Forward Bends
Marichyasana 5 (or E)
Another new addition to the Forward
Extensions section of the site:
Level: Intermediate
Marichi = one of the sons of Brahma, the creator.
This pose is also known as Marichyasana E in the Ashtanga Vinyasa system.
Level: Intermediate
Marichi = one of the sons of Brahma, the creator.
This pose is also known as Marichyasana E in the Ashtanga Vinyasa system.
Organizing the pose
• From Dandasana (Staff Pose)
draw the right leg back as if for Triang
Mukhaikapada Pashchimottanasana (Three Limbs
Facing Intense West Stretch Pose).
• Draw the left leg back, as for Marichyasana 1 (Marichi's Pose 1). Sit up on blankets or a block if necessary.
• Inhale and reach the left arm up, extending through the left side.
• Exhale, fold forward and wrap the left arm around the left shin and the right arm behind you. Clasp the left wrist in the right hand. Hold onto a belt if the hands do not reach.
• Inhale, draw the wrists down towards the floor and lift the sides of the trunk.
• Exhale and lengthen the trunk out over the right leg, bringing the chin towards the knee.
• Hold this position.
• Inhale and lift up out of the pose.
• Exhale and return to Dandasana (Staff Pose).
• Repeat on the second side.
• Draw the left leg back, as for Marichyasana 1 (Marichi's Pose 1). Sit up on blankets or a block if necessary.
• Inhale and reach the left arm up, extending through the left side.
• Exhale, fold forward and wrap the left arm around the left shin and the right arm behind you. Clasp the left wrist in the right hand. Hold onto a belt if the hands do not reach.
• Inhale, draw the wrists down towards the floor and lift the sides of the trunk.
• Exhale and lengthen the trunk out over the right leg, bringing the chin towards the knee.
• Hold this position.
• Inhale and lift up out of the pose.
• Exhale and return to Dandasana (Staff Pose).
• Repeat on the second side.
Practice Points
• Draw both inner thighs deeper into the body.
• Soften and broaden the hip creases.
• Soften the lower abdomen and move it deeper into the body. Lengthen the upper abdomen forward.
• Move the inner face of the sacrum back away from the pubic bone and soften the buttocks.
• Turn the pubic bone towards the raised knee and the navel back towards the mid-line of the body.
• Turn the sternum towards the pubic bone.
• Soften and broaden the hip creases.
• Soften the lower abdomen and move it deeper into the body. Lengthen the upper abdomen forward.
• Move the inner face of the sacrum back away from the pubic bone and soften the buttocks.
• Turn the pubic bone towards the raised knee and the navel back towards the mid-line of the body.
• Turn the sternum towards the pubic bone.
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Marichyasana 2 (or B)
Another new addition to the Forward
Extensions section of the site:
Level: Advanced
Marichi = one of the sons of Brahma, the creator.
This pose is also known as Marichyasana B in the Ashtanga Vinyasa system.
Level: Advanced
Marichi = one of the sons of Brahma, the creator.
This pose is also known as Marichyasana B in the Ashtanga Vinyasa system.
Organizing the pose
• From Dandasana (Staff Pose)
draw the right leg back into Ardha Padmasana (Half
Lotus Pose).
• Draw the left leg back, as for Marichyasana 1 (Marichi's Pose 1). Sit up on blankets if necessary.
• Inhale and reach the left arm up, extending through the left side.
• Exhale, fold forward and wrap the left arm around the left shin and the right arm behind you. Clasp the left wrist in the right hand. Hold onto a belt if the hands do not reach.
• Inhale, draw the wrists down towards the floor and lift the sides of the trunk.
• Exhale and lengthen the trunk out over the right leg, bringing the chin towards the knee.
• Hold this position.
• Inhale and lift up out of the pose.
• Exhale and return to Dandasana (Staff Pose).
• Repeat on the second side.
• Draw the left leg back, as for Marichyasana 1 (Marichi's Pose 1). Sit up on blankets if necessary.
• Inhale and reach the left arm up, extending through the left side.
• Exhale, fold forward and wrap the left arm around the left shin and the right arm behind you. Clasp the left wrist in the right hand. Hold onto a belt if the hands do not reach.
• Inhale, draw the wrists down towards the floor and lift the sides of the trunk.
• Exhale and lengthen the trunk out over the right leg, bringing the chin towards the knee.
• Hold this position.
• Inhale and lift up out of the pose.
• Exhale and return to Dandasana (Staff Pose).
• Repeat on the second side.
Practice Points
• Draw both inner thighs deeper into the body.
• Soften and broaden the hip creases.
• Soften the lower abdomen and move it deeper into the body. Lengthen the upper abdomen forward.
• Move the inner face of the sacrum back away from the pubic bone and soften the buttocks.
• Turn the pubic bone towards the raised knee and the navel back towards the mid-line of the body.
• Turn the sternum towards the pubic bone.
• Soften and broaden the hip creases.
• Soften the lower abdomen and move it deeper into the body. Lengthen the upper abdomen forward.
• Move the inner face of the sacrum back away from the pubic bone and soften the buttocks.
• Turn the pubic bone towards the raised knee and the navel back towards the mid-line of the body.
