ARDHA MATSYENDRASANA 1

Description

ARDHA MATSYENDRASANA 1 Asana group: sitting poses Translation of the name from Sanskrit: • ardha — half; • Matsyendra — lord of the fishes, a sage. 1. Setup Starting position: Dandasana. Bend the right leg, put the foot on the mat beside the left hip. Bend the left leg and put the left foot outside the right knee. Inhale, raise the left arm and, on the exhale, turn to the left, taking the left hand behind the right knee. Take the right hand behind the back and turn the head to the left. The sitting bones stay on the mat, the spine grows upward. Hold for several breaths, then repeat on the other side. 2. Simplified and advanced variations Simplified variations: • keep the hand on the outside of the knee instead of behind it; • sit on a blanket. Advanced variations: • take the hands into a lock behind the back; • deepen the twist, pressing the elbow against the outer knee. 3. Injury prevention The twist comes from the whole spine, not from the neck. Keep the back straight. Do not pull the knee with force. If there is pain in the lumbar spine, reduce the depth of the twist.

Effects

• digestion
• flexibility
• back_pain