Ardha Matsyendrasana
Your Monthly Yoga Pose
The posture of the month is half lord of the fishes. Ann Teachworth, instructor at Sunlight Yoga on Narcoossee Park Drive, is seen below gently twisting into her leg.
This posture is wonderful to explore the hips, spine, and breath. All parts of the torso can contribute to the twist, including both right and left sides, as well as the front and back of the body through different layers of muscles. The legs act as the stabilizers in the posture. They are the base and passively lengthen areas of the hips.
The breath can be felt from the lower abdomen and subsequently used to intensify a rotational release in the thoracic spine. Breathing in, the abdomen fills with air, and a gentle lift and a rooted grounding in the hips are felt. Breathing out, the spine is gently rotated, and the torso applies light pressure to the organs.
Care must be taken as the arms may bind or hug the legs. Approaching this spinal twist with a “less is more” attitude allows for an overall safer spinal rotation. The caution is using too much arm movement and fooling ourselves into a spinal twist. Coming into the posture without the arms allows for a safe amount of spinal rotation. With constant practice, you can feel the body begin to deepen into ardha matsyendrasana.
Ann Teachworth is an anatomy genius and provides safe direction when leading classes and workshops. You can practice with Ann at Sunlight Yoga on Sundays at 5 p.m., Mondays at 7:30 p.m., and Wednesday mornings at 9:15 a.m. Visit www.besunlight.com for class information and workshops schedules.
- Sit with your legs stretched in front of you.
- Cross the right foot over the left thigh and gently bend the right knee.
- Bend the left leg and allow the left foot to land under or near the right hip.
- If all the weight is on the left hip, gently move the right foot in front of the left shin.
- Adjust your hips so they are mostly even on the ground. This sets up your base.
- Breathe in and fill the abdomen.
- As you breathe out, twist the body in toward the right thigh.
- Maintain the posture, breathing deeply in and twisting gently as you breathe out.
- If your spinal rotation allows for it, add the left arm around the right leg as displayed by Ann.
Namaste.
