From fighting fatigue to toning glutes, here are 6 benefits of matsyasana that Malaika has recently posted about

The yogini of Bollywood, who recently fought coronavirus and came out of it stronger, is ruling our hearts yet again! Yes, you guessed it right, we are talking about Malaika Arora. She is one celebrity, who never fails to amaze her audience, fans and followers, not only with her acting and dance moves, but also her relentless dedication for yoga and fitness in general. 

And if you are someone who follows her, you might already know about the #MalaikasMoveOfTheWeek series. And this week, she put out a post about matsyasana or fish pose. Check it out here:

Here’s what her post says, “Let’s add some back bending to our yoga practice this week. From a chakra perspective, the pose for this has a lot of potential. Curious?” So, if you are curious enough, here’s how you can do this pose.

1. Start with lying down on your back with legs straight on the floor, and hands beside your thighs.
2. Keep your palms near the shoulders, with your fingers pointing towards the shoulders. 
3. Now while inhaling, press your palms on the floor, and lift your shoulders, head up and drop the top of the head on the floor.
4. Gently arch your back, and raise your hands up in namaskar mudra.
5. Then lift your both legs up, and maintain 45 degrees from the ground.
6. Hold this posture for about 10 seconds and then release.

However, Malaika warns, “Avoid this pose if you have a neck or back injury, or even if you suffer from a headache.”

She also boasts about the benefits of this pose, saying, “From stretching the chest, abs, hip flexors and neck to stimulating two important areas of the body — the throat chakra which relates to communication and self-expression, and second is the crown chakra, on the top of your head, which is tied to wisdom and knowledge.”

Here are 6 other mind-blowing benefits of the fish pose:

1. Benefits spine muscles

The backbend that you do in this pose helps in strengthening your spine, and back muscles. Moreover, it also provides stability and strengthens the abdominal muscles at the same time.

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2. Helps with thyroid

The neck curve and movement in this pose stimulates the thyroid gland, allowing it to release hormones. This further helps people suffering from a thyroid issue.

3. Tones glute muscles

When you elevate your hip in the air in this pose, your glute muscle gets into action and provides the extra stretch. Therefore, practicing this pose regularly will help to strengthen your lower body by toning your glutes.

4. Releases stress

Yoga is famous for all the mental health benefits it has to offer. Fish pose is one of the poses that can help you in releasing stress. This pose allows more oxygen to enter your body, which helps calm down your nerves thereby releasing stress.

5. Corrects the posture

We all have been working from home for almost a year now, and we know how sitting all day can not only wreck our posture, but can also give us an aching neck and shoulders. In this case, the matsyasana or fish pose can help you align the spine by relaxing the back.

6. Aids weight loss

When done properly and regularly, this pose can definitely help you lose weight! It also engages some of your major muscle groups such as the abdomen, glutes, hips, allowing you to shed some weight from these regions.