations. A lifelong musician, she plays oboe and English horn in the Salt Lake Symphony and the folk sextet Red Rock Rondo whose 2010 PBS music special won two Emmys.