Supine Spinal Twist anatomy
Supine Spinal Twist · Supta Matsyendrasana · Tư thế vặn cột sống nằm
Supine Spinal Twist mainly works ; it stretches gluteus maximus (right), gluteus medius (right), tensor fasciae latae (right), external oblique (right).
Opening the 3D model…
Lying on your back, bend one knee and let it fall across the body to the opposite side, with the same-side arm out wide and the gaze toward that hand. A passive twist that gently lengthens the obliques, deep back muscles, and outer hip of the bent leg.
Muscles in this pose
Stretching: Gluteus maximus (right), Gluteus medius (right), Tensor fasciae latae (right), External oblique (right), Internal oblique (left), Multifidus (right), Quadratus lumborum (right), Pectoralis major (right)
Why these muscles work or stretch
- Gluteus maximus · Stretching: The hip flexes and adducts across the body
- External oblique · Stretching: The external oblique on the twisting side and the internal oblique on the other side lengthen
- Multifidus · Stretching: Multifidus on the twisting side lengthens
- Quadratus lumborum · Stretching: The waist on the bent-knee side lengthens
- Pectoralis major · Stretching: Arm out wide, shoulder on the floor
Practice cues
- Keep both shoulders down; support the knee with a cushion if needed
- Let gravity draw the knee down; don't force it
- Breathe deeply into the side ribs that are opening
Benefits
- Gently stretches the obliques and deep back muscles
- Stretches the outer hip of the bent leg
- Opens the chest on the side of the outstretched arm
- Relaxing; suits the end of a practice
Cautions / contraindications
- Take care with a disc herniation or low back pain; twist only lightly
- Take care with shoulder pain; don't force the shoulder down
- In pregnancy twist lightly; avoid long holds on the back after the first trimester
Easier variations
- Rest the lowered knee on a bolster or folded blanket
- Bend both knees and lower them together to one side
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
- Revolved Abdomen Pose Jathara Parivartanasana
- Half Lord of the Fishes Pose Ardha Matsyendrasana
- Marichi’s Pose III (Seated Twist) Marichyasana III
- Seated Easy Twist Parivrtta Sukhasana
- Bharadvaja's Twist Bharadvajasana I
- Revolved Low Lunge Parivrtta Anjaneyasana
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)