Matsyasana or the Fish pose is a backward bend yoga pose that keeps the practitioner resilient and focused. In this pose, the legs are grounded to the point that they feel deeply burrowed in the earth. This posture resembles the tail of the fish because of the way the legs are folded. One of the significant Matsyasana benefits is that it offers strength to our back, waist, and neck.
How to do the Fish pose?
- Start by lying down on your back, with your forearms flat on the mat, come up to your elbows, and keep the upper arms perpendicular to the floor.
- Place the forearms and puff the chest by rolling back shoulders and firmly tucking the shoulder blades onto your back. You will start feeling that your body is creating a backbend.
- Press your palms into the mat, and tuck your hands under, so that your hands become stable.
- Lower your head crown back until it comes to the floor and opens your throat.
- Throughout the time, you have to keep your legs engaged and toes in the active position. Press firmly into the forearms and raise the head off the floor to come out. In the end, release your upper body to the mat.
Benefits of Matsyasana
The following are the benefits of Matsyasana.
- Better spinal health
Matsyasana is a form of backbend through which your spine and back muscles get stronger. Using the back muscles, when you hold the upper body weight, your spine is stabilized and strengthened. The abdominal muscles also get strengthened in this process.
- Lightens mood
When you can lift the heart and arch your back, your rib muscles get stretched. This particular movement helps to have more oxygen intake, releasing any emotions from the heart, leading to a lighter mood.
- Beats stress
When you sit all day long at the desk with a poor posture, your neck muscles and back get stress. Matsyasana relaxes your back, opens your lungs, aligns your spine, and this way, your shoulder blades come together. Therefore, every movement is helpful to energize your body and mind.
- Weight loss
The Fish pose is also useful in weight loss because of its leg raised variation. When you raise the legs, your obscure and abdominal muscles get engaged to assist in unwanted fat shedding from your thighs, waist, stomach, and hips.
- Beneficial for thyroid
Matsyasana is beneficial for the thyroid because of its deep neck curve. The thyroid gland lies in the front part of the neck, and this produces thyroid hormones that control the way our body uses its energy. The thyroid gland is stimulated with the neck movement in the fish pose, thus creating many thyroid hormones.
Conclusion
When the Fish pose is practiced regularly, you can stretch out your whole body and improve your posture. It becomes very satisfying when your heart and throat centers are opened. It is essential that you don’t push Matsyasana too far and listen to your body. If your breath is becoming strained, it is better to scale back the intensity of the pose. Just like a fish gently drifts through water, let your thought and breaths remain soft and flowing.