Bharadvajasana twist

This twist has a standing form and a seated on the floor form, and this seated in the chair form. Begin seated sideways in a chair and place the hands on the back of the chair.  Keep the legs parallel to each other and the knees at 90 degrees.  Stay upright, without leaning. Try not to let the arm droop, and keep a sense of lift, to include a light lift of the ribcage. Enjoy the range of movement recognizing that most of the twist comes from the waistline here and experiment with the amount of twist that can come from the ribcage as the twist rides up the spine to include the shoulders too.  Inhale sit tall and exhale traveling deeper into the twist.  Take the back hand and use it at the seat of the chair behind you, to help prop you up and to take some of the load off the spine.  One hand pushes and one hand pulls.  Stay a few breaths and inhale to come out of the pose.  Repeat to the other side.  In time you will discover which side you may need to practice longer as we all have one side of our back that is tighter.  Enjoy the immediate release f tension in the back, and your renewed mobility.  Namaste!

Essential oils to use:  Lemongrass and wintergreen.