The girl meditates in the lotus position. All the secrets of the correct and comfortable posture for meditation

A karmic trail of broken promises trails behind me. We need to start slowly digging it all out. For example, I, or the lotus position, since excessive efforts in mastering this asana can lead to very sad and irreversible health consequences. So I'll tell you now.

First you need to decide why you need it. If the first answer that comes to mind has to do with "coolness" and the desire to impress others with your abilities, then this is definitely the wrong path. Rest assured, no one cares about your coolness, everyone only thinks about their own. And undermined health is too expensive a price to pay for such circus performances. When you come to a group class with a good teacher, you will surely notice that he not only does not strive to put everyone in padmasana at all costs, but he himself avoids this position so as not to embarrass the students who will probably want to imitate him. And that's why.

It should be understood that, by tradition, Indians rarely use European devices such as armchairs, sofas or chairs. In India, it is customary to sit upright on the floor. This contributes to the disclosure hip joints which is the reason why Padmasana is a natural posture for all Hindus and does not cause any difficulties. A European person, who has been sitting on a chair all his life, is not stretched either in the legs or in the back. Most Europeans are not even able to sit with a straight back, straight legs stretched forward.

Why is it that the lotus position is the main yoga posture for meditation?

And by the way, not only yogis. In many spiritual traditions, padmasana is the optimal posture for meditation. The thing is that by crossing our legs in such a strong castle, we block the flow of energies in the lower part of the body, thereby excluding lower part organism from the process. In addition, it is believed that in padmasana, the descending energy, apana-vayu, reverses, thereby not only improving meditation qualitatively (if I may say so at all), but also removing energy blocks and clamps, or, as Christians would say, washing away sins . All this facilitates the upward movement of the Kundalini.

On a purely physiological level, padmasana is also the most ergonomic posture for sitting cross-legged for long periods of time. Of course, provided that you own it freely . The fact is that the closer the knees to the floor, the straighter the back is fixed, and the less its muscles are included in holding the asana. Try to sit down yourself, for example, in Turkish with your knees raised high - the back immediately rounds itself. Lower your knees and she will straighten up. Of course, there are all sorts of deviations, we are all different, but in general, the body works that way. Padmasana firmly fixes the knees on the floor. Again, I repeat, subject to free mastery of it, i.e. enough reversible hip joints.

How to sit in the lotus position

Starting to master padmasana, striving for immediate success, many people forget one simple thing: to achieve the lotus position, you need not to stretch the knees, but the hip joints. Nature conceived a person in such a way that our knees bend only in the “forward-backward” direction, but not in any way “left-right”, as some often think. The result of such an error can be irreversible processes that can only be solved surgically. There are many preparatory asanas for the development of the hip area, the most effective of them are jana sirshasana and various interpretations of the butterfly pose, which is also performed in a dynamic version.

Janu sirshasana. Sit with straight outstretched legs. Place the foot of one leg on the thigh of the other leg. Try to rotate your hip so that your knee rests on the floor. The next step is to lean forward with a straight back, trying to lie with your chest on a straightened leg, grab your foot with your hands. Avoid pain i.e. doing everything smoothly, in a sparing mode, observing the principle of “do no harm” in relation to your own body.

baddha konasana(butterfly pose, or literally translated as “bound angle pose”). In a sitting position with a straight back, connect the feet, pulling them to the crotch at a comfortable distance. Pull the spine up, shoulders down. In this position, you can lean your hands on your knees and with a little effort try to stretch the hip area. You can also swing your hips up and down, making movements similar to fluttering butterfly wings.

If you decide to start the practice of meditation, then you may have encountered a common problem - discomfort in the back, when trying to sit still for a long time. Naturally, for a comfortable stay in a sitting position, with a straight back, it is advisable to master Padmasana or Siddhasana. However, there is a simple way with which you can sit for a long time already at the beginning of yoga without experiencing discomfort.

Since meditation is one of the highest levels of yoga, performing asanas, according to by and large, is designed to prepare the body for the possibility of sitting for a long time in a fixed position, with a straight back. But such an opportunity appears only with a good disclosure of the hip joints, in which your knees practically lie on the floor. It is customary for Asians to "live on the floor", that is, to eat, read, and just spend time in communication, sitting on the floor, without using a chair. In this case, the hip joints are not enslaved. For residents of "civilized" countries, the use of such achievements of civilization as chairs, armchairs, sofas, leads to the fact that by adolescence, the hip joints become quite enslaved. There is an opinion about a different constitution of the Indians, however, babies of all nationalities have the same flexibility, but in most Asians the ability to sit with a straight back for a long time and comfortably is preserved precisely because of the above points. When traveling to India, I noted that those Indians who are trying to live by new standards, actively using seating furniture, just like us, cannot sit with a straight back for a long time in the absence of a chair or armchair. When an adult begins to practice yoga, he encounters discomfort in the back and numbness of the legs when trying to practice pranayama, as well as meditative and contemplative techniques. Achieving the lotus position from scratch takes a long time, from a year or more. This should be strived for, but one should not postpone the practice of meditation "for later", because there is a very simple way to accept correct posture even physically enslaved people.

