Half Lord of the Fishes
Sanskrit Name: Ardha Matsyendrasana
Challenge Level: Easy
Half lord of the fishes pose is a seated twist pose that improves flexibility. To enter the pose, the practitioner sits in staff pose (dandasana). The left foot is placed on the floor by the outside of the right thigh. The right leg is bent to place the right foot closer to the left buttock. The torso is turned to the left so the left hand rests on the floor. The right elbow rests by the outer side of the left knee. This is repeated on the opposite side.
Categories
Seated Yoga Poses
Seated positions calm the mind and encourage concentration. These are the best postures for practicing breathing techniques, meditation and stillness. When combined with twists or stretches, these poses release muscular knots, improving the flow of energy in the body.
Twist Yoga Poses
Twists rotate the spine and stretch the muscles of the back. This helps to restore and retain the spine’s natural range of motion. If we don’t employ our natural range of motion we run the risk of our joints hardening and fusing. The surrounding supportive soft tissue can also become short and dysfunctional. By extending the muscles to their full length regularly with twists once or twice a day we can help to prevent this.