Why is Fish Pose done after shoulder stand?

Supported Shoulder Stand and Plow Pose hold the neck bent forward with the chin pressed toward the chest. Fish Pose takes the neck and upper back into the opposite direction, which is why it is the traditional counterpose. It is just as useful on its own.

How much weight should go on my head?

Very little. The forearms and elbows should carry the lift while the crown of the head only touches the floor. If you could not raise your head slightly without your chest dropping, too much weight is on it.

What if my head does not reach the floor comfortably?

Rest the back of your head on the floor, or place a block or folded blanket under it, rather than forcing the head further back. You can also lie back over a block under the shoulder blades so the props support the arch.

How long should I hold Fish Pose?

Start with 15 to 30 seconds, or a few slow breaths, and build toward a minute as your neck and upper back adapt. The supported version over a block or bolster can be held for several minutes because the props take the weight.

Can Fish Pose help with rounded shoulders from sitting?

It can help as part of a routine, because it stretches the chest and front of the shoulders and moves the upper back out of the slumped position desk work encourages. A short hold will not change posture on its own, so pair it with upper back strengthening such as rows.

Can I do Fish Pose with my legs crossed?

Yes. The traditional form places the legs in Lotus Pose, while the straight-leg version shown here is the more accessible form most classes teach.

Fish Pose

What Is the Fish Pose?

Fish Pose is a compound exercise that primarily targets the chest and also engages the abdominals, the front of the neck, and the upper back. It is a beginner-level yoga backbend performed lying face up, with the legs straight on the floor, the forearms pressing down beside the body, the chest lifted toward the ceiling, and the crown of the head resting lightly on the floor.

Known in Sanskrit as Matsyasana, the pose opens the whole front of the body: the chest, the front of the shoulders, the spaces between the ribs, the abdomen, and the throat. In hatha yoga it is traditionally practiced straight after Supported Shoulder Stand and Plow Pose, because those poses hold the neck bent forward with the chin toward the chest, and Fish Pose takes the neck and upper back the opposite way. It also works well on its own, in a yoga flow or at the end of a session as a cooldown.

Most of the effect is a stretch. As the breastbone lifts and the shoulder blades draw together, the pectorals and the muscles between the ribs lengthen, the abdominals stretch along the arch, and the front of the neck lengthens as the head tips back. Meanwhile the muscles of the upper back hold the arch, and the forearms and elbows carry most of the lift. Bending the knees with the feet flat makes the pose easier on the lower back, and lying back over a block or bolster turns it into a passive, supported chest opener. The traditional form crosses the legs in Lotus Pose, and lifting the straight legs a few inches off the floor adds abdominal and hip flexor work.

Fish Pose suits anyone who spends long hours sitting with rounded shoulders and a forward head, since it moves the chest and upper back in the opposite direction, and it is a gentle first backbend before deeper ones such as Camel Pose and Wheel Pose. If lifting the chest feels like a strain, start with Sphinx Pose and Bridge Pose, or the supported version over a block. The skill to learn is lifting from the breastbone and upper back while the forearms press down, so the head only touches the floor rather than holding you up.

Muscles Worked

MuscleActivation

Pectoralis Major: Primary
Erector Spinae: High
Rectus Abdominis: High
Sternocleidomastoid: High
External Oblique: Medium
Lower Trapezius: Medium
Rhomboid Major: Medium
Serratus Anterior: Medium
Upper Trapezius: Medium
Deltoid: Low

Instructions

Lie on your back on a mat with your legs straight and together and your arms along your sides.
Lift your hips slightly, slide your hands palms down under your buttocks, and lower your hips back onto them.
Draw your elbows in close to your sides so your forearms lie flat on the floor.
Press your forearms and elbows firmly into the floor and, as you inhale, lift your chest and upper back off the mat.
Draw your shoulder blades down and together and lift through the breastbone so your chest rises toward the ceiling.
Tip your head back and lower it until the crown of your head lightly touches the floor, keeping most of your weight in your forearms.
Keep your legs straight and resting on the floor, with your thighs gently engaged and your feet relaxed.
Breathe slowly into your chest and hold for 15 to 30 seconds.
To come out, press into your forearms, lift your head slightly and tuck your chin, then lower your back and head to the floor and release your arms.

