Yoga for Your Health by Ana - HTML preview

CHAPTER   FOURTEEN

Stomach, kidney, and liver complaints

OF all the gems in the rich collection of Yoga asanas there shines forth one which, in sheer beauty, symmetry and grace, outshines all others except, perhaps, the serene Lotus, that impenetrable fortress of repose. 1 refer to Ardha-Matsendrasana, called in English the SPINAL TWIST, not a very poetic name for what you will see is a Yogic poem of graceful movement. It has the fathomless mystery of Yoga itself, but, also like Yoga it has a bearing and a meaning within our everyday lives. I have said that one is as old as one’s spine and I have described all manner of Yogic postures designed to keep the spine healthy and supple, mainly involving forward and backward bending movements. The SPINAL TWIST effects in the dorso-lumbar and lumbar region a lateral twist which not only keeps the spine healthy but which imparts a health-giving massage to the abdominal organs and to the kidneys.

The Spinal Twist is probably one of the most difficult asanas in this book but to write a chapter on stomach complaints without mentioning this posture would be tantamount to sacrilege, so I will describe it in three simple sections, and at the end will describe a simplified version of the posture for my readers who find the Spinal Twist a little beyond them.

Spinal Twist

1. Sit down on the floor, spine straight, legs outstretched and feet together. Raising the right leg place it against the outside of the left knee with the sole firmly on the floor. Stretch out your left arm and place your fingers on the toes of your right foot. Thirdly, place your right arm around the back of your waistline as far as you can, so that your outward facing palm rests on your left hip bone. At this stage please look at figure 48 in which I have demonstrated the correct position. (Page 151.)

This is the first stage of Ardha-Matsendrasana. It is advisable to practice the correct movements of the arms and legs before proceeding to the next stage. Remember that your spine must be held straight and your head up throughout this exercise. Slouching will not only spoil the look of the posture but will drastically decrease its many benefits, so it is as well to perform this exercise before a mirror and check your posture at each stage of the proceedings.

Having arrived at the position as illustrated in figure 48 take a slow and deep breath through