Supine Twist

On your back, drop the knees to one side, gaze to the other. Spinal rotation and outer-hip release.

· 2 min read

yoga · spine · rotation · hip · low back · supine

The lesson

  1. 1

    Drop both knees to one side

    On your back, knees bent, let them stack and fall toward the floor. Your gaze travels the other way, over the opposite shoulder.

  2. 2

    Shoulders before knees

    Both shoulder blades stay on the floor, even if your knees never reach it. If a shoulder starts to peel up, let the knees come back until it settles.

  3. 3

    Prop and breathe

    Slide a pillow or block under the top knee if your legs hang in mid-air. Twists open on the exhale. Then switch sides.

Supine Twist

How to do it

Lie on your back. Bend both knees, feet flat on the floor. Drop both knees over to the right; let them stack and fall toward the floor. The gaze travels the other way — over the left shoulder. Both shoulder blades stay on the floor; let the right knee fall toward the floor only as far as the left shoulder will allow. Arms can rest out at shoulder height like a T. Hold and breathe, then switch sides.

Why it's good for runners

This is one of the simplest releases for a tight low back and locked outer hip — two regions running takes a toll on. The twist decompresses the spine, the cross-body position releases the outer hip on the lower side, and lying on the back means it costs nothing to set up. A pose you can do in bed before sleep.

Common mistakes

Don't pop the opposite shoulder off the floor to chase a deeper twist — keep both shoulder blades grounded, even if it means the knees don't reach the floor. Slide a pillow or block under the top knee if the knees feel suspended in air. And let the breath go where the body resists — twists open with exhales.