By Lissa (Yogyananda) Fountain, Yogaratna

My latest go-to-pose is the Twisted Lunge in the Chair (Parivrtta Anjaneyasana) with the YogaBody^® variation.  Whenever I feel tight, tired or slightly “off” (aka relapse), I know what to do. 

A two-for-one, this pose reliably releases my tailbone and the waist area of my spine.  And the added ankle bends are the magic key.  My appreciation knows no bounds!

I have been developing this complex pose since taking the YogaBody^® Therapeutics  training last summer. The pose was challenging at first. The Twisted Lunge does the ultimate unraveling.  It gets into the hidden torques and twists in your muscles and spine.  I had no idea how tight the inside of my right hip bone really was. 

All the different stages are like assembling intricate pieces of a puzzle.  Each separate movement fits into the groove of next one. Yet there’s no forcing or straining. You can actually release the tension from your entire spine.  

The steady rhythm of my breath weaves it all together. YogaBody^® soothes my soul. The coordinated breath and movement quiets my mind and opens my spine.  Even in ways I cannot  perceive. 

Because this pose utilizes ankle bends with breath, I feel my feet and knees realigning. The best part is standing in Tadasana at the end. I am standing in new feet, with my legs supporting me.  My breathing is more open. 

I feel grounded as well as uplifted and full of renewed energy. In this way, Twisted Lunge works on my body the way mantra works on my mind. While being freed from fear, I am opening into the Self I already am.