Beginner Yoga • Yoga • Yoga Pose
March 14, 2023
It’s 9pm, you’re already in bed, and your back is doing that thing again. The tight, achy, “I sat at a desk all day” thing. You don’t want to get up to put on Icy Hot (and smell like menthol all night), and you don’t want to spend half an hour stretching on the floor. You just want to feel better and fall asleep. Good news, supine twist is one of the few yoga poses you can actually do in bed.
Lie on your back, bring your knees to one side, breathe. That’s it! A restorative pose, gentle, and safe for almost every spine condition because it’s a closed-chain stretch.
It’s just as effective on the floor or on a yoga mat, with 9 variations for tight backs, sore hips, stiff shoulders, and any leg-length situation you might have.
Keep reading to learn how to set up supine twist (in bed or on the floor), 9 variations to find your personal fave, prop tips and tricks to make it feel like a dream, and an anatomy breakdown for the curious (and for yoga teachers who need a quick reference)
Watch the video for added cues, then explore the pose for yourself and discover new ways to feel the magic of the pose.
This is where I like to set some ground rules. I like to list the contraindications, or the reasons why, you shouldn’t do the pose. But supine twist is generally safe for almost everyone (I say ‘almost’ cause there’s always someone out there that’s the exception to the rule and can’t reach rainbow unicorn status in this pose).
So WHY should you do supine twist?
Why you shouldn’t do supine twist
The journey into and out of supine twist is almost the same, no matter what variation you take. There is so much freedom and ability to change this pose to fit you, but it’s a pose that stands on its own, which makes it difficult to incorporate in a “flow.”
Want the same-old-story version of supine lord of the fishes? (yes, that is the English translation) In this section, I keep the description as close to traditional as possible. You may still feel the wonder and awe with this variation, but if you’re ready to explore your options, skip down here.
** Reading Break ** This blog post DOES contain affiliate links of related products I love and they might even be pictured. If you click on a link and purchase a product (or service) it costs you nothing, you MIGHT even get a discount, and I MAY even receive a SMALL commission. This helps me to buy and drink coffee ☕️ in order to keep me awake and provide you with amazing free content 💗 Thank You for supporting my content 💋
You know those moments when you’re given an assignment and told to do it in a precise way? You start out feeling clumsy, like a fish out of water. Then a voice in the back of your head says, “there’s gotta be another way to do this. What if I did it like THIS instead?” And the next thing you know, you’ve morphed from a floppy fish on land to a glowing unicorn flying.
Supine twist is one of those poses. The traditional way is fine. But it could feel spectacular. Try one variation, try them all, try them in combination, then make your own.
Reason: You want to add a stretch to the pectoralis muscles (major and/or minor).
How to do it:
Note:
Reason: You like tradition or want to deepen the stretch into the pectoralis major muscle.
How to do it:
Note:
Reason: You want to add a stretch into your lats, or your pectoralis muscles are tight.
How to do it:
Note:
Reason: You don’t want to stretch the arm, shoulder, or lats or have an injury.
How to do it:
You can do cactus, T, or arm alongside the ear with both arms in this pose. If you want to add to your twist try the version below.
Reason: You want to add a little help to your twist
How to do it:
Reason: You want a deeper twist, or have a leg injury that makes it difficult to bend a knee.
How to do it:
Reason: You want to stretch into other parts of your hips and legs
How to do it:
Tip: Switch the cross of the legs and try the twist in both directions.
Reason: You want to move the stretch into the hip and the hamstring.
How to do it:
Reason: You want to change where you feel the stretch in the back
How to do it:
This supine lord of the fishes pose shouldn’t leave you feeling like a fish out of water. If the pose is uncomfortable or awkward here are a few ways to indulge and feel like you’re at the spa. Try them individually or in combination to make the experience more heavenly.
Reason: Your hips feel uncomfortable with your knees together
How to do it:
Reason: You feel uncomfortable and unable to relax in the twist, or your knees won’t make it to the floor
How to do it:
Supine twist is a restorative posture. If you’re a Limber-Laura (yup just made that up) you may not notice much as you explore this pose. With sensation intense or mild, here is what you’ll most likely experience.
Ready to come back to reality? If you’re waking out of your dreamy state in supine twist and want to know exactly what you were experiencing, this section is here to help you understand the anatomy of the pose.
This is a passive stretch, and unless you have to strain to put yourself into a specific position of this pose, no muscles should be engaged.
As you saw above there are a variety of variations of this pose. For the purposes of this section, we’ll stick to the traditional.
Did you reach rainbow flying unicorn status through your exploration of Supta Matsyendrasana? I hope you did! And if you didn’t, I hope you found more comfort than the supine-half-lord-of-the-fishes name suggests. If you’re not done wondering through this pose or any others, sign up for my newsletter for more tips and tricks in your adventures through asana and yoga off the mat.
Sign up for my newsletter and get my 1 min checklist to reduce stress, anxiety, and pain + guided audio.
Privacy is important. I won’t sell your info. I promise.
If supine twist is your kind of restorative practice, you’ll probably love Yoga Nidra Made Easy. Yoga nidra (yogic sleep) is a guided meditation practice that pairs beautifully with supine twist, and you can do both right from your bed.
And if you’re looking for another gentle rest pose that works for nearly every body, check out Child’s Pose Made Easy. Between supine twist, yoga nidra, and child’s pose, you’ll have a complete restorative toolkit for tight bodies and busy brains.
