Yoga Asana: Supine Twist or Supta Matsyeandrasana
Each posture in the physical yoga practice has a Sanskrit name ending in asana. Asana means seat or posture. Today we will explore Supta Matsyeandrasana also known as reclined spinal twist. When we break down the Sanskrit we see: Supta which = reclined, Matsya which = fish, Indra which = lord, and asana which = seat or posture. An English translation of: reclined lord of the fish pose. The upright seated twist appears in the Hatha Yoga Pradipika of the 15th century. This posture is restorative in nature and is practiced towards the beginning and or the end of a practice.
This brings us to the why behind Supta Matsyeandrasana or supine twist. Each posture has potential benefits that are of course physical in nature, both internally and externally, and also mentally, emotionally, and spiritually, yet it is important to note that not all of these are true for everyone and are also dependent upon the time, consistency, and sincerity of practice. This posture primarily lengthens, relaxes, and re-aligns the spine as well as massages the abdominal organs. Twisting encourages the flow of blood to the digestive organs, aiding in the wellness of your entire digestive system. Other potential areas of benefit are the neck, chest, shoulders, hips, glutes, and IT band.
Supta Matsyeandrasana also holds symbolic, metaphoric, and meaningful significance to our own personal why’s. The imagery of a fish may invoke significance for you, for example, the wise old saying of, “give a man a fish and you feed him for a day, teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.” There are also a handful of stories from ancient Hindu mythology that attempt to lay claim to the origin of this posture. One such story describes a tale of the Divine Mother Parvati requesting from her husband, Lord Shiva, all of the yoga wisdom because she was witnessing so many souls lost and suffering and she wanted to help. He took her to a private river bank to impart all of his knowledge unto her. Little did they know, a massive fish, of which they mistook for an island itself, was present and absorbed all of Lord Shiva’s yogic wisdom. When Shiva realized the island was not an island but a giant fish, he blessed the fish with holy water. Upon receiving this blessing, a celestial man, named Matsyendra Natha (matseeundranat) emerged. Shiva bestowed upon him the mission of teaching yoga to the world and Matsyendra became a living legend, known as the 2nd master of yoga, only after Shiva himself. Perhaps we are something like that big fish of an island and we too have the ability to hear Lord Shiva bestow all of the truths we are normally too distracted to hear. Perhaps the message is one of stillness, patience, and purification. Rather than seeking and chasing, we have the ability to sit and receive. It is not necessary for us to take these stories literally or even agree upon their meaning, but to simply open ourselves up to the possibility of possibility.
How to do Supta Matsyeandrasana:
Lie down on your back, bend your knees and and move your bum slightly towards the opposite side that you are twisting. Bring the knee to the chest and extend the other leg out long. (the opposite knee of the direction you are twisting). Move your knee across your body towards the ground. Open your arms to a T shape or cactus arms and turn your head in the opposite way of which you are twisting to gaze towards your extended arm.
Modifications for Supine Twist
1. Place a block, blanket, pillow, or bolster underneath your knee and or ankle.
2. If the chest opening feels too intense, bend the elbow and place the hand on the chest.
3. If you would like to intensify the twist, place a sandbag on top of the crossed leg or try “eagle” legs.
Supine Twist Variations
Bend both knees and drop them to either side.
Bend the knees, step the feet wide, let them fall to one side, place the heel of the foot on top of the outside of the other knee. (If you are twisting to the left, the left heel would rest on top of the right knee).
***Permission to modify in anyway that provides you with a feeling of safety & ease
Useful Props:
Blocks, blankets, pillows, sand bag
Muchas Gracias Dear Reader,
May this interpretation of reclined spinal twist offer you a deeper understanding and ideas for contemplation to make this shape more meaningful in your practice.
So much love,
Andrea Dawn
