Marichyasana B, is the second in a set of poses that use binding, twisting, and bending to access areas of the body that not many postures manage. If you struggle with external hip rotation (it’s uncomfortable to sit cross-legged on the floor) then you may want to change the position of the leg in lotus or try some other postures to help with that tightness first.
Without modification this is an advanced posture, forcing the leg into the lotus can put a lot is unnecessary tension on the ligaments around the knee, so proceed with caution. If you have enough range of motion in the hip this is a great posture to work with the breath in a compressed position helping to calm the body and strengthen the muscles supporting the lungs.
If you want to work on just the binding try Marichyasana A. If you think you need to work on your hip flexibility try thread the needle and sukhasana. Working through each of the elements and learning how to overcome any blockages you may have, is why postures like this are so useful. Marichyasana B is a brilliant learning tool to find imbalances between the left and right and to help you really understand your body.
Steps:
- Inhale bring the left foot into half lotus so that the side of the foot comes to the crease at the top of your right leg, and the knee goes to the floor
- Bend the right knee up, bringing the foot towards the buttocks. You should not feel any pain in the left knee, if you do work on other preparation poses first
- Exhale fold forwards bring the back of the right armpit in front of the right shin, and bend the right arm back around the body. At the same time bring the left hand behind your back and hold the wrist, hands, or fingers.
- Inhale look up, and open up the chest and shoulders.
- Exhale bend forward from the hips (leading with your chest) trying to get the chin to the floor.
- Take deep breaths there
- Inhale lift the head and shoulders up and look up
- Exhale unbind the arms and legs
- Inhale repeat on the other side
Modifications:
- If you cannot bring the foot into half lotus you can keep the foot on the floor behind the other heel.
- Keep the torso straight up, and work on opening the hips before progressing into the forward bend or bind.
- Use a belt to bind the hand if the shoulder flexibility is restricting your reach.
Benefits:
- Opens the shoulders
- Stimulates abdominal organs by massaging and bringing blood
- Improves Digestion by pressing the heel into the lower abdomen
- Improves coordination and body awareness, getting the body to work in many directions at once
- Prepares the body for the other Marichi postures
Contraindications:
- Knee injuries: Be careful with all variations of lotus poses if you have knee injuries, any tightness in the external rotation of the hips will create a twisting action in the knee. Make sure you can comfortably sit in sukhasana before putting the legs in lotus. You can also try thread the needle.
- Slipped/herniated disc, and sciatica: If you have these back problems, then remain at the top of the bind without bending forward. The hip opening may be beneficial for you but don’t bend forward in this pose.
- Shoulder injuries: It may put too much pressure on the shoulders to bind, so you can just bring your legs into position and bend forward without binding the shoulders. If it doesn’t cause any pain to bind the hands then it is likely fine but practice with caution.