The yoga swivel seat: this is how it goes, this is how it works

You want to become more flexible and prevent neck pain? Then you should try the yoga swivel seat. Here's what you need to pay attention to with this exercise and how to do it correctly!

Even though you might not be much into yoga otherwise, you should give the rotating seat (Ardha Matsyendrasana) a chance.

The yoga rotating seat helps you become more flexible. In yoga, it is also said to promote detoxification of the body.

By the way, the rotating seat in yoga is very popular with both beginners and advanced students. The asana is suitable for any fitness level, because you can easily adapt it to your ability.

For this you don't need more than a training mat and a little space in the living room.

The rotating seat is particularly effective if you hold the position longer and stretch loosely but continuously. Only when you hold it for a longer period of time does the rotating seat unfold its full effect. You can feel the positive effects throughout your body.

Today I want to show you how you can benefit from this exercise, how to do it correctly and what to look out for.

How do I perform the swivel seat correctly?

The rotating seat is the posture of acceptance. It is a benefit for the entire spine - from the shoulders to the tailbone your back benefits from it.

There is no yoga exercise that is better for our back and spine than the rotating seat.

It is one of the twelve basic asanas in Hatha Yoga and an absolute classic in every yoga class.

The wonderful thing about it is that the spectrum of effects is so enormous, from head to toe and body to mind - but more about that later.

Here's what you need to keep in mind:

• Equipment needed: yes, training mat is recommended
• Difficulty: easy to medium
• Suitable for beginners: yes
• Names: Ardha Matsyendrasana, Rotating Seat Yoga
• Regions worked: Thoracic spine, rib cage, lateral abdominal muscles, back and gluteal muscles.

Swivel seat version for beginners

You want to do a swivel seat for the first time? Then this variant is optimal for you.

Here are the step-by-step instructions for those who are just starting to stretch. It doesn't matter how far you can stretch, listen to your body and take it slow.

There are many variations of the exercise, so there really is a suitable version for everyone. Try with the version for beginners and then slowly increase.

This variant is often referred to as the "half swivel seat":

• Sit on the exercise mat or a carpet with your legs stretched out.
• Angle the left leg and place the foot next to the right hip.
• The right leg remains stretched straight forward.
• Press your left foot into the mat to ground yourself.
• Stretch the spine and straighten the shoulders backwards.
• Place your hands behind your body and take a deep breath in and out.
• Now place the left hand on the bent knee.
• Turn over the leg to the left.
• Breathe deeply into the belly and deepen the twist with each breath.

Swivel seat version for advanced

Somewhat more difficult is this variant of the swivel seat. Beginners should stick to the easier version.

• You start again with both legs extended.
• Angle the left leg and place it right next to the hip.
• Fold the right leg back.
• Only do this if you can sit evenly on both halves of the pelvis.
• For the upper body, everything remains the same as in the beginner's version. You turn to the left and put your right arm on your left knee.

What you need to pay attention to during execution

Take your time and practice slowly. Listen to yourself, then you can avoid many classic execution errors right from the start.

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The thoracic spine

In yoga rotating seat, the thoracic spine is very much in demand. It is the most immobile part of our spine, so regular mobilization is very important.

That's why you have to be especially careful that you don't just turn your head to the side, but really turn your chest. Extreme head rotation or the strong twisting of the shoulder blades are not the point. At first glance it looks like a real rotation, but the desired effect is not achieved. Let the shoulders loose, then you will get into the stretch more easily.

If you are not sure whether you are doing the exercise correctly, try it without arms. The leverage of the arms only starts when you can't turn any further with muscle power.

The spine

Attention: The spine must always be stretched during the entire exercise. Make sure that you do not form a hunchback or fall into a hollow back.

When you exhale, your spine may collapse. Try to avoid this by stretching your back. The back must always be long.

The leg and hands

You can't manage to put the leg down by the hips? It doesn't matter. Then simply place it at the level of the knee. More important than hips or knees, however, is that your leg is always well grounded and you touch the floor with the sole of your foot.

Your back hand should not bear the weight. If you lean on it too much, you encourage bad posture and tension in the shoulders. In other words: Loose resting is allowed, firm resting is not.

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How the swivel seat enriches your yoga practice

Unlike weight training, asanas also have effects on the psyche. The positive effects of the twisting seat start with digestion, move on to back pain and stress. But let's look at this in detail.

The swivel seat for digestion

If you've done a bit of yoga, you're probably familiar with the term Agni. For everyone else: Agni is the digestive fire we need for a healthy gastrointestinal tract.

You can imagine it like this: If the fire burns only weakly, you don't feel well. You can get constipated and feel uncomfortable. When you do the rotating seat in yoga, you massage your abdominal organs. This works best if you consciously breathe against the tightened leg.

This asana is therefore also often used as an exercise against flatulence and sluggish digestion. It is also said to help with abdominal pain and a sinking feeling in the stomach.

Rotating seat yoga against back pain

If you have to sit a lot at work, then you should do the Ardha Matsyendrasana exercise regularly. Your back will love you for it. When you turn sideways over the leg, you loosen your vertebrae and massage the surrounding muscles.

This will help you loosen up tension and stuck fascia in your neck and back. You will feel the stretch from the hips up to the head. The upright posture helps you to develop a better body awareness and to take care of a straight back overall.