To begin with, you should be aware of the kinematics of pelvic adjustment. The spine rests on the sacrum.

The sacrum itself is an integral part of the pelvis.

When we are standing, the pelvis is positioned in such a way that the sacrum is almost perpendicular to the horizon, so the spine naturally exits the sacrum vertically upwards. However, if a person with unopened hip joints tries to sit cross-legged “in Turkish”, the pelvis will tilt back, the sacrum will tilt the vertebrae that are attached to it, as a result of which the back will be rounded.

An external indicator that a person has positioned the pelvis correctly is the relative position of the iliac bones of the pelvis and knees. In most cases, if a person can lower their knees below their iliac bones, they will be able to straighten their spine naturally.

But if your hips aren't open enough to drop your knees, you can use the very simple method of just sitting on an elevated platform, such as pillows. The height of the pillows should be chosen in such a way that, while sitting on them, you can lower your knees below the iliac bones of the pelvis.

Do not be shy about the height of your “throne”, working out the inner sensations during meditation is of paramount importance, and the fear of looking like “not a cool yogi” is just a stupid manifestation of ego. However, on group lessons I often see how some people ignore this method, they say, “I can do it without pillows,” and after a few minutes they begin to fidget, trying to avoid discomfort, at a time when “yogis with pillows” are quite successful in meditating. You can learn more about this method by watching the attached video.

Namaste, friends! An article on how to learn to sit correctly in the Lotus position - Padmasana, photos and videos illustrating the technique for beginners, a description of the benefits and contraindications. After studying this material, start applying it in your daily practices, this will give you a more comfortable position, as well as increase concentration.

Padmasana is one of the four main postures described in ancient yoga treatises. Today I will tell and show you in practice its implementation. This is the most famous position and depicts the Buddha, Indian yogis and other sages. In fact, all other yoga asanas are designed to help you learn to sit comfortably and with a straight back. Earlier we talked about, which occupies a leading place in meditation practices, but Padmasana is not inferior to her in importance in her qualities. In meditation, it is very important not to be distracted by discomfort in the body, so if you have the right and comfortable posture, meditating will be much easier. Overview of all

The Hatha Yoga Pradipika says: “Padmasana is the destroyer of all ailments, it is not available to mere mortals, only to sages. The yogi who sits in Padmasana and controls his breathing certainly becomes liberated.”

In Indian, in the ancient Sanskrit language, the lotus position is called Padmasana. "Padma" means lotus and "Asana" is a pose.
The lotus has several petals and lives in clear ponds and slow-flowing rivers. If you see a blooming lotus up close, you can understand why this pose has inherited its name.

In the east, the lotus lying on the water is considered a symbol of perfection and purity. And in this position, we kind of recreate the beauty of the lotus flower in our body and in our mind. The roots of the lotus are at the bottom of the lake, and the flower turns its radiance towards the sun, despite the fact that the lotus moves in the water, it does not lose its roots.

This perfectly symbolizes the practice of yoga and meditation: "Having a solid foundation, and at the same time spiritual advancement."

Lotus Pose step by step

At first glance, the lotus position does not seem so difficult, but if you try to take it without having sufficient preparation and mobility of the joints, you can feel how difficult it is.

It may even be thought that it is too difficult for beginners, and only indian yoga hermits or some ascetic monks. But this, of course, is not the case. Acting clearly and consistently, guided by common sense and the experience of wise teachers, one can achieve the result and take the Lotus position in a perfect way.

At the same time, don't rush or force things.

For some beginners, Padmasana may take a long time to complete, and prematurely attempting it carries the risk of injury to the knees.

Therefore, it is better to take a slow and sure step to make your first Padmasana than to rush and leave the game without reaching the goal.

It will be easiest to take the lotus position for those who have good stretch and flexible joints. The lower their mobility, the more difficult it is to achieve a result. However, do not despair - Padmasana can be mastered even by older people, which means that study and training are simply necessary.

