“], “filter”: { “nextExceptions”: “img, blockquote, div”, “nextContainsExceptions”: “img, blockquote, a.btn, a.o-button”} }”>
Heading out the door? Be taught this textual content on the model new Outside+ app on the market now on iOS models for members!
>”,”title”:”in-content-cta”,”type”:”hyperlink”}}”>Get hold of the app.
Marichyasana III is the third of 4 poses dedicated to the Sage Marichi. The seated twist affords a deep stretch all by means of the once more, ribs, and shoulders. It moreover retains the intervertebral disks—these little jelly-filled “doughnuts” between your vertebrae—supple.
Marichyasana III prompts the three lower chakras—the muladhara (root chakra), svadhisthana (sacral chakra), and manipura (picture voltaic plexus chakra)—to cultivate a method of security, stability, and self-confidence.
If in case you’ve got difficulty twisting in Marichyasana III, don’t stress it. Preserve your pelvis in a neutral place so that your spine can completely lengthen. To forestall straining throughout the lower once more, twist evenly by means of your spine, initiating the twist from the sacrum. Preserve your abdomen clean. Merely as a dish-towel shortens and thickens when twisted, so does the abdomen, and which will forestall the spine from lengthening and twisting completely.
Pose Dedicated to the Sage Marichi III fundamentals
Sanskrit: Marichyasana III (muh-ree-chee-AHS-uh-nuh)
Pose type: Twist
Targets: Core
Totally different names: Sage’s Pose
Why we prefer it: “This pose always offers some discount to my spine—and my larger physique,” says Yoga Journal staff writer Ellen O’Brien. “The sensation of tucking my elbow in entrance of my thigh is one amongst my favorites in my asana comply with. It makes me twist rather a lot deeper, and I’m truly ready to get into the pose.”
Pose benefits
This shoulder-stretching pose massages your stomach organs, collectively together with your liver and kidneys. Furthermore, this pose is an efficient technique to alleviate delicate backaches and hip ache.
Pose Dedicated to the Sage Marichi III: Step-by-step instructions
- Begin in Dandasana (Staff Pose) alongside together with your quadriceps and kneecaps going by means of the ceiling.
- Sit straight on excessive of your sitting bones, comparatively than falling behind them.
- Draw your correct heel once more, close to the proper sitting bone—that’s often a bit further to the proper than it’s possible you’ll discover.
- Take into consideration a central axis working by means of your torso out of your pelvic floor to the crown of your head.
- Conserving the left leg vigorous, inhale your left arm to the ceiling and take your correct hand to the bottom behind your correct hip.
- Exhale and twist to the proper, hooking your left elbow to the floor of your correct knee. Make sure that your extended leg doesn’t lose its vigor or flop open.
- Inhale and uncover additional dimension alongside your spine. Exhale to revolve spherical that dimension.
- To exit the pose, launch once more to Staff
Beginner’s tip
In case your neck feels stiff or awkward, gently flip your head in every directions to launch stress.
Educating Pose Dedicated to the Sage Marichi III
These cues will help defend your faculty college students from harm and help them have top-of-the-line experience of the pose:
- Should you want to twist additional deeply, take your straight leg wider than your hip, lean once more barely, after which roll your lower abdomen in the direction of your bent leg sooner than coming once more into the pose.
- Switch your sacrum, on the bottom of the spine, with the pelvis as you attain your extended leg forward. Step firmly on the one actual of your bent-leg foot. These actions will help to protect the lower once more from harm to the SI joint.
- In case your lower once more is rounding, sit on a lot of folded blankets to help the sacrum elevate up and lengthen the lumbar spine.
Variation: Delicate seated twist

For a gentler twist, twist to the proper and keep your correct knee alongside together with your left hand. As you proceed to comply with, you would possibly be capable to wrap your elbow spherical your knee. This could be a sensible choice for people in greater our our bodies.
Variation with a strap

You probably can comply with a bind on this pose by wrapping your correct arm throughout the doorway of your bent knee and reaching once more to clasp your left hand behind your once more. If you arms don’t attain, it’s best to use a strap to extend your attain.
Variation in a chair

If don’t must comply with on the bottom, you can receive the similar pose sitting in a chair. Sit once more so that you just simply’re supported by the once more of the chair and there could also be room on the doorway of the seat so to leisure your foot. Plant every ft on the bottom. Carry your correct foot and place your heel on the chair in entrance of your correct hip. Twist correct, turning your torso in the direction of that bent knee and wrapping your left arm spherical it. It is doable you may choose to us hook your elbow over the once more of the chair and attain forward to grasp your correct hand or clasp your wrists .
Preparatory poses
Bharadvajasana (Bharadvaja's Twist)
Ardha Matsyendrasana (Half Lord of the Fishes Pose)
Counter poses
Paschimottanasana (Seated Forward Bend)
Dandasana (Staff Pose)
Purvottanasana (Reverse Plank | Upward Plank)
Setu Bandha Sarvangasana (Bridge Pose)