Half Lord of the Fishes Pose anatomy
Half Lord of the Fishes Pose · Ardha Matsyendrasana · Tư thế vặn cột sống ngồi
Half Lord of the Fishes Pose mainly works external oblique (left), internal oblique (right), multifidus (left), erector spinae; it stretches gluteus maximus (right), gluteus medius (right), tensor fasciae latae (right), quadriceps (left); transversus abdominis, triceps brachii stabilize.
Opening the 3D model…
Seated, plant one foot outside the opposite knee with the bottom leg folded on the floor. Twist toward the raised knee, brace the opposite elbow against its outer side, and place the other hand on the floor behind you. The obliques and deep back muscles rotate the spine while the outer hip of the raised leg lengthens.
Muscles in this pose
Working (contracting): External oblique (left), Internal oblique (right), Multifidus (left), Erector spinae
Stretching: Gluteus maximus (right), Gluteus medius (right), Tensor fasciae latae (right), Quadriceps (left), External oblique (right), Internal oblique (left)
Stabilizing: Transversus abdominis, Triceps brachii
Why these muscles work or stretch
- External oblique · Working (contracting): The opposite-side external oblique and same-side internal oblique turn the chest toward the twist
- Multifidus · Working (contracting): Multifidus rotates the vertebrae toward the opposite side
- Erector spinae · Working (contracting): Keeps the spine long, without rounding in the twist
- Gluteus maximus · Stretching: The raised knee draws toward the opposite side of the chest
- Tensor fasciae latae · Stretching: The hip adducts across the midline
- Quadriceps · Stretching: Bottom knee deeply bent
- Triceps brachii · Stabilizing: Back arm presses the floor; front elbow braces against the knee
Practice cues
- Sit evenly on both sitting bones
- Inhale to lengthen the spine; exhale to twist a little more
- Start the twist from the belly; turn the neck last
Benefits
- Improves spinal rotation
- Builds endurance in the obliques and deep back muscles
- Stretches the outer hip of the raised leg
- Trains keeping the spine long while twisting
Cautions / contraindications
- Avoid with a disc herniation or acute low back pain
- Avoid after recent abdominal or spinal surgery
- Avoid deep twists in pregnancy; twist gently without squeezing the belly
- Take care with knee pain; extend the bottom leg
Easier variations
- Sit on a folded blanket and keep the bottom leg straight
- Hug the raised knee instead of bracing the elbow outside it
General information, not a substitute for advice from a doctor or teacher.
Written and reviewed by Yoga An Viên center · Updated 18/10/2026
How to practice this pose (YogaWay, in Vietnamese)
Related poses
- Bharadvaja's Twist Bharadvajasana I
- Seated Easy Twist Parivrtta Sukhasana
- Marichi’s Pose III (Seated Twist) Marichyasana III
- Revolved Triangle Pose Parivrtta Trikonasana
- Revolved High Lunge (Revolved Crescent Lunge) Parivrtta Ashta Chandrasana
- Revolved Chair Pose Parivrtta Utkatasana
A free community project by Yoga An Viên center · Model: Z-Anatomy (CC BY-SA 4.0), based on BodyParts3D © DBCLS (CC BY-SA 2.1 JP)