Matsyasana

The Fish Pose

Matsyavatar is to be said the first incarnation of Vishnu, the lord of preservation, whose appearance depends on the needs of the times.

"On this story, lord Vishnu transformed into a fish (matsya) . He spoke to the king, Satyavrat, that he must built a boat to sail for when the chaos of the great flood was threatening the cosmic order, dharma.

Loading the boat, and rescuing all living beings and vedas they sailed over centuries until dharma was restored. And as they sailed, Matsyavatar spoke divine wisdom to Satyavrat, teaching him all about the yoga, his discourse today known as Matsya Purana."

Matsyasana, the “destroyer of all diseases”.

This deep chest opening pose stretches front neck, hip flexors (psoas) and the muscles (intercostals) between the ribs as we breathe and fill the lungs. It also stretches and stimulates the muscles of the belly, the internal organs and throat. It strengthens the muscles of the upper back and back of the neck helping improve posture. However, if we suffer from back or neck injuries, migraines, or high or low blood pressure, we should be cautious and use the assistance of an experienced teacher about modifications using a block or folded blanket for support, or avoid this pose.

Many times this deep heart opening asana leads to an emotional reaction by many practitioners, allowing us to let go all that needs to be released.