Lotus posture in yoga is perhaps the most recognized yoga pose today, even by people who don’t practice yoga. It is considered by many to be the “classic” yoga pose.
The lotus is a common symbol in Hindu iconography and is connected to numerous strong deities.
While the legs resemble the petals of the position’s namesake flower, it also helps to clear the mind and open the hips.
Keep reading and learn everything about lotus posture in this post.
Table of Contents
What is Lotus Position?
Lotus pose (Padmasana) is a foundational and advanced posture, both grounding and uplifting, in which seated yogis place each foot on an opposite thigh. In Sanskrit, Padmasana translates to lotus (Padma) and pose (asana). The yogi’s legs and hand placement on top of the knees (in Gyan mudra, a yogic hand gesture) resemble the petals of the ancient flower’s petals, which symbolize true enlightenment, pure beauty, and abundance.
In his modern yoga anthology, Light on Yoga (1966), According to B.K.S. Iyengar, the lotus posture is one of the most important yoga poses because it prepares the body and mind for deep meditation. According to Iyengar, yogis in lotus position should engage their Mula Bandha, or a pelvic floor root lock, along with tucking the chin in towards the chest and focusing inwardly.
Benefits of Lotus Pose
Lotus Pose is renowned for calming the mind and getting the practitioner ready for intense meditation. In addition, it stretches and strengthens the upper back, spine, and hips. Additionally, this position improves circulation in the spine and pelvis, which can lessen the discomfort and distress associated with menstruation in the female reproductive organs.
According to the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, a yoga manual written in the 14th century CE, Lotus Pose is the “destroyer of all diseases.” Additionally, according to ancient texts, this pose awakens Kundalini, the divine cosmic energy that leads to self-realization.
An ancient meditation chant (“mantra” in Sanskrit), “Om Mani Padme Hum,” roughly translates to “Greetings to the lotus’s jewel.” It is believed in some traditions that chanting this mantra while in Posing in the lotus position will cleanse, free, and reunite the mind, body, and spirit.
How to Do Lotus Posture?
- With your legs extended, supine in Dandasana on the floor. As you cradle your right knee and foot in your hands, extend your right knee to the side. Rotate your left leg from the hip, not the knee, and place your foot in the groove of your left hip.
- As with the right, flex your left knee while also rotating your left thigh outward from the hip. Lifting your right shin, cross the left foot over the right, and bringing it to tuck into the right hip crease.
- Set your knees to the floor while securing the tops of your feet against your upper thighs. Don’t let your ankles sickle.
- Lifting your sternum and lengthening your spine will help you stand tall. Sitting on a folded blanket may prevent the spine from rounding.
- As long as it is comfortable, take slow, deep breaths while maintaining the pose.
Read More: How Long Do You Hold Yoga Poses?
Lotus Pose Modifications and Variations
Even though the full lotus pose can be incredibly energizing for the heart and hips, it can also be taxing on the knee and hip joints. Here are a couple of modifications you can make as an alternative to full lotus or to build up to full lotus as a warm-up:
- Easy pose (Sukhasana): Cross your legs as you sit on the ground or a yoga mat. To create room between the knees and the hips, let the feet advance toward the body as far as possible. Sit upright and feel your sitz bones anchoring to the mat. Close your eyes, place your palms either face up or face down on each knee, and concentrate on your breathing. Your mind and body will be ready for a yoga practice or meditative session when you are in this gentle hip opener.
- Half lotus pose (Ardha Padmasana): Half lotus involves keeping one foot on the ground in front of the body while gently opening the hips and knees by only placing one foot at a time on top of the opposing thigh with the sole of the foot pointing upwards. Breathe in as you raise each knee with your palms facing up. Before beginning on the other side, practice each side for at least 10 full breaths. Take note of how the stretch feels different on each side of the body.
- Headstand with lotus (Sirsasana Padmasana): For a more intense and difficult lotus pose experience, advanced practitioners can try the headstand variation. Try holding a supported or tripod headstand while bringing each leg to a lotus position if you regularly perform a headstand. You may want to start by simply crossing your legs into a more relaxed position. Practice placing each foot in the half-lotus position and, if possible, the full lotus position. As you progress through this lotus headstand play, breathe deeply and concentrate on the point directly in front of you.
Beginner Tips
Both thighs must rotate away from the hip sockets in order to enter Lotus. This pose comes naturally to some people, but not for others because the hip is a ball-and-socket joint with a circular range of motion that differs greatly from person to person. Don’t pass judgment and don’t force the pose.
Keep both feet’s inner and outer ankles stretched equally as you bring your foot across toward your groin. Avoid feeling too much strain on one side of your feet or legs.
Teacher Tips
These cues will help protect your students from injury and help them have the best experience of the pose:
- Provide reassuring props. If your student’s knees are elevated above the floor, place a block or folded blanket under each one to ease any pressure.
- Make sure to switch up the leg crosses halfway through your practice if you frequently use this pose as a foundation for formal breathing exercises or meditation.
Read More:
FAQs
What is the Lotus Position Used For?
The pose is said to increase circulation in the lumbar spine, nourish and tone the abdominal organs, strengthen the ankles and legs, and increase flexibility in the hips.
Why Do Yogis Sit in Lotus Position?
Lotus Pose is a crucial foundational pose in yoga practice, just as significant as the lotus flower is in Hindu imagery. This seated posture boasts many physical and energetic benefits: it can help improve circulation in the lumbar spine, stretch the ankles and legs, and increase flexibility in the hips.
Why Can’t I Do Lotus Pose?
Numerous factors, such as the length of the femur’s neck, the depth of the hip socket, the thickness of the labrum—the cartilage that lines the socket—and the degree of laxity of the internal rotator—can influence how simple or impossible it is to perform lotus.
Final Words: Become the Jewel in the Lotus
Although Lotus Pose may look like the “perfect” yoga pose, it can take time to achieve the position, let alone feel comfortable in it. Take your time and be patient. To perfect the pose in its entirety, it might take months or even years. So what?
Keep in mind that the aim of yoga is not to achieve a pose. Staying aware of the present moment is the heart of yoga.
Instead of constantly trying to be someone or somewhere else, learn to accept the situation you are in. You may realize that you are whole and complete there, in the here and now, and that you are just as you are.
You can blossom like a lotus flower from that understanding. If you are interested in yoga poses, read our post on how many different yoga poses are there.