Bharadvaja's Twist anatomy
Bharadvaja's Twist · Bharadvajasana I · Tư thế vặn mình Bharadvaja
Bharadvaja's Twist mainly works external oblique (left), internal oblique (right), multifidus (left), erector spinae; it stretches quadriceps (left), tibialis anterior (left), gluteus maximus (left), external oblique (right); transversus abdominis, triceps brachii (right) stabilize.
Opening the 3D model…
Sit with both legs folded to one side, feet beside the hip, and twist the other way, with the front hand on the knee and the back hand on the floor. A gentle twist that keeps the spine upright on a stable base.
Muscles in this pose
Working (contracting): External oblique (left), Internal oblique (right), Multifidus (left), Erector spinae, Rhomboid major (right)
Stretching: Quadriceps (left), Tibialis anterior (left), Gluteus maximus (left), External oblique (right), Internal oblique (left), Pectoralis major (right)
Stabilizing: Transversus abdominis, Triceps brachii (right)
Why these muscles work or stretch
- External oblique · Working (contracting): The opposite-side external oblique and same-side internal oblique turn the chest toward the twist
- Multifidus · Working (contracting): Multifidus rotates the vertebrae toward the opposite side
- Erector spinae · Working (contracting): Keeps the spine long, without rounding in the twist
- Rhomboid major · Working (contracting): Draws the back-arm shoulder back to open the chest
- Quadriceps · Stretching: Knee deeply bent, foot beside the hip
- Tibialis anterior · Stretching: Top of the foot flat on the floor
- Gluteus maximus · Stretching: The hip rotates inward with the foot outside the hip
- Triceps brachii · Stabilizing: Back hand presses the floor
Practice cues
- Ground both sitting bones; sit on a blanket if the hips tilt
- Lift the sternum before you twist
- Keep the shoulders away from the ears; don't shrug as you twist
Benefits
- Gently rotates the spine on a stable seated base
- Builds endurance in the obliques and back muscles that keep the chest open
- Stretches the quadriceps, the fronts of the ankles and the chest
Cautions / contraindications
- Avoid with a disc herniation or acute low back pain
- Take care with knee or ankle pain; switch to a cross-legged seat
- Take care in pregnancy; twist only gently, without squeezing the belly
Easier variations
- Sit on a folded blanket so both sitting bones are even
- Sit sideways on a chair and twist, holding the backrest
General information, not a substitute for advice from a doctor or teacher.
Written and reviewed by Yoga An Viên center · Updated 18/10/2026
How to practice this pose (YogaWay, in Vietnamese)
Related poses
- Seated Easy Twist Parivrtta Sukhasana
- Half Lord of the Fishes Pose Ardha Matsyendrasana
- Marichi’s Pose III (Seated Twist) Marichyasana III
- Revolved Low Lunge Parivrtta Anjaneyasana
- Revolved Wide-Legged Forward Bend Parivrtta Prasarita Padottanasana
- Revolved High Lunge (Revolved Crescent Lunge) Parivrtta Ashta Chandrasana
A free community project by Yoga An Viên center · Model: Z-Anatomy (CC BY-SA 4.0), based on BodyParts3D © DBCLS (CC BY-SA 2.1 JP)