So here's the step by step guide:

Take a comfortable position in the pose.
Straighten your back, try to relax your body and focus your Mind.
Grab your right foot with your hands and slowly place it on your left thigh, as close to your stomach as possible.
Grab your left foot with your hands and slowly place it on your right thigh.
Stretch your spine up.
Pull your shoulders back and down.
Open your chest.
Pull the top of your head up.
Remove excessive deflection in the lower back, giving the coccyx forward.
Lower your chin a little.
Put your hands on your knees in, or another
Touch the floor with both knees.

Close your eyes halfway and hold this posture throughout your meditation. Try to calm the Mind and relax, feel like a lotus floating on the surface of a lake. Your breathing should be free, inhale and exhale without tension. Try to watch your body breathe in and then breathe out.

In the photo below you can see a photo of the Lotus pose.

The question is often asked, which leg should be on top and which should be on the bottom?

In the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, the description of the asana begins like this: “Place the right heel on the left thigh, the left heel on the right thigh . Further clarification is given that it is necessary to place the feet on the thighs of opposite legs.

From this we can conclude that it does not matter which leg is on top and which is on the bottom. Change legs alternately in the Lotus position, thereby you will balance the energies in the body and the hips will be stretched evenly.

Most often it happens that in some one position, in my case, this is when the left leg is on top, it is easier to sit. When the right leg is on top, the pose is less comfortable and requires more careful study. Therefore, practice with a different crossover of the legs is logical and reasonable.

Preparation for Padmasana for beginners

If you are unable to sit in the Lotus position, do a few exercises that allow you to prepare for Padmasana by stretching the muscles of the thighs. And also, you can perfectly meditate and gradually prepare the body for the full Lotus in the pose. This asana is very good for beginners, and I recommend that you master it first.

If the Lotus pose does not come out, do the following exercise:

take a sitting position on the floor;
bend your knees in front of you and connect your feet;
spread your knees as wide as possible;
clasp your toes with your hands; as you exhale, tilt the body forward;
lightly press your knees, elbows to the floor.

In the image you can see me doing this exercise. The inclined body body allows you to press your elbows on your knees.

It is important in the Lotus position that the knees touch the floor and the back is straight. If this does not happen, use improvised materials. Such as:

pads;
blanket;
yoga cube;
roller;
additional yoga mat.

If you need improvised materials, a yoga mat, cubes and others, I recommend looking at this store.

In the photo you can see me sitting on a pillow under my buttocks

Sit with your buttocks on a blanket folded several times, or whatever you have available from the above. Thus, you artificially raise the pelvis off the ground, and the knees naturally fall down. If, in this case, it is not possible to reach the floor with your knees, then place pads under them, creating stability and at the same time relaxation in this position.

Benefits and harms of the Padmasana lotus position

Padmasana, like all phenomena in the world, has positive and negative sides. The main thing here is to find a balance in order to bring only good to your body, and in no case harm.

Benefits of Padmasana

The pose benefits your breathing, back muscles, and spine, and is also beneficial to your heart and circulatory system. The lotus position helps to increase the mobility and flexibility of the ligaments and joints. But its influence is not limited to physical indicators.

After the Lotus pose is fully mastered, it becomes one of the most relaxing asanas, speeds up thought processes, and improves memory. Proper execution Lotus posture raises the vital force upward, helping to focus and achieve deeper concentration during meditation and breathing practices.

That is why it is necessary to keep the back perfectly straight so as not to block the energy in the body.

Harm of the lotus pose

Despite all amazing properties that the lotus position has, if you have injuries to your knees, hips or ankles, the pose is not recommended.

Since Padmasana at the very beginning creates a serious load on these parts of the body, and if there are sharp pains or injuries in them, this can lead to an aggravation.
Practicing padmasana, sometimes you can feel how your back hurts and ache, as well as your legs become numb. If this happens, release the asana and rest a little, stretching the legs and turning the body, alternately in different directions.

However, if you have never practiced yoga, you do not need to try to quickly master it. For beginners in the world of yoga, there are dangers. Do not try at all costs to perform Padmasana without having special training. If during the lesson you experience pain, your health worsens, be sure to consult with a specialist.

Padmasana for women

Lotus position - Padmasana, is very favorable for women.
To master it, it is necessary to develop the mobility of the hip joints, and it is this area that is most important for women. The health of the genitourinary system, the absence of complications during pregnancy and easier delivery are directly related to the mobility of the pelvis.

It is impossible to get around the purely aesthetic side of the matter: in addition to health, a girl practicing yoga acquires a truly flourishing appearance..

Lotus position during pregnancy

A direct link has long been identified between yoga classes of pregnant women and their subsequent easy childbirth.

Can pregnant women sit in the lotus position?

