Marichyasana III: Unveiling the Wisdom of a Seated Twist

Published March 12, 2026 09:23AM

Yoga Journal’s archives series is a curated collection of articles originally published in past issues beginning in 1975. This article first appeared in the September-October 1991 issue of Yoga Journal.

This seated twist draws our attention inward, helping us sense the core structures of our body—and the essential nature of our soul. As autumn nears completion, trees lose their leaves, revealing the essential structure of trunks and branches. Lower temperatures and shorter days prompt us to spend more time inside.

Human life follows a similar rhythm. Traditionally, in India, this period of life was dedicated to the study of yoga. A young person matured, adopted a trade, and became a householder. Only when children were raised was a person free to grow a sadhu, or seeker of truth, stripping off worldly possessions and habits to embrace divine inspiration.

Benefits of Marichyasana III and Other Twists

Marichyasana III is one of four asanas named for Marichi, a mythological Hindu sage. Some texts list Marichi’s father as one of the seven great sages, or rishis, of antiquity, imbuing “Marichyasana” with generations of wisdom.

A twist is a fitting pose to represent the archetype of the sage. In a well-performed twist, we connect with our core, just as a tree’s life force returns toward the roots in late fall. The twisting motion must derive from the base of the spine and include each vertebra; twisting only with the shoulders and head is incomplete.

Marichyasana III allows us to perceive our core structure, stripping off non-essentials. It’s beneficial when feeling disconnected from our center or for extroverted individuals who find it difficult to turn inward.

The pose may reveal structural flaws – unevenness, collapse, or rigidity – and requires a lengthened spine to experience its essence. Practitioners emanate a dignified, regal air due to the erect carriage.

Like all twists, this asana squeezes the abdominal organs, flushing away metabolic impurities. Practitioners may experience nausea or belching, or find relief from constipation. Twists can be useful after eating and drinking.

Marichyasana III may also release pent-up emotions, particularly anger, which, in both Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine, is associated with the liver. The squeezing and stimulation of the liver may be the cause for the angry feelings some practitioners report during intense practice of twists.

Twists and backbends are polar opposites. Backbends bring our inner life to the surface, while twists focus intensity inward, appearing calm externally. Backbends warm the spine and open the chest, preparing for twists. Twists cool and neutralize the spine after backbends, merging inner and outer experiences.

How to Practice Marichyasana III

Benefits

• Brings flexibility to the spinal column
• Teaches the spine to lengthen evenly
• Benefits the abdominal organs
• Draws concentration inward

Contraindications

This pose should not be practiced during pregnancy, as it would compress the fetus. Students with back problems should seek guidance from an experienced teacher and begin with a modified variation.

The most important instruction in any twisting pose is to lengthen the spine. The skull and tailbone should feel connected by a long elastic band, evenly stretching to lift and rotate. Often, it feels as if the skull and tailbone are separated by concrete blocks.

Lengthening the spine can be more difficult when seated with straight legs than when standing. A standing variation can be helpful. Stand facing a low table or chair. Elevate your right foot on the table, with the right knee at approximately hip height. Cross your left arm over your right knee. Press the right hand to the crease of the hip to bring it down and back.

Twist as if to look over your right shoulder, lengthening the spine with each inhalation. Imagine a clockwise spiraling motion beginning at the base of the spine, moving up through each vertebra to the skull. The shoulders and head follow, initiated from the base.

Twists develop over time. Stay in the pose, lengthening the spine with each breath. Release and repeat on the second side.

For many, the base of the spine is pulled forward when seated, causing the middle back to round. Squatting can help, allowing the pelvis to remain off the ground and the knees bent until the spine extends. Squat on the ground with sizeable toes touching, using a folded blanket under the heels if needed.

Place your right hand on the ground behind you (or on a block if needed). Cross the left elbow over the right knee. Move as though to press the navel against the thighs, tilting the pelvis forward and rocking the hipbones forward, extending the sitting bones backward. Lift the skull to lengthen the spine with each inhalation, rotating further toward the right with each exhalation. As the spine twists, the head will naturally turn to look over the right shoulder.

Maintaining spinal length and twist, stretch the left leg out, straightening the knee and resting the heel on the ground. Drop the buttocks to the floor, allowing the arm to slide down the leg toward the knee. Hold, maintaining lightness and length in the spine. Release and repeat on the second side.

Sit on the ground with legs stretched out. Place a folded blanket under the buttocks or sit on a block to help tilt the pelvis forward. Bend the right knee and draw the right foot toward the right buttock. Place the right hand somewhat behind you, cross the left elbow over the right knee, and lean on the back hand.

Don’t let the navel cave back toward the spine; continue to lift it as though pressing it against the right thigh. Twist toward the right. In this half-reclining position, the twist originates from the base of the torso.

Maintain the twist while sliding the right hand back toward the buttocks, returning the torso to an upright position. Look over the right shoulder, stretching through the ball of the left big toe. Breathe smoothly and evenly.

Become aware of the position of the spinal column and each pair of ribs. When twisting to the right, lift and elongate the left back body, drawing breath into the left lung. Press the right buttock into the ground, allowing the right ribcage to descend. Move the left back ribs inward toward the front body as the right shoulder rolls round to complete the twist.

Experienced students can begin with beginning variations, repeating each twist several times on each side, gradually adding actions until reaching more advanced variations. Slide the armpit down the uplifted leg, bend the elbow, and reach around to grasp the left hand. Hold with even breathing, then repeat on the second side. Joining the hands is not the biggest challenge; maintaining balanced action of the spine and back ribs is.

This pose requires patience and may be mastered only late in life, evoking the majesty of an ancient oak in late November.

This is an abridged version of the original article written by Carol Cavanaugh.