Based on the experience of many years of practice, I have identified for myself 10 yoga poses that help to “develop” the Lotus.

"Butterfly" - "Purna Titali-asana" (dynamics, statics)

Perhaps the best of all techniques for landing in the Lotus. We sit down with a straight back, connect the soles of the legs (knees to the sides) and begin to swing the knees towards the rug (floor) - this is similar to the movements of the wings of a butterfly, hence the name of the pose. If your knees have limited mobility and the movement has only a small amplitude - do not worry, over time your legs will “work out”. If the knees reach the mat in lowest point- also not a problem, just don't hit them hard on the mat, it's not useful. This is a dynamic form of pose. After “warming up” in dynamics, we also perform statics - we direct our knees to the floor as far as possible without discomfort, freeze and hold the pose for 30-60 seconds or more. IMPORTANT: 1) do not put pressure on your knees with your hands! This is possible only in the case of experienced yogis and if there is already a landing in the Lotus, otherwise it is traumatic; 2) Don't let anyone put pressure on your knees! - this is even more dangerous for the knees (and hips).

Rotation of the leg "from the hip" while sitting (dynamics)

This is done while sitting on the mat with one leg extended forward and rotating the other leg away from the byrd, bending it at the knee. "Work through" - means rotation at the maximum amplitude as SLOWLY as possible. Rapid rotation of the joints is harmful, traumatic, remember this. A full leg rotation cycle cannot take less than 3-4 seconds! Turn on your muscles - it will not be easy, it will be intense and useful. Rotate one and the other foot in both directions (clockwise and counterclockwise). From 10 times in each direction. The whole process takes about 5 minutes. In Satyananda Yoga this technique is called Shroni Chakra.

Rotation of the leg "only the knee" while sitting (dynamics)

In Satyananda Yoga this technique is called Janu Chakra. The obvious difference is that we fix the hip and rotate only the knee. Hold the leg at the hip lower part hips); you can take and "under the knee." We rotate the knee SLOWLY! It is very important. If you rotate your knee slowly, in full amplitude, carefully, without being distracted by extraneous thoughts - that's exactly how this technique should be done. If at the same time “something cracks” in the knee, do not worry - such a phenomenon happens, it is not harmful (in the same way, the joints of the fingers “crack” in some people, medicine has not yet revealed a connection between this effect and some kind of pathology).

Foot rotation (dynamics)

Until our hip joints are fully worked out and our knees are not rubber, part of the load in the Lotus will definitely lie on the foot! This is 100% reality for the vast majority of people - there is no need to be ashamed of this and hush up this fact. The fact that your foot is pressed against you will be observed by years of training, and you will have to come to terms with it, in fact. But what we can do is to stretch the foot before blocking it in Lotus: this will help make the sensation of sitting in the pose noticeably more comfortable, and at the same time protect against injury! The same thing that was done above: one leg is extended forward, the other is bent, and now we put the foot on the foot, rotate the free foot in a circle - again, I remind you, very, very slowly, and in maximum amplitude. To one side and the other. About 2 minutes. In Satyananda Yoga this technique is called Gulf Gurnan.

"Semi-butterfly" with the support of the free leg with the feet on the floor (variation of "Ardha Titali asana"; statics\dynamics)

We sit down as for a “half-butterfly” - one leg is extended forward, the other is bent at the knee and the foot is placed on the thigh of the other leg (the starting position in order to sit in a real Lotus!). Now we put the straightened forward (free) leg with the foot on the floor. At the same time, we avoid painful sensations in the bent leg - if they appear in this position, the posture is premature. If there is no pain, we remain in this position for 2-3 minutes, relaxing all the muscles of the legs and lower part of the pelvis, “get used to”, “fix” in the pose. Then we do the same, on the other side (we changed legs). When the pose is mastered, you can turn on the swaying of the leg bent at the knee (both hands - on bent leg: on the knee and on the ankle, we control the joints). Finally, when it is comfortable, we try to put the foot that we have on the floor a little closer to the body (pelvis). And again we “get used” to the pose, in statics. Then we add a little bit of dynamics. And so it comes to the point that the leg bent at the knee is already literally under the body, propping up the leg that is on the knee with the foot. At this stage, you can already lay the second (upper) leg into the Lotus without any problems - try it! This is a rather radical, intensely affecting exercise, it must be performed with extreme caution.