Exercise against stress and restlessness

Through your breath you can very well get a grip on stressful situations and calm yourself physically and mentally. If you concentrate for a short time only on your breath and the twisting movement, your thoughts can finally come to rest.

Some yogis therefore recommend this quick and easy asana as an emergency solution when you want to quickly calm down. You can do the exercise in the home office just as well as in the office. After all, you don't need more than a carpet for it.

What I personally find quite wonderful about the swivel seat exercise is that you can use it to strengthen your nerves and prevent restlessness.

Body and mind in balance

Anyone who regularly takes a few asanas knows about the pleasant effect on body and mind. The yoga rotating seat brings you into balance. When you rotate your spine to the left and right, you bring it into a neutral position. That's why it's so important that you always perform this exercise equally long and intensively on both sides.

Incidentally, finding balance is also so successful because the rotating seat is said to have a detoxifying effect. In the rotating seat you massage the intestines and the internal organs. This allows you to remove waste and cleanse your intestines.

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What is the effect of the swivel seat?

In yoga, exercises always have a noticeable effect on at least two levels: the physical on the one hand and the mental on the other.

Physical effects

Here is a quick list of all the physical effects. The swivel seat has so many of them that I have to abbreviate it a bit now.

This exercise:

• keeps the spine flexible,
• activates the nervous system,
• strengthens and stretches the back and abdominal muscles,
• has a beneficial effect on the liver, spleen and kidney,
• massages the abdominal organs, which has a positive effect on digestion,
• relieves back pain,
• relaxes tensions,
• stimulates blood circulation,
• loosens the hips and makes more mobile,
• ensures good fluid balance in the intervertebral discs.

When you rotate your upper body, you compress the muscles and nerves on one side of your body while stretching them on the other side. If you now turn to the other side, this has an alternating stretching and compressing effect.

In the process, the organs also receive an effective massage, which is said to alleviate a variety of ailments, including digestive problems, flatulence, constipation, and reportedly even diabetes.

Spiritual and energetic effect

The asana is known to cure nervous ailments and restlessness. It removes toxins, stimulates digestion and massages the abdominal organs.

• Helps relieve stress and strengthens the nerves,
• calms and harmonizes the mind,
• helps to maintain the inner balance,
• energetically connects the right and left sides of the body.

Which muscle groups does the swivel seat train and stretch?

Stretching and stretching is good for you, but with the rotating seat, you're also strengthening your muscles. Let's take a close look at what those are.

Muscles involved in the rotating seat:

• The thigh-band tensioner presses the erect knee against the back of the arm.
• The posterior deltoid stretches the shoulder and presses the upper arm against the knee - the chest expands.
• The oblique abdominal muscles, the biceps and the upper arm muscle of the front arm reinforce the rotation of the trunk.
• The large pectoral muscle and the lower shoulder blade muscle rotate the shoulder of the bent arm inward. At the same time, the lower bones muscle and the small round muscle are stretched.
• The lower part of the trapezius muscle pulls the shoulder down.
• The diamond-shaped muscle and the middle part of the trapezius muscle pull the shoulder blades to the spine.

At the same time, some muscle groups are stretched, these include:

• Gluteus
• Oblique abdominal muscles
• Wide back muscles
• Lumbar muscles
• Pectorals

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The most common mistakes in rotational yoga

There are a few mistakes that you should avoid at all costs when doing a yoga rotation. You can find the most common ones here.

Tear instead of gently stretch

Many beginners immediately want too much from their body during yoga. That's why gentle stretching and feeling into oneself turns into a real stretching marathon. Stretching until everything pulls and hurts and you forget to breathe.

But that's not the point at all. The point of the twist seat and yoga in general is that you listen to yourself and slowly increase. If you can't do Ardha Matsyendrasana yet, it doesn't matter. Everyone does the exercise as best he/she can and sees yoga as a process.

If you stretch regularly and take time for stretching, you will slowly notice progress. But then you will be able to increase this progress continuously. If you start stretching your body too much from the beginning, you won't see any progress. Your body is your friend, not your enemy - be gentle with it.

Forget to breathe during yoga swivel seat

Letting the breath flow and being aware of it is an essential part of all asanas. If you don't breathe and try to stretch in a tense way, you can't let the energy flow and block yourself.

Therefore, my tip: It's better to stretch less intensively and breathe consciously instead. This calms you down and lets stress melt away.

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Who better not do this exercise?

As many benefits as this exercise has, not everyone should do it. If you have back problems or spinal injuries, be careful with this asana. Do not perform the exercise if you have just eaten a lot.

Pregnant women should also keep their hands off the rotating seat and the half rotating seat. If you still want to stretch, then try an open rotation and do without the bent leg.

If you have had recent surgery in the trunk or abdomen or inflammation, then you should not do the exercise.

Also, refrain from the yoga rotating seat if you have had or are currently having a herniated disc.

Our conclusion

Whether it's the sun salutation or the twisting seat, yoga always appeals to both body and mind. If you sit a lot during work and have tension in your back, then you should regularly unpack the yoga mat and firmly incorporate the rotating seat into your routine.

All the best for the training and have fun!

To browse further:

• Stretching shoulders - 7 simple exercises with which it works!
• The 11 best stretching exercises for the thighs
• Mobilize hips: with these simple exercises it works!

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