Padmasana for women is generally very useful and its practice during pregnancy will only benefit. This will help to make the body more flexible, get rid of back pain, and also avoid many difficulties during childbirth. In addition, the lotus position is a training correct breathing and the ability to relax, which will also be very important during the birth of a child.

Video master class on how to sit in the Lotus position

And in conclusion, I suggest you watch a video clip in which I explain how to perform Padmasana correctly.

That's all. I tried to describe Padmasana, the Lotus position, as clearly as possible. If you have any questions, I will be happy to answer them in the comments to this article.

Lotus position is one of the main yoga asanas, aimed at relaxation. It is used for meditation and is the base for any complex of asanas. It stretches the broad and adductor muscles of the thigh, as well as the anterior muscle groups of the lower leg. This pose depicts the Hindu god Shiva and the founder of Buddhism, Siddhartha Gautama. Padmasana has a unique calming effect and also serves to train concentration.

Position

To take the Padmasana position, sit on the floor with your legs stretched out between you. Straighten your spine and neck and stretch them vertically, and stretch your arms along the body.

Grab one leg, clasping the ankle - right, and thumb- left hand. Bending the knee, place the foot on the thigh of the second leg, touching the heel of the abdomen. Lower your knee to the floor and place your foot pointing up. Do the same with the second leg, but change the position of the hands: now the right hand should grab the big toe, and the left should grab the ankle. Place your leg over the thigh of your other leg and lower your knee to the floor. Turn your foot upside down. Your spine should be straight and your knees and hips should be on the floor. Place your hands as you like: on the hips or knees, preferably slightly bent at the elbows.

Relax, close your eyes, but don't lose the sense of your position. After you spend some time in this asana, change the position of the legs: the one that lay below, gently move it up. Also, turn your feet up and lower your knees.

Execution features

You must perform the asana correctly, taking into account all the subtleties of performance. If you do not follow fairly simple rules, you can not only deprive yourself of a beneficial effect, but even harm yourself and your body.

The lotus position is aimed at opening the hip joints, so all standing yoga poses that open the pelvis serve positively for it.

Do not rush to sit in Padmasana. If you didn’t succeed right away, then slowly, each time getting closer, move your feet to your stomach. With daily practice, it will be easy enough for you to take this position. This applies to all yoga poses for stretching the muscles.

There is a simplified version of this asana: put the foot of the right leg bent at the knee under the left thigh, and put the foot of the bent left leg under the right bootleg. There is also the so-called Half Lotus position, in which only one foot is placed on the thigh, and after some time the legs change.

If you do not have sufficient flexibility, but you managed to sit in the Lotus position, then the next day you may feel pain in the lumbar region and knee joints: so your body will respond to an unusual load for it. Don't worry, as your yoga practice progresses, this reaction will go away.

All muscles of the body, except for the muscles that straighten the spine, should be as relaxed as possible during the performance of Padmasana. Breathing should be even. You can do breathing exercises. In no case do not raise your chin and do not arch your lower back forward.

Exercises to Facilitate the Lotus Pose

For those who are just new to yoga, there are exercises for the least painful preparation of the body for Padmasana:

1. Sit on the floor with your knees bent. Helping with your hands, pressing on your knees, gently pull them to the left and right sides to the floor. Try to get your knees to the floor. Your movements should not hurt you.

2. Sit on the floor with your knees bent. Spread your knees as far as possible and connect your feet together. Lean forward and stretch your arms out in front of you. Try to reach your forehead with your feet.

3. Sit on the floor with your right leg extended in front of you, and your left leg bent so that the heel is located at the buttock. Bend forward, bringing your left hand behind your back so that you can wrap it around bent leg. Now wound up behind your back right hand grab your left hand and slowly turn your body to the right. Change the position of the legs and arms and repeat the exercise, turning to the left side.

Also, to ease the sensations during the performance of Padmasana, you can put a thick blanket folded several times under the buttocks.

Benefit

When answering the question of how the Lotus pose is useful, it is impossible not to mention all the points of its positive influence.

First, good posture is formed and maintained.
Secondly, muscle tension and blood pressure are reduced.
Thirdly, digestion improves.
Fourth, it increases the mobility and flexibility of the muscles.
Fifthly, this pose has a positive effect on the pelvic organs, as well as on the muscles. lower extremities and periarticular soft tissues.

The Lotus position is very useful for pregnant women: it prepares the pelvic muscles for childbirth and avoids ruptures. Also, women who practice this pose during pregnancy are less prone to postpartum depression and are generally more calm and positive during the entire nine months. It is especially useful in combination with breathing exercises, which will saturate the body of the mother and child with oxygen. Many pregnant women admit that they feel comfortable only in this position, as it relieves tension from the back.

