Saw

Equipment:

Mat

Prop:

None

Difficulty (1-5):

1

Repetitions:

5 (sets)

Main Body Position:

Sitting

Spine Position:

Flexion, Twisting

Part of Series?

No

Start Position 🏁

  • Sit with outstretched straight legs
  • Feet as wide as mat
  • Lengthen spine as much as possible
  • Flex feet
  • Arms outstretched, parallel to floor, slightly wider angle than legs

Cues 💡

  • Twist spine in one direction
  • Pelvis remains neutral and doesn’t twist
  • Draw abdomen in
  • Lift back arm and rib cage as spine flexes
  • Equal weight on both sit bones. Watch tendency to shift some weight back-and-forth between sit bones as moving through exercise.
  • Lift hand of back arm up to the ceiling as much as possible, palm up. Use this to assist in flexing spine further.
  • Point bottom ear to space equidistant between knees
  • Simultaneously reach crown of head and tip of tailbone forward
  • Push down sit bones into mat
  • Reach pinky finger of lower arm toward pinky toe of opposite leg. Stay here and pulse once or twice in a sawing motion.
  • Maintain relaxed, unshrugged shoulders
  • Maintain twisted spine as lifting back up
  • Repeat for other direction

Breathing 🫁

  • Inhale (nose) to lift up and twist
  • Exhale (mouth) to flex spine

Modifications 🔧

  • Bend knees
  • Sit on something (yoga block, bolster, etc)