Posted: January 24, 2018
Sitting Half Spinal Twist — Ardha Matsyendrasana (Are-dah-MOTS-yen-drAA-SUN-aa) — also known as Half Lord of the Fishes Pose, is a seated spinal twist, that lengthens and strengthens the spine and stimulates the digestive system. The pose gets its name from the Sanskrit words, Ardha, meaning half, Matsya, meaning fish, indra, meaning ruler, and asana, meaning pose.
Level of Difficulty: Beginner
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Sit with your legs stretched out straight in front of you, keeping your feet together and spine erect.
- Bend your left leg and place the heel of your left foot beside the right hip.
- Place your right leg over your left knee.
- Place your left hand on your right knee your right hand behind your lower back.
- Twist the waist, shoulders and neck in this sequence to the right and look over your right shoulder.
- Keep your spine erect.
- Hold the pose and continue to breathe with long, deep breaths.
- Breathing out, release your right hand first, followed by your waist, then chest, and lastly your neck.
- Repeat on the other side
Benefits
- Lengthens, strengthens, and realigns the spine
- Encourages fresh blood flow to the internal organs
- Improves digestion
- Opens the chest and increases oxygen supply to the lungs
Precautions
- Spinal, knee or hip injury
Modifications and Variations
- To Modify: If bending your bottom leg is not accessible to you, keep your bottom leg straight and continue with rest of the posture.
Preparatory and Follow-up Poses
- Cat-Cow Pose | Marjariasana-Bitilasana (Preparatory)
- Tree Pose | Vrikshasana (Preparatory)
- Standing Spinal Twist | Katichakrasana (Preparatory)
- Seated Forward Bend | Paschimottanasana (Preparatory)
- Butterfly Pose | Badhakonasana (Follow-up)
- Supine Spinal Twist | Supta Matsyendrasana (Follow-up)
Browse our entire yoga poses library and learn more about each yoga pose in detail.
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