Matsyasana (Fish Pose)


How to perform 

Begin by lying down on your back.

  • Come up to your elbows with your forearms flat on the mat and your upper arms perpendicular to the floor.
  • Slide your body toward the back of the mat while keeping your forearms in place and puffing up your chest by rolling your shoulders back and tucking your shoulder blades firmly onto your back.
  • Press your palms into the mat. You can tuck your hands under your butt if that feels like a more stable position for them.
  • Lower the crown (very top) of your head back until it comes to the floor, opening your throat.
  • Keep your legs engaged and your toes active throughout.
  • To come out, press strongly into your forearms and raise your head off the floor. Then release your upper body to the mat.

Benefits

  • Fish Pose stretches the front of your body, including the chest, abs, hip flexors, neck, and back, and engages parts of the body that are often neglected, even within yoga's asanas.
  • Fish is a good counter pose because the chin is raised, the neck is curved back, and the spine is in extension, while in Shoulderstand, the chin is strongly tucked, the neck is extended, and the spine is in a position of flexion.
  • From a chakra perspective, Fish has a lot of potential because it stimulates two important areas that are hard to reach
  • First is the vishudda (throat) chakra, which relates to communication and self-expression. This is often summarized as "speaking your truth," so if this area is blocked it means you keep things bottled inside that would be better let out. There aren't that many yoga poses where the throat is opened as it is in Fish.
  • Fish Pose also brings attention to the sahasrara (crown) chakra on the top of your head. Again, there aren't many yoga poses that put pressure on the crown, which is tied to wisdom and knowledge.

To get the most out of this pose, check your execution to avoid these errors.


Too Much Pressure on Head
Your head should be supported by the back, neck, and shoulder muscles and have only a light pressure against the mat.

Straining the Neck
Your neck and back should be in a continuous arch. If your neck is bent like a hinge you are placing a strain on it. To correct this, think of elongating from the top of your head and creating an arch.

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