Sitting with a straight back

Sitting in Padmasana implies not only a “pretzel” from the legs, but also the comfort of the back - otherwise the pose turns into torment in a matter of minutes! Therefore, a technical landing in the Lotus is not only a study (“opening”) hip joints and knees, but also work with the back. For the back (in addition to performing a variety of asanas included in your daily complex and involving the back, such as Trikonasana), it is very useful to do a pose, which in Satyananda Yoga is called Prarambhik sthiti - “basic form”, “starting position”. This is a sitting position - we stretch our legs forward and lean our hands behind the body (fingers pointing away from us). In this position, the back should be straight! We try to relax our shoulders, necks, back, transferring all the work to our hands, which can and will be in good shape. IMPORTANT: we do not allow discomfort in the wrists (if it appears, we change the position of the hands to a more comfortable one: closer or further from the body, we try).

Hanumanasana - "twine"

It is much easier and more comfortable to sit in the Lotus on well-stretched and relaxed, not tense legs. Therefore, even if you "do not like" Hanumanasana, do it every day, at least a little, very calmly and relaxed ("without strain"!), For 3-5 minutes on each side. Do not allow pain in the asana - this is the right way to make it not just "unloved", but hated. Protect and love your body! We make twine both longitudinal and transverse. The lotus will be our well-deserved reward for our labors.

"Bicycle" or Pada Sanchalanasana ("foot rotation")

Performed lying on your back: bend one leg at the knee and begin to perform rotational movements almost as if we are pedaling a bicycle, and in more detail, in phases:

• Raise the straight leg
• We bend the leg at the knee and raise the thigh to the chest as far as possible (if it is easy, we press it directly under the armpit!)
• Raise your leg up and straighten (as far as you can)
• Lowering the straight leg away from you
• The heel does not touch the floor, and even more so do not hit the heel on the floor! We continue the rotation without a break, 10 times. Then 10 times counterclockwise or in the other direction. We do the same with the other leg. We try to breathe deeply, full yogic breathing.

Khandarasana (Shoulderstand) - aka "Half Bridge"

Long hold in static: from 5 to 15 minutes. Holding the Half Bridge for a long time releases you from background, chronic tensions and blocks in the pelvic and urinary organs. This radically facilitates the performance of many yoga poses, including sitting in the Lotus. In the 20th century, this technique of traditional yoga was "rediscovered" and popularized by one of Freud's students - Wilhelm Reich, it is known as the "orgasm reflex". The practice has a number of contraindications, including heart disease, asthma, epilepsy (in these cases, it is performed only under the supervision of an instructor or doctor). Technique has different variants performance, including a full hour. But in line with yoga, it is enough to perform 10-15 minutes in statics, and for weakened and elderly people, even 5 minutes is enough - a good effect will already be noticeable.

Inverted poses: Sirshasana, Sarvangasana, Viparita Karani asana

As mentioned above, for comfort in the Lotus, your legs must be relaxed, freed from tension, hypertonicity, blocks, toxins. Inverted poses, probably already familiar to you from yoga practice, do an excellent job with these tasks. The simplest of them is Viparita Karani Asana (“Inverted Pose”), a little more difficult is Sarvangasana (Shoulder Stand or Birch from exercise therapy), the most difficult is Headstand, Sirshasana. It is important to completely relax the legs in all these poses, in no case pull the toe up “ballet-like”. Achieve the feeling of airy, weightless legs. This is one of the "secrets" of landing in the Lotus, and a good prevention of varicose veins. Do not forget to technically - accurately, completely controlled (not by falling!) And smoothly - enter and exit inverted poses, as well as correctly place your shoulders and head, then the practice of inverted asanas will bring you great benefit and only pleasant sensations. (In case of discomfort, ask your yoga instructor for an explanation of the technique).

Alexey Sokolovsky is a teacher of classical Hatha yoga (“according to Satyananda”), who has been practicing yoga for over 15 years. Leading seminars on yoga. www.hanuman.ru

Photo: curejoy.com

Or padmasana - one of the most important postures for meditation (and not only for yogis), because it is the crossing of the legs into a kind of lock that allows you to reverse the downward energy of apana-vayu. This asana calms nervous system, removes energy blocks, restores dynamic balance. On physical level we strengthen the back, improve muscle elasticity, stretch the hip joints. But why are many yoga teachers in no hurry to seat beginners in padmasana, even more than that, they themselves avoid doing this asana in their presence?

