Twists and Binds – First off, why do we do them? It is always important to figure out the “why” so that we can understand how to approach these poses in a way that serves our bodies. Here’s a guide to help break down the technique and benefits of these poses.

A twist is a movement where the spine rotates side to side, while a bind is when the hand moves behind the back to clasp either the other hand or a strap.

My teacher, David Life from Jivamukti, always said, “We bind to liberate.” We’re trying to create space in the chest to bind without compression, specifically in the shoulder girdle. 

Similarly, with twists, we want to find rotation in the spine without any pain or discomfort in the lower back or shoulders. 

Therefore, different parts of our bodies need to open up to take binds and twists. We need to open up all parts of the shoulders—the front, sides, and back—to prepare for taking the arms in different directions. For both poses, we need lateral and side waist openings and plenty of rotation in the spine, left to right.

Opening the Body for Twists and Binds

What kinds of poses help with lateral openings? Taking the arms overhead would be one of the first things we should include, as we do in Urdhva Hastasana. Twisting is also a lateral opener in a different way. We do this in lunges, Warrior 1, and open twists. I love doing these; you can try them with a lunge on the ground and open twists, arms going out to the sides to open the chest.

Fun Fact: It’s easier on the body to do a side waist bend before we do a twist. 

In terms of shoulder preparation, shoulder circles in either direction are a great start. I also like tricep openers and working the half-cow-face arms. Then, we want to work the full cow-face arms because when we bind—usually in a bound lunge or bound side-angle pose—the bottom hand and arm have to rotate internally. This internal rotation can sometimes create an impingement in the front of the shoulder, causing strain.

Internal Rotation and Shoulder Strain

What can we do for people struggling with this internal rotation? We can have them bend the elbow instead of bringing the fingertips close to the shoulders. This creates a softer internal rotation, allowing them to judge how it feels in the rotator cuff. If it feels okay, they can bend the elbow even more, bringing their fingertips toward the back of the heart, which deepens the internal rotation—though it may or may not feel good in the shoulder.

A lateral opener takes the arm overhead and uses the bottom hand to mimic the bind. This is where straps come in handy. For example, if my left hand is overhead with a strap, I can bend my right elbow and bring my right hand to the back of the heart, while my left hand helps guide the elbow and palm downward. From here, you can explore deeper bends or work towards connecting the hands with a strap.

Another option is to try Humble Warrior or a Standing Forward Fold with hands behind the back, using gravity to open the shoulders.

No matter what you’re doing with the shoulders, whether or not you’re binding, remember to move the shoulders in all directions and open up the chest, including the back of the heart. This is counterintuitive but essential.

One of the most common injuries in Vinyasa is rotator cuff strains or sprains. If this is the case, internal rotation may not be suitable. For these students, top hand on top of the hip or keeping arms open and not bringing the hand behind, these are often the best options. The goal is to feel an opening in the chest and pecs without strain on the shoulders.

How to Explore a Bind

I want to talk about how we get into a bind. And, to do it specifically from a side-angle first. I find that one to be the most accessible ways. I would have done a side-angle pose with the hand on the inside of the foot or forearm on top of the thigh. And if you’re going to be coming into the bind, you want to have trained your students or yourself to have forearm on top of thigh or hand on the inside versus the outside, just so that the body’s understanding it’s going to be easier to take that arm underneath you.

So, I will put them on the thigh for the first one. Here are all the kramas, variations, and stages. When you offer this, always tell people to listen to where they are or listen to yourself, those of us who are not teachers but just students. There are different ways of doing this, depending on what’s happening with the rotator cuff.

From side-angle with forearm on thigh (say left arm on left thigh), I would take my top arm, my right arm, towards the back of my mat. I would flip the palm around so the thumb is down. So, I’m already doing that internal rotation of the arm. And then I’m going to shrug the shoulder onto the back and reach the fingers towards the back of the room.

And now, I can put the right hand on the right hip. This might be enough for me today. Or we’re going to take the right hand behind. So, as I take it behind, I’m keeping that internal rotation, bending the elbow.

Half Bind

The half bind is when we would take the right hand and work it towards being on top of the left thigh, and we’re all proportioned super differently. I have extra long arms. You may not, or your student may not. So the hand may not come to the thigh, and that’s okay; wherever it lands is where it lands.

And from shrugging the shoulder onto the back and lengthening up through the side waist – this might be enough.

Ready to explore Half Bind with intention and ease? Try the What I Learn Lila Flow class on Practice with Clara — a creative, mindful sequence where you’ll play with binds like Half Bind and feel into the movements with clarity.