Ardha Matsyendrasana — Half Lord of the Fishes Pose
Ardha Matsyendrasana
“Half Lord of the Fishes Pose”
Ardha = half
Matsya = fish, fishes
Endra = lord, acquiring, possessing, king
Āsana= seat, posture
Oh ardha matsyendrasana, how I love thee! If I could only choose one asana to practice for the rest of my life, this would be the one! I know its not as impressive as a handstand or as exotic as having a leg behind your head, but in my body and mind, this posture feels incredible!
If you practice with me, you know that I mainly use the Sanskrit language when calling postures, and then translate the Sanskrit names into English so my students learn both the names and their meanings. I describe ardha matsyendrasana as “spinal twist” for three reasons:
“Spinal twist” is a common English title for this posture.
“Half lord of the fishes” pose is a mouthful to say on top of ardha matsyendrasana while you’re teaching a class, cueing the pose, demonstrating it, and trying to breathe all at the same time (phew!).
The phrase “half lord of the fishes” pose doesn’t really make sense to a student who has not studied yoga off of the mat- “Is it half a lord? Half a fish? Huh?”.
Here’s the background: Many asanas are named for their actual physical appearances in the human body (for example, janu sirsasana = “knee to head pose”). Many asanas are named after animals or things in nature due to their resemblance, and some are named in homage to great yogic sages and saints, and Hindu gods and goddesses.
Ardha matsyendrasana is named for Matsyendra, the “Lord of the Fishes” in Indian mythology and the Hindu and Buddhist traditions.
Let me tell you the legend of Matsyendra-
One day, sitting beside a riverbank, Lord Shiva was having a deep conversation about yoga with his wife, the goddess Parvati. A fish (matsya) swam nearby and began to listen to Lord Shiva lecturing his wife on the mysteries of life and the teachings of yoga. The fish became captivated, listened intently and absorbed every word.
These teachings were so powerful that something magical happened: Lord Shiva’s knowledge permeated the fish’s entire being, fully enlightening him and changing him into human form. He became Matsyendra (matsya = fish, endra = lord, = “Lord of the Fishes”), a fully enlightened master of yoga.
With Lord Shiva as his guru, Matsyendra continued to learn and then shared his own knowledge of yoga. He passed down his teachings to his students, and after many generations created a long lineage known as the Nath Yogis.
Now we can go back to the posture:
In the seated twist posture of ardha matsyendrasana, the upright torso represents Matsyendra’s human form, while the folded legs below resemble the tail of a fish.
Anatomically, ardha matsyenrasana keeps the spine flexible and helps retain vertebrae alignment and mobility. It stretches the back and hip muscles, as well as the intercostal muscles, which support deep breathing.
The physiological benefits of ardha matsyendrasana are that it increases synovial fluid in the joints and tones the spinal nerve roots and sympathetic nervous system. It also massages the internal organs, aids in digestion, prevents constipation, improves the efficiency of the liver, and provides relief from disorders such as IBS, dyspepsia, gas pain, etc.
Energetically and spiritually, this posture reminds us of the transformational power of yoga— as demonstrated by Matsyendra’s metamorphosis from fish to enlightened sage. It further reminds us Yogis of the importance of our lineage in the Yoga tradition. We must honor and respect our teachers who have passed down the flame of transformation and the light of knowledge to us.
Here is a YouTube link on ardha matsyendrasana by one of my teachers and fellow Miamian, Kino MacGregor: