Visual Yoga Blog: The Twisted Scissor

Recently I was pondering how some of the songs I grew up with are now playing on “oldies” stations.

And I started to think, how long till they’re playing “Twisted Sister” in retirement homes?

While I continue to ponder that, here’s Twisted Scissor, a fun little variation on that venerable pose, the shoulder stand.

You’ll need a block for this. If you don’t have a yoga block, anything else that approximates it will do the trick.

1. Lie on your back, lift your hip, slip a block under your hip bone (not the lumbar spine) and lift your legs to balance them over the block. (If in doubt as to where to put the block, simply move the block around till your position is as effortless as possible.) Enjoy this pose for five slow breaths and let the lumbar spine flatten and relax.

2. Hang on to the block. Tilt your legs to the right, and turn your toes knees also to the right. Let the feet hang over your right shoulder. Keep this effortless.

3. Keeping the current angle of the legs, separate your legs front and back. This means your right leg leans over your right shoulder, your left leg leans away from your left hip.

4. Stay for five long breaths, then switch to the other side.

Benefits: A dual-action pose: gentle inversion and gentle hip-joint opener.

Avoid if: You have any reason to avoid inversions. Or, if you have a tight lumbar spine or any part of your spine feels weakened, not strengthened, by this position.

Final thoughts: Despite sounding alike, I doubt “Twisted Sister” makes for good yoga music during Twisted Scissor.

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Ed: Brianna Bemel