Matsyasana (Fish Pose)
Matsya means ‘fish’. The posture made in the shape of fish is called Matsyasana. This asana is usually done immediately after Sarvangasana.
Its benefits include improving physical health, such as opening the chest muscles and strengthening the ribs. This asana also helps in removing fatigue. Mentally, Matsyasana can help in reducing stress, facing mental challenges and increasing mental peace.
How to do Matsyasana (Fish Pose)?
♦ Sit in Padmasana on a mat.
♦ Then slowly bend your back backwards and let the body weight fall on the elbows and lie down completely on your back.
♦ Now, taking weight on the elbows, raise the chest, bend the waist and also bend the neck backwards.
♦ Let the head remain on the ground.
♦ Now slowly hold the toes and raise the waist further, bend the neck and raise the chest.
♦ Now pay attention to the heart chakra.
♦ Pay attention to the throat chakra, pay attention to the peak or sahasrara chakra.
♦ Breathing will remain normal, do not slow down or speed up on your part.
♦ Stay in this position for half a minute, take the weight on the elbows and loosen the grip of the thumbs.
♦ Make other body parts normal like waist, neck, head.
♦ Now get up and remain sitting in Padmasana.
♦ Slowly open the legs of Padmasana one by one.
♦ Once practiced, the time of asana can be increased.
Awareness- In the practice of Matsyasana, physical awareness should be on the stomach, chest and breath. From a spiritual point of view, the center of perception is the Vishuddhi Chakra, where we focus our attention.
Sequence- There is a rule in Yoga that after the forward bending asana, a backward bending asana should be practiced. Generally, after Bhujangasana, Matsyasana is practiced for its opposite position. After Matsyasana, Halasana or Sarvangasana should be practiced, as they relieve muscle tension by extending the neck in the opposite direction.
Breathing- During Matsyasana, breathing is slow and deep. The breath has to be experienced in your stomach.
Duration- The last position can be held for up to 5 minutes, although for normal health one to 3 minutes is sufficient.
Benefits of the Matsyasana (Fish Pose)
(Fish Pose)This asana expands the intestines and stomach organs and is beneficial for all stomach diseases. It also removes inflammation and bloody piles. Regularizes the function of thyroid gland and increases immunity by stimulating the thymus gland.
In this, there is good expansion of the pelvic region and the pressure exerted by the legs on the thighs reduces the blood circulation in the legs and sends the blood to the pelvic area, which helps in curing or preventing diseases of the reproductive system. Practice of Sheetkari Pranayama in the last position of the asana makes the voice sweet and stable. Youth and vitality increases.
This exercise expands the lungs and cures lung and respiratory related diseases. Be it asthma, bronchitis or cough defect. When the neck becomes swollen, especially in case of tonsillitis, massaging the neck in this condition reduces the swelling. This asana recirculates the blood accumulated in the back.
Cervical spondylitis and tension arising in the lower back also get relieved by this exercise. It is also useful for the pain in the lower back that women experience at the time of conception due to weak waist.
It is mentioned at one place in Hatha Yoga that to overcome constipation, one should do this exercise for as long as possible after drinking two-three glasses of water. It is believed in Hatha Yoga that doing this cures constipation. This exercise expands the intestines, hence is especially beneficial for them.
Important
It is important to bring the body to the final position by slowly bending it with the help of the arms and return to the starting position in the same manner. Do this action with full control and caution, because the spinal cord may be damaged due to shock.
By doing this asana after Shirshasana and Sarvangasana, disorders are eliminated and the benefits of the earlier asanas increase.
Precautions of Matsyasana (Fish Pose)
1. People suffering from heart disease, peptic ulcer, hernia, spine related diseases or any serious disease should not practice this asana.
2. Pregnant women should also not practice it.
3. Those who are unable to sit in Padmasana, they can keep their legs long and do Matsyasana by placing the palms below the hips, later place the palms on the thighs.
4. People suffering from problems like low blood pressure, migraine, insomnia, lower back, cervical etc. should not do Matsyasana.
FAQs
What are the benefits of matsyasana?
Matsyasana is such an asana, which is beneficial for the whole body. With its regular practice, you can stay away from many diseases. It helps in strengthening the spine. Along with this, by cleaning the stomach, it gives relief from problems like constipation. From reducing belly fat, it also provides relief from knee-back pain.
Which disease is cured by matsyasana?
Matsyasana provides benefits in thyroid disease.The practice of Matsyasana also tones the pituitary, parathyroid and pineal glands.
Who should not perform matsyasana?
Matsyasana should not be performed by pregnant women, people with high blood pressure, heart patients, people with injury or wound in the body, people with low blood pressure and during menstruation.
What mucels are used in matsyasana?
In Matsyasana, the muscles of the back, neck, abdomen, ribs, the muscles of the back of the thighs and the muscles of the neck are mainly used.
What is the duration of matsyasana?
Generally, you can maintain Matsyasana for 20 seconds to 1 minute. Start slowly in the beginning and increase the time.
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