Yoga for cyclists: Half lord of the fishes pose by Total Women’s Cycling a Road Cycling video by Total Women’s Cycling
The Half Lord of the Fishes pose helps release the tension that can accumulate in the shoulders and neck while on the bike. It also provides an energising twist to the spine and stretches the hips and outer thighs.
How to do the pose:
- Begin with the legs straight out in front of you, spine long.
- Bend up the right leg taking it over the left leg.
- Lean onto your left sitting bone and swing the left foot towards the outer right hip.
- Release both sitting bones down to the floor and lengthen the spine.
- Take the right hand to the floor behind you, fingertips pointing away.
- Wrap the left elbow around the right knee.
- Take an inhalation as you lift the chest and lengthen the spine.
- Start to turn the belly, ribs and chest and shoulders to the right, turning the head last of all.
- Draw the knee towards the armpit and the armpit towards the knee.
- Stay here for up to 10 breaths then slowly release and repeat on the other side.
Variations:
- To get a deeper twist take the left upper arm to the outside of the knee.
- Press the arm into the knee and the knee back into the arm.
- If you canʼt bend the bottom leg up comfortably keep the leg straight and continue the pose from there.
What to watch out for:
- Try to settle both sitting bones down to the floor evenly.
- Keep the spine long – avoid collapsing in the lower back.
- Twist from just below the navel.
- It’s sometimes hard to breath in this position – try taking the breath into your back ribs.
Precautions:
- Be really careful of knees in this position. Donʼt force anything and if you feel any pain in the knee joints then release off straight away.
- If pregnant twist the opposite way to keep the abdomen open.
Our instructor is Polly Clark; yoga teacher and founder of Mountain Yoga Breaks who offer weekends combining mountain biking and yoga in the beautiful Welsh countryside.
