1. Lord of the Fishes
The yoga half spinal twist pose, or the half lord of the fishes pose, has many benefits in addition to stretching the spine, hips, shoulders and neck. The pose massages the organs, stimulating the liver and kidneys, aiding digestion and easing the pain of menstruation and sciatica. Additionally, it is thought that this pose helps to reduce the symptoms of asthma and stimulates appetite.
2. Practice Makes Perfect
To perform the pose, sit with a folded blanket under your buttocks with your legs extended. Bend the knees, placing your feet flat on the ground and then rest the left foot on the outside of your right hip, allowing the leg to drop to the floor. Pick up your right foot and cross it over the left leg so that the foot is flat on the floor beside your outer left hip with the knee pointing towards the sky. Inhale, lifting through the spine and place your right hand on the floor behind your right hip. Exhale and gently twist towards the right leg, resting your left arm on the outer right leg, pulling your upper body forward towards your right thigh. Make sure that the right foot and both hips remain on the floor as you turn your head with the twist and hold for 5 deep breaths, moving a bit further into the twist with each exhalation. When ready, exhale and return to center, releasing your legs and repeating on the opposite side.
3. Tips for the Twist
If you find it difficult to keep your foot and hips on the ground or experience discomfort, start with a modified version of the pose to protect your back. If necessary, double your blanket once more, as lifting the hips can help you enter the twist. Additionally, you can simply wrap your arm around the uplifted knee instead of stressing as you try to stretch the back of the arm in place. Remember that a straight spine and relaxed body is more important than rushing into the full pose.
4. Pose With Props
To perfect your posture and reduce tension during the twist, try sitting with your back about one foot away from a wall and placing your back hand on a yoga block, pushing into the block to help keep the spine tall and lifted. As you twist into the pose, extend your front arm and push against the wall instead of holding the uplifted knee.
5. Moving Forward
As you perfect the pose, you can get a deeper stretch by extending your front arm and slipping your fingers behind the knee of the leg which is resting on the floor. If you can manage to hold your spine straight, wrap your back arm behind your body and hold onto the side of your body or your upper thigh.
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