Yoga Feature: Fish Pose

I have been noticing a difference in my posture in the last couple of months, and I’m not thrilled to report that it seems to be getting worse. It’s fine, I’m sure it’s related to how much time that I spend at my computer. I’m not even a frequent desk-user. I honestly wouldn’t know how to describe the position that I’m sitting in now. I just take my laptop with me and my body formulates around it without a second thought, changing every few minutes into a new position. This has unsurprisingly taken a toll on my body, and when I started to notice back pain on a regular basis, I decided to seek out a Let It Go Yoga pose that could solve the issue.

I stumbled upon Fish pose, which is known as the heart opening pose in yoga. Fish pose is known to improve spinal flexibility and posture by stretching the front of your body, upper back muscles, and neck. (Healthline.com)

Plus it is a great counter pose to yoga postures that stretch the back, like shoulder stand and wheel pose.

I have a goal of practicing Fish pose twice on days that I spend hours typing away, which means that it will become a new lifestyle habit that I need to incorporate into my routine along with my usual journaling and mindlessly scrolling the internet. I’m hoping to update you all with an improvement in posture and a pain-free back soon, so please comment below if it’s been some time and you haven’t heard anything. You’re welcome to join me in this adventure if you would like! I have included the directions and a variation here:

Directions:

Lying on the floor on your back, place your hands under the buttocks with your palms facing down. Gently lift your chest, pressing into your elbows, slowly releasing your head back and lifting your chest to its highest point. Allow your head to release back onto the floor. Depending on the arch in your back and how high you lift your chest, the back of your head or the crown will rest on the floor. Keep your legs straight and point your toes. Continue to press into the elbows and lift-up the sternum for a count of ten. To release, inhale and press into the elbows. On your exhale, lift the head, slowly release your torso and head to the floor, remove the hands from under you and relax.

Click here to try Supported Fish Pose with a Heart Journey Meditation

Contraindications:

Please check with your doctor if you have high or low blood pressure, heart aliments or neck injuries.

Pregnant women should avoid this pose.