Supported Fish - Foam Roller Variation

One of my favorite ways to do supported fish is with a foam roller.  The curve of the roller nicely extends the spine, and the roundness of the roller can feel more comfortable to lie on versus the flat side and edges of a block.  For my own practice, I prefer a 6 inch in diameter foam roller like this one, but if your upper spine has a lot of resistance, start out with a thinner foam roller like this or a half foam roller like this.

The big advantage of using a foam roller for supported fish is that you can open and release the upper back with foam roller crunches, which not only work the core, but also provide a really nice massage for the upper spine.

Foam Roller Crunches

Starting position of foam roller crunches with spine in
extension. Your head does not have to hit the floor, just
let your spine extend as much as it is ready to do comfortably.

Place the foam roller on your mat perpendicular to your spine.  Lie down on the roller; the contact point of the roller should be just below the bottom tips of your shoulder blades.  You do not have to lie all the way down with your head on the floor at this point.  Extend your legs straight forward and let them rest on the floor.  Interlace your fingers behind the base of your skull with elbows pointing out away from the ears.  Make sure to not pull on your head and neck, just support the head with the hands.

At the top of the crunch, stop with your spine neutral as shown
 here, rather than continuing to a fully crunched position

On an exhale, engage the core to lift up and bring your spine to its neutral position; do not go all the way into a full crunch position with a rounded spine, just stop when the spine is in its neutral curves.  On an inhale, lower down as far as you are comfortable to extend the spine.  Your head may reach the floor or it may not, only go to the point where your shoulders, neck and upper back are comfortable.  Repeat the crunches anywhere from 10-30 repetitions.  Make sure you do these on a slow tempo of full inhales and exhales rather than racing through them quickly.

Make sure not to pull on your head and neck as shown here.
Allow your head to settle back into the hands and keep the
back of the neck long..  Think of keeping a fist distance
between your chin and chest.

As your rock up and down, you will notice your foam roller (if you're not using the half size roller) rolling slightly up and down your spine; this is the nice back massage that a foam roller can provide!  Also, you may notice that each time you inhale and bring your spine into extension, it goes a little tiny bit farther, bringing your head gradually closer to the floor.  The crunches are a nice way to "ease" your spine into extension, so that when you finally release into supported fish, your spine is ready to do so and has less resistance.

Foam Roller Supported Fish

Come to rest in supported fish over the foam roller.

If your head does not reach the floor, your spine is
uncomfortable, or your neck is strained, try supporting the
head with a block or blanket.

Once you have completed the roam roller crunches, your can allow the muscles to relax into supported fish on the roller.  Your head should now comfortably rest on the floor, or place another prop under your head, such as a block, towel or blanket.  Extend your arms straight out from the shoulders, palms facing up and rest in this posture for anywhere from 10 breaths to 5 minutes!

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For more details and variations on supported fish, check out my posts Everybody needs this posture, Everybody needs this posture, continued, Supported Fish Arm Variations, and Supported Fish Leg Variations.