The Counterpose for Life

Lessons from the mat…. 

The counterpose for LIFE…. Supported Fish….. 

Think about how we live our daily lives.  Shoulders hunched over, head down, shoulders and neck tense. Fast and hurried.  Just get me through this day as fast as possible so I can go to bed, get back up in the morning and do it all over again.  We don’t trust. We aren’t vulnerable. We don’t use our voice or advocate for ourselves, told to “keep quiet.” We protect and shield our hearts, fear of being hurt, damaged further. 

As a yoga teacher and a psychotherapist I have recognized that our practice on the mat often mirrors how we live. Think about your practice, if you have one.  Do you struggle with balance poses? How about balance in life? Do you get anger or frustrated if you have to sit still or are challenged? Do you give up and think you’re not good enough if a class or asana is to challenging or advanced for you? Do you show up in all power classes, pounding away on the mat, giving it 110% all the time, every time. Do you ever rest? Do you take it too easy on yourself and not challenge yourself, playing it “safe” time and time again, never taking risks?

The other day when teaching a class, I started to talk about the benefits of supported fish and it is a counterpose for “desk shoulders/text neck” when I stopped myself and said.. it’s actually a counterpose for life.  

What is a counterpose? Well the traditional definition is “ to place in opposition, contrast, or equilibrium.” We use counterposes in yoga to work muscles and connective tissues in the opposite way that we just did.  For example, Sphinx is a yin pose that works the lumbar spine and reinforces the curve there… a counterpose would be Child’s Pose where you work the lumbar spine in the opposite direction.  

Back to the counterpose for life… I’ve always been drawn to fish pose, or it’s Sanskrit name, Matsyasana. It’s a heart opener, it activates the throat chakra as well.  It’s very vulnerable laying there with our throat and heart exposed.  Physically, it allows to counteract the daily grind of life which includes sitting at a desk all day, and staring at electronic devices by working our thoracic spine {middle back}.  Energetically, as I mentioned, it allows us to trust ourselves and to be vulnerable, by opening our hearts, clearing our throats so that we can speak our truths.  Take a yin {softer, more relaxed}approach to this asana {pose} and find the stillness, the softness and your edge. Relax and breathe.  Be.  

Supported Fish Pose… the Counterpose to LIFE!