The thing is that the lotus position can be dangerous for beginners. Many beginners perceive padmasana as a kind of circus act and are in a hurry to twist their legs, imitating the guru. And this is fraught with serious stretching. Therefore, approach the performance of the asana seriously and carefully, and not just as a spectacular exercise. Yes, it may take you more than one week before you do the lotus position, but you should not rush, as in all yogic aspects.

So, we will talk about how to learn the lotus position. First of all, it is worth starting with exercises that stretch the hips and ankle joints. For us, European people who are used to sitting on a chair (unlike Indians, who have been sitting on the floor since childhood and have no difficulty with padmasana), this is extremely important.

Lotus Pose Exercises

Preliminary exercises:

• stretching your legs and pressing your feet to each other, stretch forward, trying to touch your feet with your hands, and your knees with your face. Keep your back and legs as straight as possible;
• repeat the previous exercise, only with legs apart, trying to touch the floor as far as possible, stretch your face and chest down;
• get down and sit on your knees, then spread them apart. Leaning on your hands, slowly bend back to lie on your back on the floor. Spread your feet to the side;
• sit on the floor, clasping your shin in your hands and lifting it up. The knee should lie on one elbow for a long time, and the foot - as in a cradle - on the other. Rock the "cradle" back and forth. Repeat with the second leg.

In addition, two very effective asanas can be performed that will prepare you for the correct lotus position:

Janu sirshasana:

• sit with your legs stretched forward;
• the foot of one leg must be placed on the thigh of the other. Try to make sure that the knee touches the floor;
• keeping your back straight, lean forward, trying to lie with your chest on a straight leg. Grasp the foot of the straightened leg with your hands.

Baddha konasana. We all know this pose as the butterfly exercise:

• sit on the floor with your back straight and your feet together;
• pull your feet to the perineum at a comfortable, but as close as possible distance for you;
• put your hands on your knees to stretch the hip area with small springy pressures (they should not cause much discomfort!)
• another option is to wiggle your hips, imitating the fluttering of a butterfly's wings. Try to keep your back, neck and head as straight as possible.

If you did everything correctly, then after a while you will feel that you are finally ready to take the lotus position.

Correct lotus posture

Pose for meditation.

All the secrets of the right and comfortable posture for meditation

Tags: Meditation. Where to begin?

A yogi sitting in a lotus position, with his legs almost tied in a knot, and a perfectly straight back - this is the image that comes to mind for most people when asked about the posture for meditation. Therefore, people who start meditating for the first time immediately have a lot of questions about the best position to do it. After all, they don’t want to tie their legs in a knot, it’s also hard for many to keep their back straight. In general, there are difficulties.

In today's article, I want to highlight two issues. First, we will look at the basic postures suitable for beginners in meditation. Secondly, we will talk about the principles that will help you find the perfect position for yourself that is right for you. The fact is that we are all different, we all have different bodies and, accordingly, different possibilities and limitations.

If you are just starting to master the practice, then the posture for meditation must be comfortable. It happens that people refuse to master meditation because they are not comfortable for a long time in those positions that are recommended for practice. And then you should deviate from the recommended instructions and find a pose that takes into account individual characteristics. Knowing the principles of constructing a posture for meditation, you can find for yourself a position of the body in which you will be really comfortable.

So let's start with the first question.

Basic postures for beginners in meditation

1. Turkish sitting

You can meditate while sitting on the floor with your legs crossed.
You can sit on pillows. Then the pelvis is slightly higher than the legs, and this prevents them from flowing.

If you have a bad stretch and your legs are on weight, you can also put pillows under your hips.

2. Sitting on a chair

In this case, the back should be straight, the legs should be firmly on the floor.

3. Meditation lying on your back

In this case, the arms and legs are slightly retracted from the body. You can even meditate while lying on the bed, but it is better to do it on the floor, since the rigid support allows you to properly position the spine. For convenience, you can put a small pillow under the lower back.

Many people wonder if it is possible to meditate while lying on your back. The answer is: yes, you can. However, it should be borne in mind that this position of the body often causes drowsiness and interferes with meditation. Therefore, whenever possible, it is worth choosing other poses for practice.

There are times when the supine meditation position is the perfect choice. This applies to situations where a person in a sitting position has serious physical discomfort.

