Fayte – I’m not confident that what this person is doing is smart to do. My physical edges are still certainly in less advanced asanas, so there might be something going on there that I don’t notice, but so far I’d bet folks who do this often enough will feel their body’s revenge by the time they’re 70. Or maybe the pic is not exactly what it seems – do you know if this is an ‘action shot’ or if this was held steadily for a few seconds? Is the airborne foot pressed against that wall?
But, just in case, I recommend going to a yoga class and paying attention to how the teacher teaches down dog, side plank, the pigeon-like hip stretches, and the twists. . . and since you mention waist flexibility in the title, I’ll counter that by offering that a smart twist is gradual through the entire length of the spine and definitely doesn’t contain itself just between hips and ribs.
Again, I don’t know if the yoga class will bring you closer to this configuration or closer to an understanding that you don’t want to inflict this on the one body that will last your lifetime. But either way, good luck.