Marichyasana III (Sage Marichi's Pose)

<h2> Marichyasana III (Pose Dedicated to the Sage Marichi)</h2>

This asana is named after the sage Marichi, the grandfather of the Sun God. Here the spine is twisted to the side, whereas in Marichyasana I it is extended forward.

Marichyasana III in brief

1. Sit in Dandasana.
2. Bend the left leg at the knee so that the shin is perpendicular to the floor, and draw the foot in towards the thigh of the same leg. The toes point forward, the sole and the heel are on the floor. The left calf and the left thigh should be in contact. Keep the right leg extended. Take one or two breaths in and out.
3. Exhale completely, lift the spine up and turn the trunk to the left so that the right side of the trunk is next to the left thigh. Place the left hand on the floor behind the back, 20-25 cm away from the buttocks.
4. Raise the right arm and take it behind the left thigh. To do this:
      a) move the left thigh slightly towards the right leg, or
      b) push it with the right arm and wrap the arm around the knee; the right side of the trunk and the armpit will now be locked between the left knee and the top of the left thigh.
5. Draw the right arm further, towards the right leg, so that the right forearm, the armpit and the right side of the trunk come even closer to the left thigh.
6. Bend the right arm at the elbow, turn it at the wrist and encircle the left leg, placing the palm on the back. Take one or two breaths in and out.
7. Exhale, lift the left hand off the floor, stretch it back from the shoulder, bend it at the elbow and bring it close to the right palm behind the back. With the left palm catch firmly the fingers, then the palm, then the wrist of the right hand - in exactly that order. Lift the trunk and turn it to the left. Turn the neck and look to the left.
8. Stay in this position for 20-30 seconds. At first your breathing will be fast, because the diaphragm is compressed, but after a few moments the breathing becomes normal. While doing so:
      (1) extend the stretched leg even more;
      (2) draw the shoulder blades in; 
      (3) there should be no gap between the shoulder blade, the encircling arm and the thigh of the bent leg; 
      (4) do not loosen the grip of the fingers behind the back.
9. Turn the head forward, release the hands and return to Dandasana.
10. Now repeat the pose with the left leg stretched out and the right one bent, following all the instructions and replacing the word «left» with «right» and vice versa. The time spent in the pose is the same on both sides.

Special notes:

If it is difficult to do this asana on your own, you can do it with the support of a wall; for this:
(a) sit in Dandasana so that the wall is at your side and the right leg is extended along this wall;
(b) bend the right leg at the knee and keep the shin perpendicular; take one or two breaths in and out;
(c) exhale and turn the trunk to the right so that the left side of the trunk comes closer to the right thigh;
(d) extend the left shoulder and the left shoulder blade towards the right leg;
(e) keep the palm of the left hand on the wall and push the right thigh with the right hand;
(f) raise the right hand and place the palm on the wall;
(g) press against the wall with both palms, lift the trunk up and turn it;
(h) now do the asana on the other side, extending the left leg along the wall.

Marichyasana III in detail

Marichyasana III (the Pose Dedicated to the Sage Marichi) has many virtues. It aids the work of the liver and the intestines, preserves the elasticity of the intervertebral discs and helps to get rid of stiffness in the lumbar region (but be careful: incorrect practice can make this problem worse). For the twist to be safe, a number of conditions have to be observed when doing the pose. First of all, before you begin to turn the trunk, the pelvis has to be set level - so that the spine can extend upwards without hindrance. To this end teachers often ask you to imagine the pelvis as a bowl of water: if you tilt it too far forward or "drop" it back, the water will spill out. So that the water is not spilled, the upper rim of the "bowl" must be parallel to the floor.
In Marichyasana III, as in any other twist, there is a risk of straining the lower back. To prevent this, the spine should be twisted evenly along its whole length, starting the movement from the sacral region. There is one more condition that must be observed in Marichyasana: the abdomen has to be as relaxed as possible. Picture a towel: when it is wrung, it becomes thicker and shorter. The same happens with tense muscles in the abdominal region. In that case the twist will not be complete, because the compression in the abdominal area will make it impossible to lengthen the spine.
Before we start the twist, let us do a few preparatory exercises. Roll a blanket into a small bolster and put it aside - it will come in useful later. We begin with a variation of Supta Baddha Konasana (Reclining Bound Angle Pose). Take a block and lie down on your back. Bend the legs at the knees and place the feet on the floor. On an inhalation lift the pelvis off the floor and place the block under the sacrum, positioning it lengthwise along the mat. Lower the sacrum and the tailbone onto the support. Bring the soles together, placing the outer edges of the feet on the floor. Draw the heels closer to the pelvis. Relax the muscles of the inner thigh, do not push the knees towards the floor.

