Half Lord of the Fishes Pose (Ardha Matsyendrasana)
Performing twists in yoga gives our bodies a chance to wring out tension and realign the spine. What’s more, twists aid digestion, and help to eliminate built up waste as well as negative thoughts and emotions that live in the belly.
BENEFITS OF HALF LORD OF FISHES POSE
Stretches the side body, upper back, and neck, and improves spinal mobility. It's important to keep these areas loose and mobile to prevent pain from repetitive stress injuries. Twists such as this can also help constipation.
HOW TO DO HALF LORD OF FISHES POSE
Sit cross-legged with one leg folded in front of the other and your back straight. Bring your left hand to your right knee and place your right fingertips on the mat behind you. Inhale, sit up tall—lengthen your spine. Exhale, twist from the base of your spine to the right.
TO GET THE MOST OUT HALF LORD OF FISHES POSE:
Many people combine yoga and hip-opening stretches with a gentle meditation practice. The meditative state may enhance the emotional benefits of these postures by building self-awareness. As you experiment with these hip-opening stretches, try to approach them with self-compassion. This movement can bring emotion and thoughts to the surface you weren’t expecting. Confronting this will likely be difficult for some people, and we encourage you to stay present with each sensation and emotion that comes up.
** Movement is an incredible tool for processing trauma but there is so much more to the tool kit! Don’t be afraid to reach out to a certified therapist can introduce you to a variety of modalities and provide an outlet for you to talk things through 💕
