Matsyasana

Fish Pose

If you have a dicey neck, the full pose is not for you,  begin with Fish prep.   Lie on your back, legs strongly extended. Inhale, lifting hips up enough to slide palms under buttocks, fingers pointing toward feet. With buttocks resting on back of the hands, pull forearms and elbows close behind torso and into ribs. Inhale, pressing forearms and elbows against floor, lift torso up and head back.  With a dicey neck, keep head forward, chin down.  Open the chest to the sky and breath.

For full pose, lie on back, inhale, lifting chest up, keeping buttocks and crown of head on the floor. Hands can come into Namaste mudra on chest, or can be extended overhead at 45 degrees.  Keep legs firm and strongly extended, lifting chest  to minimize weight on head.  Lengthen neck, don’t crunch it. If the back is strong, lift legs at 45 degree angle.

Health Notes:  This is a wonderful chest opener for asthma,  and other lung- issues.  As in all chest openers, helps enliven the body, throwing off depression and lethargy. Strengthens spine and neck, and emotionally, presents a quiet moment to open the heart, feel expansive, willing to do the right thing.

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