How to sit in the Lotus position for a pregnant woman correctly? Do not create a load on the spine, distribute body weight evenly: no need to cross your legs, just sit in Turkish. This will prevent circulatory disorders, which during pregnancy is very dangerous for the health of the baby.

Contraindications

As such, there are no contraindications, but try to refrain from doing the Lotus position if you have damage to the joints, muscles or tendons of the legs. This can only exacerbate the problem.

For pregnant women whose childbearing occurs with deviations, it is recommended to discuss the performance of Padmasana with a doctor. Otherwise, you can harm your unborn child: many yoga poses, including the Lotus position, put pressure on the uterus. It would be right to refrain from practicing. During pregnancy, you can perform a number of other asanas, the benefits and harms of which you can find out from your doctor or a qualified yoga teacher.
Lotus position for meditation

Padmasana is not without reason used in yoga for meditation: a straightened spine allows you to open all the chakras and allow energy to pass freely through the whole body. Thanks to the closed posture of the legs, the energy does not go through the bottom to Hell and sins are forgiven.

The results of such meditation will be the purification and calming of the mind, restoration of strength and good rest.

Yoga practitioners know that at the heart of the ancient teachings there are several basic asanas that are key to other positions. This is the lotus position in yoga. It is considered a relaxing asana and is aimed at healthy people. The famous image of this pose is the image of the meditating ascetic god Shiva, who is considered the founder of Buddhism. How to learn how to enter such an asana correctly, and what are the benefits of such a yogic exercise, we will describe further.

The Lotus Pose, reminiscent of the shape of the Nut-bearing Lotus flower, has been used by practitioners since the era ancient india and requires a lot of effort to complete.

Features and Benefits

Known not only to yogis, but to many ordinary people, the Lotus position is a "classic". Very often it is used to depict practitioners who can stay in one position for a long time with an unshakable expression on their faces. Such an association arises in the head of every non-practicing person who starts talking about yoga.

There is a long-standing stereotype that this is the easiest pose in yoga. However, those who come into contact with the most ancient teaching can safely assure that this is not so. The lotus position requires a lot of physical and spiritual effort from a person, as well as knowledge of the basics of safety. That is why on initial stage To master this asana, beginners need to seek help from instructors. If the exercise is carried out without observing correct technique, it will simply be useless. And in some cases - even harm the human body.

During the execution of the "flower" asana, not only physical parameters bodies, but also spiritual ones. Therefore, it is believed that Padmasana (this is the name of the lotus position in Sanskrit) is very useful for relaxation and improving concentration.

How else is such an asana useful in yoga?

Firstly, during the performance of this posture, the correct and beautiful posture, stoop is eliminated and the relief of the back is preserved.
Secondly, the overvoltage is removed from muscle fibers and improves blood microcirculation.
Thirdly, metabolic processes improve, which has a positive effect on the digestive system.

In addition, with a long stay in this position, the muscles of the legs are stretched. This means that their flexibility increases and the mobility of the musculoskeletal system increases.

From the point of view of the oldest Buddhist teaching, Padmasana:

contributes to the "burning" of the sins of the practicing yogi by raising apana-vayu, and also prevents loss vital energy through channels in the legs leading to Hell;
helps to raise the flows of apana energy, so that when mixed with prana-vayu, a person can get rid of the illusion of the present and learn to accept the environment as it is;
activates the central channel (sushumna) and raises energy flows through it to sahasrara, which contributes to the awakening of the Kundalini.

Step-by-step instructions for mastering the position

How to do this yogic exercise right, to get the maximum benefit from it, both spiritual and physical? To sit in the divine flower pose, as we said earlier, you need to have a sufficient level physical training and practice experience.

The rest is up to technique. Step-by-step instruction how to take the correct lotus position is as follows:

In order to try to master the position of the divine Indian flower, you can also use the detailed video instruction.

Like some yoga positions, Padmasana has its contraindications. Therefore, before starting to engage in the spiritual practice of relaxation, you should first consult with your mentor and preferably with your doctor. Usually, a contraindication to practicing yoga in the form of a lotus position is an injury to the ankles and, of course, the knees, because they are most stressed during the exercise.

How to facilitate the development of Padmasana?

One of the main classical positions that includes - the lotus position is mastered gradually. To facilitate this process, as well as increase the time spent in Padmasana, you can additionally perform the following exercises:

Padmasana is one of the sparing, useful and versatile positions in yoga, the implementation of which is available to almost everyone. Even pregnant women who practice spiritual teaching, you can master Padmasana, if the expectant mother has no contraindications for performing the Lotus pose.

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