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Featured Stretch: Supine Twist

Illustration by Nik Garvoille

This pose lets you feel the connection between the shoulders and the hips.

Lie on your back with your knees bent. Draw your right knee towards your belly.

Extend your left leg onto the floor.

“T” your arms out to your sides. Take a few breaths here and see if you can relax your shoulders a little more with each exhale. Once you feel this relaxation of your shoulders allow them to stay relaxed as you move through the twist.

Now hold the outside of your right knee with your left hand. Keep your shoulders relaxed on the floor. Begin to draw the right bent leg across your body. You may feel the sensation of lengthening in your right buttock or down the outside of the right leg. Don’t pull! Come to the beginning of the sensation and pause and breathe.

Then, if it feels like your body is asking for more, slowly take the knee across your body so that your right hip lifts. Your right shoulder and shoulder blade should continue to rest easily on the ground.

Stay here and take five more relaxed breaths. Slowly bring yourself back to the starting position. Extend your legs on the floor and extend your arms at your sides. Feel the right side and then feel the left side – especially between the shoulder and the pelvis. Now switch sides and repeat.

This stretch is safe for most people. If you have an issue with a disc in your low back, check with your doctor first and move very slowly. This pose will definitely improve your Twister game!