<table>

correct 
Lengthen the spine
</td>
<td>

incorrect 
Do not twist if the pelvis tips backwards
</td>
</tr>

</table>

Feel how the sacrum presses against the block. Begin to rock the pelvis gently from side to side, without sliding off the support. As you shift to the right, imagine that the block is directing the right side of the sacrum into the pelvis. Then do the exercise to the left. Feel how both sides of the sacrum broaden away from the spine. Notice how, as you move to the right, the spine naturally twists slightly to the left, and vice versa. Remember this movement - it is exactly what you need to do in Marichyasana III; in other words, to draw the left side of the sacrum slightly inwards in order to twist to the right, and the right side in order to twist to the left.
Now position the sacrum so that its left and right sides press evenly into the support. Stay in this position for a few minutes, feeling how the block directs the sacrum into the pelvis. Imagine that the tailbone is lengthening away from the pelvis towards the heels. Then press the feet into the floor and on an inhalation lift the sacrum off the support. Put the block aside and on an exhalation lower the pelvis to the floor. Draw the thighs in towards the chest, hold the knees with your hands and roll onto your left side. Take the right hand behind the back and press the thumb against the left side of the sacrum. The upper part of the trunk will turn to the right, and this movement will prepare the spine for a deeper twist. The rotation should begin at the left side of the sacrum and gradually rise upwards to the cervical region.
Remember that twists are never done starting from the top - the head should turn last. Do the exercise for a minute. Then return to the starting position and repeat it on the other side. Roll over onto your abdomen and place the rolled-up blanket under the upper part of the thighs. Rest the forehead on the forearms. Stay in this position for a minute, relaxing the abdomen more and more with every exhalation. On an inhalation, leaning on the forearms, lift the upper part of the trunk off the floor. Lengthen the abdominal area, taking it gently upwards, towards the head. On an exhalation come down, keeping the space in the trunk that you have just created. Roll onto your back, catch the knees with your hands and draw the thighs in towards the chest.

Refining the technique
 
Sit in Dandasana (Staff Pose). First try to do it without a support. Most likely you will discover that the pelvis tips backwards and the lower back rounds. Bending forward or twisting from this position will put excessive pressure on the intervertebral discs, which may lead to injury. That is why I recommend doing the twist sitting on one or two folded blankets - the support should be high enough for the tops of the sitting bones to be the base of the pose and for the tailbone and the pubic bone to be equally far from the floor. This will mean that the pelvis is properly aligned.
From Dandasana bend the right leg at the knee and press the heel into the floor, placing it beside the right sitting bone. Extend the left leg thoroughly, taking the thigh towards the mat and the heel and the big toe away from you. Press the inner edge of the right heel and the big toe of the right foot into the floor. Do you remember our first exercise with the block? Imagine that the left side of the sacrum is pressing into the pelvis, and begin to turn the trunk to the right. At the same time lengthen the abdomen, taking it gently upwards and inwards. Take the lower ribs away from the pelvis.
In Marichyasana III, when the pose is done to the right, the upper part of the left arm is usually pressed against the outer side of the right knee. However, beginners as a rule do not have enough flexibility to lengthen the spine upwards at the same time. So it will be better if you wrap the left arm around the right knee and press the fingertips of the right hand into the floor behind your back. Extend upwards and take the trunk forward, towards the bent leg. Make sure the inner edge of the right foot is pressed well into the floor - this will help to relax the right inner groin. Direct the tailbone towards the floor, as if you wanted to root it into the ground. On an inhalation take the abdomen upwards along the inner surface of the right thigh, keeping it soft and slightly drawn in. On an exhalation twist deeper.
In spite of your efforts, the pelvis and the trunk may fall backwards, away from the leg bent at the knee. In that case sit with your back to a wall, at a distance slightly less than the length of an outstretched arm. Pressing the right palm against the wall, extend the trunk upwards and take it forward. The head is usually turned in the same direction as the twist, with the gaze directed over the shoulder. All the same, you may also turn the head in the opposite direction (in our case - to the left) and look at the big toe of the left foot. Both are correct. Hold the pose for a minute. On an exhalation straighten the right leg, level the position of the pelvis and twist to the other side.
Marichyasana III is the basic seated twist. It prepares the spine for more difficult asanas such as Marichyasana I, II and IV, and it also helps to relax the muscles of the back after an intensive practice. (Yoga Journal)

A further description of Marichyasana III

Marichyasana III - a twist to the right. Sit on the floor, stretch the left leg forward, bend the right one at the knee so that the calf and the back of the thigh are firmly in contact, the leg literally folded in two, its heel touching the buttock on the same side. Then turn to the right and take the left arm behind the right leg, which is bent at the knee and standing vertically. Note that its foot stands on the floor beside the straight left leg, and not behind it, as is usually done by those who have the first two variations of the twist in mind.
The left arm, straight at the elbow, presses the bent right leg slightly - again to the left - and the hand of that arm catches the straight left leg from the outside, roughly a little below the knee. The bent right leg is meanwhile more or less vertical and does not fall to the left, otherwise the pose loses its point.
The contraindications and the effects are the same as for Ardha Matsyendrasana I, with the sole difference that the work of the spine here is of a different character: it is simpler, but at the same time harsher. (V. Boyko, YIK)

The effects of practising Marichyasana III

With regular practice of Marichyasana III, sharp pains in the back, the lower back and the hips quickly disappear. The liver and the spleen are toned and their sluggishness is removed. The muscles of the neck gain strength, and strained shoulder ligaments and displaced shoulder joints are cured. The shoulders gain freedom of movement. The work of the intestines improves, and the pose helps to reduce the size of the abdomen. For women this asana is more intensive and more effective than Marichyasana II.