- Category
- Seated
- Level
- intermediate
- Hold
- 5–8 breaths per side
- Type
- Asana
- Breath
- Inhale to lengthen, exhale to fold
Marichi's Pose
Marichyasana — "posture of the sage Marichi"
A seated fold with one knee bent upright, foot planted, and the arms wrapped around the shin to bind behind the back. The bind looks like the point, but the fold over the straight leg is where the pose lives.
Step by step
- 1Sit in Staff Pose, then bend your right knee and plant your right foot flat, close to your right sitting bone.
- 2Keep your left leg straight and active, foot flexed.
- 3Reach your right arm forward inside the right knee, then sweep it around your shin toward your back.
- 4Reach your left arm behind your back and clasp your right hand, or hold a strap between them.
- 5Inhale and lengthen your spine.
- 6Exhale and fold forward over the straight left leg.
- 7After several breaths, rise up, release the bind, and change sides.
Benefits
- ✓ Stretches the hamstrings and back of the straight leg
- ✓ Opens the shoulder and chest of the wrapping arm
- ✓ Encourages length through the spine before folding
- ✓ Builds toward deeper bound poses
Make it yours
- · Hold a strap between your hands instead of clasping.
- · Sit on a folded blanket to help your pelvis tilt forward.
- · Stay upright with the arms wrapped rather than folding, and build the fold over time.
Take care
- Skip the bind and simply hug the shin if your shoulder feels strained.
- Ease out if you feel pinching in the bent knee or lower back.
This is general practice guidance, not medical advice. If something hurts, ease out of it.
Practiced in
Props that help here
- Cork blocks (set of 2) — Bring the floor closer in lunges, folds, and triangle — and a block between the shoulder blades turns a backbend into something you can hold. find one
- 8-foot cotton strap — Extends your reach in hamstring and shoulder work — the honest substitute for grabbing a foot you can't yet reach. Get 8ft, not 6ft. find one
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