Marichyasana I Pose Step-By-Step
- Start by sitting in staff pose on your mat with your legs straight out in front of you.
- Bend your right knee to bring your foot towards your center.
- Let your knee fall to the right slightly so that you can bring your torso to the inside of your right leg.
- Reach your right arm forward as you bring your armpit to connect with your shin, keeping your right knee squeezed tightly against your side.
- Bend your right elbow to bring your right arm around your leg so that your hand moves to your lower back.
- Reach behind your back with your left arm and clasp your right wrist.
- Hinge at your hips as you reach your sternum forward, aiming to bring the crown of your head towards your toes.
Pose Dedicated to the Sage Marichi I Quick Look
Sanskrit Name: Marichyasana I
Pose Type: Binding Yoga Poses, Forward Bend Yoga Poses, Hip-Opening Yoga Poses, Seated Yoga Poses
Difficulty Level: Intermediate pose
Targets: Arms, shoulders, lower back, middle back, core, glutes, hips, psoas, hamstring
Benefits: This is a deep twist that encourages you to bring attention towards keeping your chest open while also stretching the hamstrings.
Preparatory Poses: Head-to-knee pose, seated forward fold pose
Notes
The Sage Marichi is one of the initial lords of creation, created by Brahma.
As a forward fold, Pose Dedicated to the Sage Marichi I relieves stress and calms the nervous system. When practicing this asana, focus on keeping your spine straight.
“Although this pose might feel uncomfortable when you first practice it, continue to work on opening your shoulders and hips and, eventually, you may even find that you start to like it,” says Yoga Answered contributor Keira Shepherd. “The important thing with this pose is to remember to breathe.”
Beginner’s Tip
If you feel like your hips are falling behind your sit bones as opposed to sitting on top of them, try bringing a folded blanket below the sit bones. This should create a gentle tilt in your pelvis and straighten your spine.
Contraindications
- Avoid this pose if you have any injury or pain in the shoulder or rotator cuff.
- Don’t practice this pose when pregnant as it creates pressure in the lower abdomen.
Variation
Practice a gentler version of this pose by simply drawing one knee towards the chest and holding this position to open the hips. When you feel ready, you can experiment with clasping the hands behind the back to open the chest.