Bharadvaja's & Half Lord-of-the-Fishes Twists · Bharadvajasana · Ardha Matsyendrasana

Bharadvajasana · Ardha Matsyendrasana · 바라드바자사나 · 아르다 마첸드라사나

Intermediate Series · Nadi Shodhana (Nerve Cleansing) — Leg-Behind-Head & Arm Balances

Breath: 5×2 · Drishti (gaze): side

Bharadvajasana twists over one leg folded back and one in half lotus; ardha matsyendrasana hooks the arm outside an upright knee. Both fix the pelvis, lengthen on the inhale, and revolve from the belly on the exhale — returning the spine to neutral after the backbends.

Alignment

Hands — one hand behind the back to the lotus foot (or far thigh), the other sliding under the far knee
Feet — one folded beside the hip, one in half lotus (stepped upright in Ardha Matsyendrasana)
Knees — both knees (or sit bones) staying grounded
Gaze — over the shoulder, turning only after the spine is tall

Entering the pose

Set the leg shape, fix the pelvis
Inhale, grow tall through the spine
Exhale, twist from the belly upward

Common mistakes

Only whipping the head around
The pelvis following, dissolving the twist

Modifications & props

If Bharadvajasana's half lotus is too much, folding both legs to the side leaves the rotational task unchanged.
In Ardha Matsyendrasana, when the elbow can't cross the knee, hug the knee and turn — the crossing is merely a matter of degrees.
In either pose, one blanket under a lifting sit bone rights the axis of the twist.

Benefits

Widens spinal rotation in both directions
Releases tension through back and shoulders
Enlivens digestion and circulation

Role in the sequence

The twisting pair that returns the spine to neutral between the backbends and the arm balances. Same family as Primary's Marichyasana twists, but with more intricate leg arrangements — one folded, one in half lotus, or stepped across — demanding rotation over a more precisely pinned pelvis. These two quiet poses, set between violent chapters, tune the series' rhythm.

Practice notes

Bharadvaja is a Vedic sage and Matsyendra refers to Matsyendranath, the legendary teacher of hatha yoga. It is worth noticing that both names belong to people: in the Indian tradition, naming a posture after a person honours the one said to have first perfected it.

Both are twists, but the legs differ. Bharadvajasana folds one leg to the side and takes the other into lotus before rotating; Ardha Matsyendrasana stands one foot outside the opposite thigh and turns from there. The seated twist is being repeated in two different constructions in this stretch of the series.

The most important thing in any twist is a level seat. When the hip on the turning side lifts, the rotation leaks into the pelvis and the spine barely turns. Slide a blanket under the hip that floats so both sitting bones press the floor at the same height, and the rotation moves into the thoracic spine immediately.

Two checks: are you keeping the order — inhale to lengthen, exhale to turn — and is the chin turning ahead of the shoulders so that only the neck twists? Fill five breaths on each side, and resist the habit of stealing one more degree of rotation on the last one.

Blanket under a floating pelvis; deepen only on the exhale.

Written by Choi Seongjin — 20 years of Ashtanga practice, currently teaching three classes a week. Last updated: 2026-09-05.

This guide is for general information and is not medical advice. If you are pregnant, injured, or have a medical condition, consult a qualified teacher or physician before practising. Disclaimer & Legal Notice

Other poses in this sequence

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