• Turn the sternum towards the pubic bone.
Marichyasana 1 (or A)
Here is a new addition to the Forward
Extensions section of the site.
Level: Intermediate
Marichi = one of the sons of Brahma, the creator.
This pose is also known as Marichyasana A in the Ashtanga Vinyasa system.
Level: Intermediate
Marichi = one of the sons of Brahma, the creator.
This pose is also known as Marichyasana A in the Ashtanga Vinyasa system.
Organizing the pose
• Sit in Dandasana (Staff Pose),
elevating the pelvis on blankets to help you
extend forward if necessary.
• Take hold of the back of the left thigh and draw the knee in, keeping the muscles of the left leg as soft as possible.
• Plant the left foot flat on the floor with the heel in line with the sitting bone.
• Inhale and reach the left arm up, extending through the left side.
• Exhale, reach the left arm forward to take hold of the inside of the right foot.
• Inhale and lengthen out through the left side.
• Exhale, roll the trunk to the right, away from the left thigh.
• Bring the left arm around the left shin and the right arm behind you. Clasp the left wrist in the right hand. Hold onto a belt if the hands do not reach.
• Inhale, draw the wrists down towards the floor and lift the sides of the trunk.
• Exhale and roll the trunk to the right once again. Turn the head to look at the left knee.
• Inhale open the trunk to the right once again.
• Exhale and lengthen the trunk out over the right leg, bringing the chin towards the shin. Allow the left sitting bone to lift up off the floor as you lean forward.
• Hold this position.
• Inhale and lift up out of the pose.
• Exhale and return to Dandasana (Staff Pose).
• Repeat on the second side.
• Take hold of the back of the left thigh and draw the knee in, keeping the muscles of the left leg as soft as possible.
• Plant the left foot flat on the floor with the heel in line with the sitting bone.
• Inhale and reach the left arm up, extending through the left side.
• Exhale, reach the left arm forward to take hold of the inside of the right foot.
• Inhale and lengthen out through the left side.
• Exhale, roll the trunk to the right, away from the left thigh.
• Bring the left arm around the left shin and the right arm behind you. Clasp the left wrist in the right hand. Hold onto a belt if the hands do not reach.
• Inhale, draw the wrists down towards the floor and lift the sides of the trunk.
• Exhale and roll the trunk to the right once again. Turn the head to look at the left knee.
• Inhale open the trunk to the right once again.
• Exhale and lengthen the trunk out over the right leg, bringing the chin towards the shin. Allow the left sitting bone to lift up off the floor as you lean forward.
• Hold this position.
• Inhale and lift up out of the pose.
• Exhale and return to Dandasana (Staff Pose).
• Repeat on the second side.
Practice Points
• Draw both inner thighs deeper into the body.
• Spread the back of the knee of the straight leg and anchor the outer knee ligament down into the ground.
• Soften and broaden the hip creases.
• Soften the lower abdomen and move it deeper into the body. Lengthen the upper abdomen forward.
• Balance the weight between the heel of the bent leg and the sitting bone of the straight leg.
• Turn the pubic bone towards the bent knee, the navel toward the straight knee.
• Turn the sternum towards the pubic bone.
• Spread the back of the knee of the straight leg and anchor the outer knee ligament down into the ground.
• Soften and broaden the hip creases.
• Soften the lower abdomen and move it deeper into the body. Lengthen the upper abdomen forward.
• Balance the weight between the heel of the bent leg and the sitting bone of the straight leg.
• Turn the pubic bone towards the bent knee, the navel toward the straight knee.
• Turn the sternum towards the pubic bone.
Sequencing
My first Iyengar teacher was extremely creative and
unconventional in her approach to sequencing. She has
a poetic way of sequencing that is both logical and
intuitive, but she very much does not toe the line in
terms of the way she sequences a class (bless her),
so I never really got the hang of the classic Iyengar
sequencing at that stage. Unfortunately, a subsequent
disastrous and inadequate teacher training did very
little to fill that gap. I have, of late, been
studying with Donald
Moyer in Berkeley, as regular readers will
know. Donald is also extremely innovative and
creative, while remaining intuitive and logical
in his approach, but in some ways he is very old
school when it comes to his sequencing. I've
been teaching and practicing in his manner quite
a lot lately, and it has been a wonderful
exercise in getting inside the classical Iyengar
mentality. Sometimes the method gets accused of
being dry and repetitive, but there is an
elegance to the sequencing. I offer you here my
limited understanding of the form.
Here follows a breakdown of the major pose categories and where they fit in the scheme. This first chart is not an actual way of practicing. Think of it as a diagram of a hypothetical sequence including all the different possibilities:
Here follows a breakdown of the major pose categories and where they fit in the scheme. This first chart is not an actual way of practicing. Think of it as a diagram of a hypothetical sequence including all the different possibilities:
This would break down
into the following practice sequences for each of the
four major categories. Obviously there are other
types of poses -- arm balances, abdominals and such.
Each of these has their own rationale, but think
about how you are practicing them. How do they relate
to standing poses, to twists, back bends or forward
bends? This might give you an idea of where a pose
such as Parshva Bakasana (Side Crow Pose) might go.
