Fish Pose (Matsyasana): Steps, Benefits & How To Do It

Matsyasana, or Fish Pose, is a supine backbend where you lie on your back, tuck the hands under the hips, then lift the chest and arch the upper back so the crown of the head rests lightly on the floor. It opens the chest and throat, stretches the front of the neck, and encourages deep breathing. Practised gently here at Anand Yoga Centre, women-first, in Kolathur.

How to do it

How to do Fish Pose, step by step

1
Lie on your back
Lie on your back with the legs extended and the hands tucked under the hips, palms down.
↓ Exhale
2
Prop on the elbows
Press into the forearms and elbows to lift the chest up and open.
↑ Inhale
3
Arch and rest the crown
Gently arch the upper back so the crown of the head rests lightly on the floor, the throat softly stretched.
↑ Inhale
4
Hold and release
Breathe softly into the open chest, then lift the head and lower the back down to release.
• Hold

The breath leads the movement: inhale as you open and lift, exhale as you fold and lower. One full round repeats the sequence leading with the other leg.

Benefits

What Fish Pose is good for

✓Opens the chest and the front of the throat
✓Stretches the neck, shoulders and upper back
✓Encourages fuller, deeper breathing as the rib cage expands
✓Helps relieve tension built up from rounded, forward posture
✓Acts as a gentle counter-pose to Shoulderstand and Plough

What it works

Muscles and chakrasbody and energy

Muscles worked

Sternocleidomastoid (front of neck)
Pectoralis major
Intercostals (rib muscles)
Erector spinae
Rectus abdominis
Hip flexors

Brighter violet marks the muscles this pose works most.

Chakras activated

ThroatVishuddha
HeartAnahata

These are traditional energetic associations, not medical claims.

Stay safe

Who should take care

Avoid with neck or cervical-spine injury, or recent neck strain
Skip if you have a migraine, or high or low blood pressure
Take care with lower-back issues; keep the legs bent and supported

This is general guidance, not medical advice. If in doubt, check with your doctor.

Keep going

Related poses

Shoulderstand Bridge Camel

Learn this at Anand Yoga Centre

Practise it properly with Sailaja, who adjusts each person in a small women-only class in Kolathur.

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Reviewed by Sailaja Anand, yoga instructor at Anand Yoga Centre. Last updated 2026-06-14.

Questions

Fish Pose: common questions

Why is Matsyasana called Fish Pose?

The name comes from the Sanskrit word matsya, meaning fish. The arched, buoyant shape of the chest is said to help the body float easily in water, like a fish, which is how the pose earned its name.

Is Fish Pose a counter-pose to Shoulderstand?

Yes. Fish Pose is a classic counter-pose to Shoulderstand (Sarvangasana) and Plough (Halasana). Where those poses round the neck forward, Fish Pose gently opens the throat and front of the neck in the opposite direction.

How much weight should rest on my head in Fish Pose?

Very little. Press the forearms and elbows firmly into the floor so they carry most of the weight, and let the crown of the head only touch lightly. This keeps the neck safe and comfortable.

Can beginners do Matsyasana?

Yes, with support. A bolster placed under the upper back and head gives a gentle, restful version that opens the chest without straining the neck. Build up to the classic pose with an instructor's guidance.

Which chakra does Fish Pose work with?

Fish Pose is often associated with the throat chakra (Vishuddha) because it opens the front of the throat, along with the heart chakra as the chest lifts. We frame this as a focus point, not a health claim.

Fish PoseMatsyasana