‘Matsayendra’ was a great yogi.His name means Fish Lord. ‘Ardha’ means half. This pose is a simple variation of a more difficult pose called Paripoorna [full] Matsayendrasana.
“Matsayendrasana increases appetite by fanning the gastric fire and destroys terrible diseases in the body. It rouses Kundalini and makes the moon steady” –Hatha Yoga Pradapika.
Organising the Pose:-
1. Sit in Dandasana with the legs stretched out.
2. Bend your right leg in. Sit on your right foot.
4. Hold your left leg and bend your knee upwards. Take your left foot across your right knee.
5. Rotate your waist to your left. Place your hand flat on the floor behind your back, but not too far away, as this will make you lean instead of twist.
6. Raise the right arm straight up over the head. Bring it across and fix your right upper arm against your left outer knee. Reach around to catch hold of the left ankle. Hold the pose for at least 30 seconds working upto a minute, breathing deeply. Release and repeat on the other side.
DO:
- Lift up your stomach as you turn.
- Keep the spine erect.
DON’T:
- Don’t lift the buttocks off the mat.
- Don’t lean back.
- Don’t keep the back hand too far away from the body.
BENEFITS:
- Prevents and cures backaches.
- Tones the liver, spleen and pancreas.
- ,Gives a lateral stretch to the entire body and helps to keep the spine elastic by retaining and improving its side to side mobility.
Namaste!
Neelanjana Bharadwaj- Yoga Expert