Matsyendrasana

Posture of Matsyendra. A seated spinal twist named after Matsyendranāth, founder of the Nāth tradition and teacher of Gorakṣanāth. The Haṭha Pradīpikā (1.26-27) states that it awakens kuṇḍalinī and purifies the nāḍīs. The Gheraṇḍa Saṃhitā includes it among the principal āsanas. Its intense twist compresses and stimulates the abdominal organs while irrigating the vertebral column. See kundalini and nadi.