Sunday, 16 August 2026

Vinyasa Krama . Part of one legged sequence, Standing Marichiyasana

From Sundays first attempt at Ramaswami's one legged standing sequence. A one legged standing version of Marichiyasana A

Didn't expect so much from this sequence at first but its challenging. Lots of squatting involved which is bloody hard. Utthita hasta pangusthasana's for instance. Lots of tree pose variations and squatting versions of them, squatting half lotus etc. Then there's the Marichiyasana and a warrior pose sequence and finishing off with a standing leg behind head sequence, ruddy squatting in that too. Managed to get my leg behind but had to lean up against the wall to stop myself falling over. Forward bending LBH was OK, but squatting? Forgetaba.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

You might also get a kick out of the standing sequence in Sweeney's "Baddha Krama", have a look :)ser

Grimmly said...

Hi patrick. I have Sweeney's VK but that would be just another sequence in the same way that Ashtanga is a group of sequences, although an interesting variation perhaps. What's interesting me about Ramaswami's book is the, if you like, pre sequencing. You just have all the one legged asanas one after another in order of difficulty, each sub routine preparing you for the next. then you have all the Supine poses say, or the lotus poses, half and full.
At the moment I'm considering the pro's and cons's of looking at my practice daily or weekly. In a daily Ashtanga practice you have a sequence of different kinds of asana and if you look at Vinyasa Krama that way then it suffers from being only one group/kind. But if you look at it weekly then vinyasa krama is covering each type of asana more fully. And each asana/variation, it is argued, treats the body in subtly different way. Over a week you might do the same Ashtanga practice, the same asanas every day, day in day out. Unless of course you are very advanced in which case you might do a different Ashtanga series each day, thus covering a similar range of asanas to Vinyasa Krama. In the long run perhaps they come to the same point.

Liz said...

I've done those in a vinyasa class before... and yeah, they're hard! Feels kind of good too, though.

You look like a pirate! I love it! Maybe add an eye patch? Or yell out "ahoy matey!"- maybe you could be the friendly pirate.

Anonymous said...

Grim,

Yeah I can see the point there. What called me out re: Sweeney is that the Baddha standing sequence has a standing Marichyasana in it, as part of a Bird of Paradise move. I pull it somewhat regularly in vinyasa classes (I add it; it's not part of the regular scheme).

Yes, does one do sort of "one set" per day, and organize the week that way, or do a set sequence each day, and organize the week THAT way? Chewy questions.

Sounds to me like the Ramasw. standing sequences would be good for building FBH, for example, but in Ashtanga, as you know, the sequence is going to be the same, and a FBH post-twists is not going to be, maybe ever, the same animal as FBH after a dozen forward bends and hip openers. Still, plenty of experimentation to be done, no doubt.

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