How to perform Wide-Angle Seated Twist
Start in Upavistha Konasana with the legs wide apart and the spine upright. Keep extending your spine up through the crown of your head as you twist to each side. Use a belt if you feel your back rounding.
What is Upavistha Konasana Twist?
A seated asana that may be held in the upright, or worked more deeply into the side bend position. This twisted variation of the traditional pose allows you to cultivate strength and flexibility in your side body and helps your spine to grow stronger as it resists the urge to cave in and forward. Building a strong foundation and being able to keep your back straight in the twisted variation is essential for establishing all the skills necessary for the deeper variation of this pose: Parsva Upavistha Konasana.
When to use Upavistha Konasana Twist?
Upavistha Konasana Twist can be used as a follow-up pose to Upavistha Konasana. Its purpose here is to help open up the backs of the legs and to enable the lift from the sacrum to the crown of the head, while also activating the side of the body and providing a deeper opening in the hips.
Continued practice enables deeper release into the inner groins. This allows you to lengthen your inner thighs, extend the calf muscles and achilles, and to bring the torso forward without disturbing the foundation created. Once you master the Upavistha Konasana Twist, the next step is to fold over your leg into Parsva Upavistha Konasana. Practising the concave spine variation before folding over your leg is essential for ensuring that your whole back body will stay active and you will not simply sink in and override all the positive effects it can potentially have.
Your main goal in this variation is to get your spine to elongate evenly. So, don’t hesitate to use a belt if you are struggling to reach your foot without rounding your back.
