The Mysteries of Marichyasana

My journey with this posture began even before I knew what it was called. I began my yoga journey as a self-taught home-practitioner & I actually heard about Marichyasana only during my Teacher Training Course. I didn’t know it was called that, but I used to practice it in my mostly-mindless and amateur Vinyasa flow sequences! Few weeks into the TTC, I came across the Ashtanga Method and the Primary Series; it blew my mind. I will write a separate article about that, but let's take a look at Marichyasana in this one.

The Name of the asana

Named after the great Sage / Rishi, Marichi whose name means ‘Ray of Light’, who is one of the Seven Sons of Lord Brahma(creator of the universe). These sons were born from Brahma’s mind. Marichi symbolises power, wisdom and the force of cosmic creation. Marichi was a great sage, scholar and a leader. Marichi’s great-grandson is Manu, meaning ‘the ability to think’ / ‘intelligence’, the father of Man. The Asana is hence named after Rishi Marichi.

The Posture

Marichyasana has 8 variations of which the first 4 variations (A,B,C&D) are in the Ashtanga Primary Series.

The Marichysana sequence is a hip opening sequence with a combination of deep forward folds & deep twists.

Each variation builds up into the next one in increasing level of complexity.

There is an opposing combination of intense movements & alignments.

The external & internal rotation of the hips, bending of the knees, use of ankle flexibility, shoulder & wrist rotation.

What is happening in the sequence –

1. Detoxification & Strengthening: The sequence is powerful and works up quite a sweat. Sweating is great because that is how our body eliminates toxins. The deep twisting and forward folds wring the abdomen like a towel to squeeze out any toxins. Adding the jump-backs & jump-throughs in the vinyasa between each side of each variation helps improve joint mobility, core & upper body strength.

2. Channeling the breath & the mind: Not only are the asanas and the sequence physically challenging, they also challenge the mind. Deep forward bends and twists are where you Exhale. Exhalations help us eliminate carbon-dioxide & also teach us to ‘Let Go’. Holding each asana for 5 rounds of breathing can be quite challenging as the deep twists & forward bends make it difficult to breathe in. However, making an effort to continue breathing and guiding the breath into spaces of discomfort stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system. Overcoming this challenge in our practice teaches us to stay calm in a stressful situation in real life.

3. Innovation: The sweat makes the practice slippery sometimes; the sweating will not stop even if you wipe it off. As a result, you are forced to improvise, innovate / use a little help in holds and transitions. The key is to just not give up! (see video for Marichyasana.

I've included a snippet of each variation of Marichyasana (A,B,C&D) from my personal practice at the bottom of this article for reference.

De-mystifying Marichyasana

Focusing on the breath: The breath always comes before the asana. The 'full posture' should not be performed at the cost of the breath. I do not increase the level of complexity or the depth of the posture until I can breathe without much effort in the level that I am currently at. One breath at a time always.

Eg: Not moving into Marichyasana B if you are unable to breathe in Marichyasana A. Or not going deeper into the posture/bind in Marichyasana A until you are able to breath properly in the forward bend.

Slowing down: Slowing down the movement & breath, by making micro movements & intentionally increasing the duration of every inhale and exhale helps. It makes me feel like time has slowed down and I have more time to explore the posture.

Eg: Wiggle your hands and fingers while reaching for the bind; even if you are unable to touch the fingers together or bind completely, make your way there slowly

Explore: Slowing down the breath & movement gives me more time to explore the various sensations in my breath and my body as I make micro movements, just exploring the physical and breathing space. At the end of the it, you want find comfort in the posture – Sthiram Sukham Asanam

Life Lessons from Marichyasana

As adults we are so used to being told what to do at our jobs / in our lives in general. Incorporating attitudes like curiousity in my practice helps me get in touch with my curious side in real life. Unlike curious children asking questions, we forget that there is so much to learn just about ourselves and the world around us. Slowing down & taking time to explore a yoga posture shows me that there can be complexity in simplicity and yet what may appear complex can be actually simplified if you just put your mind to it.

This is how Yoga helps our brain choose a more solution-oriented approach even in our daily lives. Finding comfort in a difficult asana is similar to finding comfort in ‘sticky situations’ in our daily lives too. It builds mental strength, endurance and determination that will help you get through a rough patch and emerge stronger.

The Marichyasana sequence leads into 5 rounds of Navasana / Boat Pose that is way more demanding and a separate discussion by itself!

When you can get through one tough situation in your life, consider it as a preparation for a tougher one to come; something you will look back on perhaps 5 years from now to realize how far you've come and how this isn't as hard now as it was back then.

While I am a Hatha Yoga Teacher, I am only sharing my experience from my personal practice on my journey with Ashtanga Vinyasa. I had been longing to share raw snippets from my practice & pen down my experience to share it with whoever may benefit in whatsoever way. If you found this helpful, I’d be happy to hear from you about your journey! Happy Practicing.

The full sequence is up on my YouTube Channel