Yoga Glossary · Joint Actions
Spinal rotation (twisting)
Turning the trunk around its vertical axis — the action behind every twist pose.
Spinal rotation turns one part of the trunk relative to another around the spine's long axis. The thoracic (mid-back) spine is built to rotate; the lumbar (low back) spine rotates only a few degrees per segment, so healthy twists distribute the turn mostly through the mid and upper back, powered by the obliques and deep spinal rotators.
That distribution is the core safety logic of yoga twists: revolved poses ask the pelvis to stay as steady as possible while the ribcage turns, wringing out the trunk rather than cranking the low back. Twists also compress and release the abdomen, which is why they are traditionally paired with exhales — the obliques help push the breath out as the turn deepens.
In practice
- Lengthen up before you turn — rotation on a tall spine distributes better than rotation on a slumped one.
- If a twist pinches the low back, you have borrowed rotation the lumbar spine does not have — turn less, breathe more.
- Exhale into the turn: the obliques that rotate you also empty the lungs.
Poses built on this action
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The Yoga Glossary is an educational study reference. Definitions are standard yoga and anatomy knowledge in plain language; nothing here is medical advice.