Lotus Pose
The classical meditation seat: each foot placed on the opposite thigh. Immensely stable once available, and genuinely damaging if forced. Most practitioners are better served by Siddhasana or Sukhasana for years first.
Meaning of the name
The lotus. It grows in mud, opens above the water, and is not wetted by either — which is the whole of the teaching, put into a flower.
How to practise
- 1
Sit with the legs extended. Bend the right knee and place the right foot high on the left thigh, sole facing up.
- 2
Bend the left knee and place the left foot high on the right thigh in the same way.
- 3
Both knees should rest on the floor. If either lifts more than a little, the hips are not ready — sit in Sukhasana instead.
- 4
Keep the spine upright and the hands in Gyan, Chin or Dhyana Mudra.
- 5
Alternate which leg is uppermost between sessions so the hips develop evenly.
Benefits
- The most stable seat available for long meditation and pranayama
- Directs blood flow away from the legs toward the abdomen and spine
- Keeps the spine naturally erect with very little muscular effort
- Calms the mind; the immobility of the legs quietens the body's restlessness
- Improves hip and knee flexibility over long, patient practice