Marichyasana: sage with a thousand masks

[Guest guest]

Marichyasana A and C. <br><br>In reference to

placement to the bent leg and foot placement:<br><br>1.

Yoga Mala, Marichasana A, P. 93, "...bend the right

knee up, pulling the right heel in towards the right

buttock. (same description for C). Pictures of Sharath

show the knee towards the outer hip (from what I can

see).<br><br>2. David Swenson's "THE PRACTICE MANUAL" P.

90<br>"...placing the heel near the right sit-bone" . Again picture

shows heel at outer sit bone.<br><br>3. John Scott's

"ASHTANGA YOGA" p. 88 Marichyasana A "Place your foot on

the mat just in front of your right buttock, ALIGNING

YOUR OUTER ANKLE WITH THE OUTER FACE OF YOUR RIGHT HIP

JOINT" Picture concurs.<br><br>Now where did the

take-it-in-closer come from?....Tadaa! B.K.S. Iyengar, "LIGHT ON

YOGA" P. 159-60, Marichyasana I "Bend the left knee and

place the sole and heel of the left foot flat on

floor...PLACE THE LEFT HEEL NEAR THE PERINEUM." Picture is old,

and profile view makes it hard to distinguish.

However, I've seen a senior advanced Iyengar teacher

correct an Ashtanga teacher by pushing the heel to the

perinium. The Ashtanga teacher later confessed to the

Iyengar teacher that he was an Ashtanga practitioner, to

which the Iyengar teacher replied, "So that's why your

heel was out." <br><br><br>Oh, but why stop

there...<br> <br>New Iyengar book "YOGA: THE PATH TO HOLISTIC

HEALTH" P.207, Marichyasana (and it's a new lookin ' one

to me, person placing right arm inside front of bent

right leg, turning to the left. "Bend your right leg at

the knee. Make sure the shin is kperpendicular to the

floor and YOUR RIGHT HEEL TOUCHES YOUR GROIN." PG 112

Shows Marichasana C in a panoramic angled shot that,

yup, shows that heel real close in.<br><br>Geeta

Iyengar "YOGA: A GEM FOR WOMEN" P133 MARICHYASANA I,

"Bend the left leg with the left knee facing upwards,

keep the bottom of the foot on the floor and the INNER

EDGE OF THE FOOT TOUCHING THE EXTENDED RIGHT THIGH..."

Plate 29, profile black and white, shows it shaving

close.<br><br>WHAT HAPPENED! The real scoop, Iyengar's teacher's

teacher Sri Ramamohan (Krishnamacharya's teacher), was

purported to know over 10,000 asanas. Krishnamacharya was

given at least 16 Marichyasana's!!! Iyengar compacted

them or "synthesized" many of them to fit the needs of

the modern householder, who hardly had the time to

find a cave and a willing woman to live there and set

out to practice 16 Marichyasana's in addition to all

the other 9,000 something or other rest of the

asanas. So heel to perinium is an attempt to consolidate.

That's why Ashtanga yoga has so many more

Marichysasana's. <br><br>That's the history that I know of.

Perhaps someone else know's a little more. But it sounds

like Jen and Sabel were following "correct

method".<br><br>It's worth trying it both ways to see how you feel in

it. It sounds like you've found your posture has more

efficacy for you taking the heel close.<br>Namaste.