Fish Pose

Matsyāsana

Read what the gnome says

Fish Pose! Lie on your back, hands under the hips. Press the forearms down, lift the chest, and let the top of the head touch the floor. Most of the weight stays in the arms, not the neck. Keep the legs active and the chin gently lifted. Breathe deeply, and open the heart.

Works on Spinal erectors · Rhomboids · Pectorals

How to do it

1. Lie on the back, legs long, hands tucked under the hips, palms down.
2. Press the forearms into the floor, lift the chest and arch the upper back.
3. Tilt the head back so the crown rests lightly on the floor, with little weight, and breathe.

Common mistakes

• Don’t put weight on the head: lift through the chest.
• Don’t crunch the neck: skip the head tilt if it pinches.
• Don’t lift the hips.

Benefits

• Opens the chest, front of the hips and shoulders.
• Strengthens the muscles along the back.
• Counters long hours of sitting and rounding forward.

Take care: Go easy or skip if you have lower-back, neck or wrist pain, or are pregnant. Stay in the comfortable range and never force depth.

Suggest a correction

In ready-made sequences

Sivananda 12 Basic Poses 10 min Ashtanga Finishing Sequence 10 min

Not medical advice. Ease off if anything feels sharp or wrong.

Similar poses Backbend

• Baby Cobra with Hands LiftedBeginner
• Bridge PoseBeginner
• Camel Pose with BlocksBeginner
• Cobra PoseBeginner
• Half CamelBeginner
• Knees-Chest-Chin PoseBeginner