We continue our study of twists with Maricyasana I. The pose is dedicated to the sage Marici, is the son of Brahma, the cosmic creator, and also one of the Saptarshis (7 great seers). Let’s begin.
Doing the Pose:
1. Sit on the floor or your mat in Dandasana (legs straight out in front of you, feet together so that your body looks like the letter “L”.)
2. Bend your right knee and place your foot on the floor near the perineum. Keep your left leg firm and straight out in front of you.
3. Turn your torso to the right, taking care to keep both of your buttocks evenly on the floor.
4. Bring the left arm to the outside of the right knee, elbow at the knee. Bend your left arm so your forearm is vertical, hand facing out, fingers pointing toward the ceiling. If you are a beginner, end the pose here.
5. To finish the pose, tuck your knee into your armpit and bring the left arm around to the inside of the leg sweep your right arm around your back, and grasp your left hand.
6. Turn your gaze over the right shoulder. Hold for a few moments, breathe normally.
7. Release your arms and turn your torso back to the middle.
8. Release your right leg, bringing it back in to dandasana for a few moments to relax the knee.
9. Repeat on the left side.
Benefits:
Because this pose massages abdominal organs, it is a great pose to relieve menstrual cramps and discomfort, as well as constipation and digestive problems. Beyond these therapeutic benefits, this pose also helps to stretch the shoulders and spine, helps with backache and hip pain and stimulates the brain.
We’ll continue with more twists next week. Stay tuned.
