Butterfly Yogi: Teaching Ardha Matsyendrasana

Teaching an asana (physical posture) for a large group of people might not be that easy in some cases, especially if the students are learning it for the first time and the posture involves proper positioning and alignment of trunk, lower and upper limbs such as in Ardha Matsyendrasana.

In class, during the 1 Month Teacher’s Training Course the teacher trainees need not only learn how to perform the asanas properly but also develop the general skills of teaching them.

To make it easier for the student and teacher, two basic steps should be followed while teaching an asana. I’d like to highlight them before showing you an appropriate sequence of movements for properly performing Ardha Matsyendrasa:

First – make sure the students get the right initial position before instructing them to perform the asana. Second – coach them in a way that all of them will do it together, step by step, moving and twisting to the same side, till they reach the final position. In this way their will be no confusion regarding to your instructions and what they are actually performing as a group.

Of course, being able to demonstrate what they are supposed to be performing is desirable but the most important is actually coaching them with precise instructions.

Following are the directions for properly coaching Ardha Matsyendrasana:

1 – For getting to the initial position tell the students to sit upright with both legs fully stretched in front. They can use both arms to help keeping the back straight.

2 – Now tell them to fold the right leg under the left one, placing the right hill by the side of the left hip. (Make sure every one is doing it to the same side). Then crossing the left leg over the right one they must place the left foot with sole flat on the floor locking the left ankle with the right knee.

3 – From now there are several significant points that must be observed before actually coming into the final position. A) It’s important to stress that the twist (as the left leg is on the top) must be done to the left side; B) Thus, the left arm should be placed behind the back, near the body, with palm of the hand flat on the floor and fingers point outwards. Elbows locked straight. In this way the tendency to lean backward may be prevented. C) Tell them to take their time to adjust the body upright, making sure there is space enough for the twist in between the left ribcage and the left tight. Also tell them to make sure the outside of the right leg and both buttocks are placed flat on the floor as much as possible to their capacity.

4 – Now they are right for the final twist. Tell them to inhale first (they may raise the right arm to facilitate inhalation). Then, while exhaling, tell them to start twisting the trunk to the left side. Using the right upper arm as a lever (placing it at the outside of the left leg near the knee) they can accentuate the twist to their capacity. Head should be also turned to the left.

5 – For the ones which are more flexible, the final position might be achieved by completely extending the right arm around the left leg, catching hold of the left foot with the index and middle fingers. Then, the left arm goes around the back reaching to the right tight. Maintain posture with normal breathing. This is the final position of Ardha Matsyendrasana (The ones less flexible should maintain the posture as in step 4).

6 – Now releasing the right arm and twisting the trunk back to front should be done while inhaling. Obviously instruct them to perform the same, paying attention to the proper positioning of the limbs, but now twisting to the opposite side. Make sure to make them perform step by step as described above.