Padmásana (Lotus Posture)

Primary Objective of the Ásana

Prepares the body for meditation. Foundation for deep meditation. Anatomical objective: It loosens the external rotators of the hip joint. Padmásana is one of the 4 Dhyanásanas that aid in concentration and meditation along with Siddhásana/Siddha pose, Baddha Padmásana/Lotus pose, and Viirásana/Brave, This is one of the ideal poses for meditation for some people.

NOTE: This ásana is an intermediate/advanced pose and there’s high risk of injury, so each student should be assessed to evaluate what stage of Padmásana is ideal for her/him, according to the indications in the steps of practice.

Repetitions (standard): Hold this ásana as long as you can.

Length of hold (ideal): Hold this ásana pose as long as you can.

Breath: The breath is flowing continuously.

Steps of practice

Sit cross-legged on a rug, meditation cushion, or thickly folded blanket. – Use the hands to externally rotate the right leg at the hips and try to place the right foot on the left thigh. If this is challenging, you can’t do this step, it’s better not to go any further and use Bhojanásana to sit for meditation.

Further details & rationale

If you feel any pain or discomfort, do not perform this pose.

If the ankles twist excessively or your thigh and lower leg are not aligned (twist in the knee, even a slight one can damage meniscus) it means that your hips are still not flexible enough for Padmásana. – Keep in mind that progress in this pose can be more or less fast depending on the structure of your hip and external rotation of the knee.

2. Fold the hands together on the lap, the back is straight but not stiff.

The shoulders are relaxed down the back and the chest slightly open

Imagine that a string is pulling your spine straight from the top of your crown.

To be able to hold the pose longer, the spine should be straight (keeping the natural curve of the spine).

3. Gently close the mouth and press the tongue against the roof of the mouth. Curl the tongue back if possible.

The roof of the mouth is a point of relaxation, antianxiety, and serenity.

4. Hold this position for a minute at first and gradually increase the time. Then hold this asana and sit in meditation for as long as you can with physical safety in mind.

Preparatory Steps

Hamstring stretches, e.g., Jánushirásana/Seated single leg forward bend, Paschimottanásana/ Seated/Double leg forward bend, Parsvottanásana/Intense side lunge.
Stretches for external hip rotators, e.g. Eka pada rajakapotásana/Pigeon.
Cradle the Baby (picking up the foot in one hand and the knee with the other and gently rocking the lower leg from side to side).
Ánanda Balásana/Happy baby pose.
Baddha Konásana/Bound angle pose or Butterfly to increase external rotation in the hips.

Considerations

Self Assessment To Evaluate what Stage of Padmásana is best for you.

If you can do it, then gently bring the foot as close as possible to the Iliac crest.

Now if you try to bring your right knee down to the floor, and it does not reach it comfortably, it is better not to go any further and use half-lotus or Bhojanásana to sit for meditation.

-Unfold and try the same procedure with the left leg, if the left knee also comfortably reaches the floor then you can proceed, otherwise, flexibility and more support needs to first be worked out.

– if flexibility is fine, go back to having first the right foot on the left thigh and then try gently to place the left foot on the right thigh.

Safety Essentials

If the student is unable to perform the full pose, he or she should follow some of the modifications below.
If any of the following conditions exist, please consider other variations of practice; this is non-negotiable (without which the asana won’t have the desired effect): Sickle ankles, knees hovering above the ground, overstraining one side of your feet or legs, rotating the leg from the knee instead of the hip, feeling pain in holding the pose.
This pose is used during meditation and thus meant to be held longer and should be held comfortably; you should discontinue the pose if there is any discomfort or pain.
Try Bhojanásana instead if needed.
If your back has lordosis or kyphosis, one should engage the abdominal and pectoral muscles respectively, in order to better align the back
In placing the legs into the lotus position, the key factor is the external rotation of the thighs and must not depend on the flexibility of the knees. It is a common misconception that not being able to do lotus pose is due to tight or inflexible knees. This is because the pain or tension is usually felt in the knees. The thigh or hip joint has bigger muscles and ligaments as compared to the knees so we feel the tension on the knees. The knee is a hinge joint, it is meant to flex and extend, not rotate, while the hip joint does externally rotate.
If the student can sit in padmasana but feels pain or a strong tension in the knees, it is recommended to discontinue it immediately, and not bear the pain, as this could lead to repetitive strain injury in the knees. In such a case, it would be better to sit in half lotus and work on the external rotation of the thighs through other poses, without tension in the knees.
Try to keep the ankle straight, so your knees will not be adversely affected.
The ankle can be placed in a position along the thigh, to prevent excessive supination of the foot which could also lead to injury in the long term.
Do not force your knees into Padmásana until your hips are flexible enough.
If the knees are not reaching the floor, do not force them down
Persons with shorter legs experience difficulty in Padmásana; if that is the case, some modification should be performed
Persons with shorter legs experience difficulties in padmásana.
Padmásana is considered an intermediate to advanced pose. As a teacher, always be watchful of students who tend to over-exert themselves or force themselves into a pose, to prevent them from injuring themselves.
If the yoga practitioner has short legs, padmásana may be very difficult.

Common Misalignments

One of the most important issues in this ásana is to keep the back straight/upright, see modifications below to facilitate this.
If you need to support the knees, make sure you are not causing a posterior tilt of the pelvis, rounding the lower back – it’s better to raise the hips by sitting on a block or blanket.
Collapsed back. Drooping neck. Forcing the joints.
If the knees are higher than the hips, the hamstrings will pull on the pelvis causing a posterior tilt of the pelvis, thus rounding the lower back. This can lead to discomfort or pain at the lower back, preventing the practitioner to hold the pose for a longer period of time.

Modifications

If the student cannot put the legs into lotus position, one can sit in half lotus with the right foot on the thigh, and the left foot rests underneath, or cross-legged position or the knee hugging position. (Seated Positions).
The student can sit on a block or blanket to raise the hips, thus making it more comfortable for the back.
The student can sit on the floor, using the support of the wall to maintain the linear integrity of the back/spine.
As a last resort, one can sit in a chair with feet on the floor.

Benefits

Improves one’s capacity to meditate.

Complete Padmásana naturally helps to keep the back straight with less effort thanks to a slight hip rotation
An exceptional pose for calming and focusing the mind. It increases the capacity of withdrawal and attentiveness.
It calms down the nervous system.
Especially beneficial for women, it can ease menstrual discomfort, sciatica pain in childbirth. Practice while pregnant.
Stretches all the joints and tendons, keeping them flexible.
Naturally controls negative personality characteristics.

Visualizations & Ideations