Crescent Prayer Twist
Crescent Prayer Twist (Parivṛtta Aṅjaneyāsana)
Crescent Prayer Twist is an intermediate posture that challenges balance, hip flexor and thoracic mobility, spinal mobility and core. In short, it’s a full body pose whose complexity demands your present moment attention.
Let’s break it down:
ALIGNMENT
From Crescent Pose with left leg forward, inhale and lower the hands into prayer in front of the chest. Imagine a funnel shape beginning at the belly and lengthen the spine gently away from the belly.
Exhale and twist to the left, extending the collar bones away from one another and the gaze over the fingertips.
Hook the outside of your right elbow on the outside of the left knee.
BENEFITS
- Stimulates digestion and tones the abdomen
- Lengthens the spine
- Strengthens the quadriceps
- Stretches the hip flexors
WORK IN THE POSE
- Inhale lengthen the spine, exhale and twist
- Stabilize the outer hip points toward the midline
- Drive through the right heel
- Lift the back of the right thigh upwards
- Try the Fly Away Arm variation
COMING OUT OF THE POSE
Uncoil the belly slowly maintaining abdominal engagement.
Repeat on the second side.
MODIFICATIONS
Release the knee to the floor. Add padding under the knee if practicing on thin mats/hard floor.
CONTRAINDICATIONS
- Most twists should be avoided during the later stages of pregnancy
- Spinal injuries
- Knee injuries
- Metatarsal or toe injuries
Catherine Tingey
Entrepreneur, yogini, designer, award-winning filmmaker, personal trainer and former marathon runner. She left a career in finance to start her own business and along the way, became a yoga teacher. She has been practicing yoga for 31 years and teaching privately for 11 years.
About the Author
Catherine Tingey+ Entrepreneur, yogini, designer, award-winning filmmaker, personal trainer and former marathon runner. She left a career in finance to start her own business and along the way, became a yoga teacher. She has been practicing yoga for 31 years and teaching privately for 11 years.
