- Category
- Reclining
- Level
- intermediate
- Hold
- 15–30 seconds to start; up to 1 minute, or 3–5 minutes fully supported on props
- Type
- Asana
- Breath
- Broad inhales into the chest; smooth, unforced exhales.
Fish Pose
Matsyasana — "fish posture (matsya = fish)"
Lying on your back, you arch your chest toward the ceiling and rest lightly on the crown of your head, forearms bearing most of the weight. The classic counterpose to Shoulderstand and Plow.
Step by step
- 1Lie on your back with your legs extended and together.
- 2Slide your hands, palms down, under your hips, forearms tucked close under your body.
- 3Press into your forearms and elbows and lift your chest toward the ceiling.
- 4Let your head tip back and rest the crown lightly on the floor — the weight stays in your forearms, not your neck.
- 5Keep your legs active and your thighs pressing toward the floor.
- 6Breathe into the open chest for several breaths.
- 7To come out, press firmly into your forearms, lift your head slightly, and lower the back of your head and spine to the floor.
Benefits
- ✓ Opens the chest, throat, and front of the shoulders
- ✓ Counters the neck flexion of Shoulderstand and Plow
- ✓ Stretches the front of the torso and the hip flexors
- ✓ An antidote to rounded, screen-hunched posture
Make it yours
- · Lie over a bolster or rolled blanket placed under the shoulder blades, head supported — same opening, no neck load.
- · Place a block (low or medium height) under the upper back and another under the head.
- · Keep the knees bent with feet on the floor if straight legs strain your back.
Take care
- Take care if your neck is sensitive — keep weight in the forearms, or practice the supported version over a bolster with the head fully resting.
- If you feel pinching in the lower back, reduce the arch or add support under the upper back.
- In later pregnancy, use the propped, inclined version rather than lying flat and arching.
This is general practice guidance, not medical advice. If something hurts, ease out of it.
Props that help here
- 8-foot cotton strap — Extends your reach in hamstring and shoulder work — the honest substitute for grabbing a foot you can't yet reach. Get 8ft, not 6ft. find one
- Yoga blanket — Folded under the hips in seated poses, under the knees in kneeling ones, under the shoulders for shoulderstand. A firm household blanket works too. find one
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