Common Mistakes

Resting weight on the head
Letting the chest sink until the head holds up the body compresses the neck instead of opening the chest, so keep pressing the forearms down.
Arching from the lower back
Pushing the belly toward the ceiling instead of lifting the breastbone moves the bend into the lumbar spine and leaves the upper back stiff.
Shrugging the shoulders
Letting the shoulders creep toward the ears tightens the neck, so draw the shoulder blades down and together.
Elbows flaring out
When the elbows drift away from the sides, the forearms cannot support the lift and more weight drops onto the head.
Turning the head in the pose
Rolling or adjusting the head while the neck is extended and loaded strains it, so come out first and then reposition.
Collapsing out of the pose
Dropping the chest without first lifting the head and tucking the chin jars the neck on the way down.

Injuries

Fish Pose is a low risk exercise when performed with proper technique. The main strain point is the neck: the head tips back into full extension, and if the forearms stop pressing, the chest sinks and body weight settles onto the crown of the head, compressing the cervical spine. The lower back can also feel pinched when the arch comes from pushing the belly up rather than lifting the chest.

Keep most of your weight in the forearms and elbows, with the head only lightly touching the floor, and lift from the breastbone so the bend stays in the upper back. If the crown of the head cannot reach the floor without strain, rest the back of the head on the floor or on a folded blanket instead. Come out by pressing into the forearms, lifting the head slightly and tucking the chin before lowering the back, rather than sliding the head along the floor.

To make the pose easier, bend the knees with the feet flat, or lie back over a block or bolster placed under the shoulder blades with the head supported, so the props carry the weight. Sphinx Pose and Bridge Pose are gentler ways to build the same upper back extension. To progress, hold the pose a little longer as the neck and upper back adapt, then move on to deeper backbends such as Camel Pose.

Stop and come out if you feel sharp neck pain, pain or tingling running into the arms, dizziness, blurred vision, or a headache. Anyone with a neck injury, a cervical disc problem, or dizziness when the head tips back should use the fully supported version with the head on a block, or check with a health professional before practicing the pose.

Overview

Primary Focus: Chest
Equipment: Body weight
Modality: Yoga
Difficulty: Beginner

Alternative Exercises

Other Names for the Fish Pose

The Fish Pose is also known as:

Matsyasana

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Why is Fish Pose done after shoulder stand?: Supported Shoulder Stand and Plow Pose hold the neck bent forward with the chin pressed toward the chest. Fish Pose takes the neck and upper back into the opposite direction, which is why it is the traditional counterpose. It is just as useful on its own.
Q: How much weight should go on my head?: Very little. The forearms and elbows should carry the lift while the crown of the head only touches the floor. If you could not raise your head slightly without your chest dropping, too much weight is on it.
Q: What if my head does not reach the floor comfortably?: Rest the back of your head on the floor, or place a block or folded blanket under it, rather than forcing the head further back. You can also lie back over a block under the shoulder blades so the props support the arch.
Q: How long should I hold Fish Pose?: Start with 15 to 30 seconds, or a few slow breaths, and build toward a minute as your neck and upper back adapt. The supported version over a block or bolster can be held for several minutes because the props take the weight.
Q: Can Fish Pose help with rounded shoulders from sitting?: It can help as part of a routine, because it stretches the chest and front of the shoulders and moves the upper back out of the slumped position desk work encourages. A short hold will not change posture on its own, so pair it with upper back strengthening such as rows.
Q: Can I do Fish Pose with my legs crossed?: Yes. The traditional form places the legs in Lotus Pose, while the straight-leg version shown here is the more accessible form most classes teach.