By the way, about how to choose a posture for meditation, if during practice there are unpleasant sensations associated with the posture of the body, there is a separate one on my blog.

Of course, there are other postures for meditation, but they are more complex, but I still suggest starting with a simple one. In addition, in order to use meditation in your Everyday life and to get tangible results, in my opinion, those three poses that I mentioned are quite enough. Personally, I most often meditate while sitting Turkish and sometimes sitting in a chair, and I get results from the practice that I am completely satisfied with.

It would seem that what could be easier than, for example, sitting on a chair with a straight back? But even this simple instruction has its pitfalls. Therefore, now we will move on to the second question and analyze the principles of constructing postures for meditation.

Principles of posture for meditation

1. Feel grounded

Feel the weight of your body relative to the ground and how you feel supported. If you are sitting on a chair or in Turkish, then the weight of the body should "drain" into the pelvis, and the pelvis should be a support. Feel the pelvic bones you are sitting on. Feel how they rest on the surface of the chair or floor.

During meditation, distribute your body weight symmetrically so that both pelvic bones rest equally on the surface you are sitting on.
If you are sitting on a chair, also feel the support in your legs.
If you are lying down, feel how your body weight is distributed on the floor. Make sure that the body position is symmetrical.

2. Watch your back

When you meditate, your back should be straight and perpendicular to the floor (that is, you should not lean forward or backward).

Experiment and start slouching. Pay attention: what happens to the support? Does the weight continue to “drain” into the pelvis? When we slouch, the weight of the body shifts forward. These are the laws of physics.
Now lean back, for example, leaning on the back of a chair. Where has the weight of the body moved from the pelvis? According to the laws of physics, it moves backward.

Let's see why it is so important that the weight of the body flows into the pelvis.
Take a thick book and put it upright on the table. Like this:

Costs? Certainly. And for this you do not need to make any effort. It does not need to be specially supported. Now put the book aside. Fell? Yes, if you did not spend extra effort to keep it in a tilted position. By itself, without your help, the book will not stand like this. This is against the laws of physics.

Now let's get back to the meditation posture. When your back is straight and in a position perpendicular to the floor, your posture is like a book standing upright on a table. No extra effort is needed to hold this position, and therefore it involves maximum relaxation.

As soon as you start to deviate from this position, they begin to tense up. additional muscles so that you, like a book, do not fall, but maintain a sitting posture. Too much tension interferes with meditation.
If, for example, you not only leaned back, but leaned back on the back of the chair, using not the muscles of your own body to hold the pose, but relying on the back of the chair, in this case, too, oddly enough, you will most likely experience excessive muscle tension, who are supposed to be relaxed during meditation. If you lean back, then to maintain balance, the head changes its position, goes a little forward, while the neck muscles tighten.

In addition, leaning back in a chair, your body is likely to come into a position that will prevent free and deep breathing. I will talk about this in more detail below.

3. Avoid kinks and unnecessary tension in the back

This point follows from the previous one. Often people are not accustomed to keeping their back straight, and trying to do this either creates unnecessary tension, or they quickly begin to slouch or tend to lean on the back of a chair. As a rule, this is due to the underdevelopment of those back muscles that are responsible for keeping the spine in a straight position.

If you find that it is difficult for you to sit with a straight back for a long time, use a support during meditation on the wall or back of a chair using a pillow. So you can keep your back straight without undue stress.

In addition, in this situation, you should regularly do simple physical exercise to strengthen the back muscles.

In an effort to sit with a straight back, some people put their muscles in unnecessary tension. Most often, this causes tension in the lower back or in the thoracic region. Outwardly, it looks like too much extension. That is, the back is not in a straight position, but arched.

In order to track excess tension, remember that the weight of the body should “drain” into the pelvis. If there is tension somewhere, then this prevents such a runoff. Therefore, remember the support on which you sit. Imagine how the weight of the body flows into the pelvis, and through the pelvis goes to the floor or into the seat of the chair. This will protect you from excessive tension in the back.

4. Body position should help free deep breathing

If you have followed all three of the previous principles, you have most likely already adopted a body position that promotes proper breathing. However, I would like to draw your attention to some nuances, as they are very important.

Free and deep breathing- the basis of a state of relaxation and peace. Breathing is closely related to emotions. A stressed person instinctively holds his breath. Most people have shallow breathing. Many tend to delay it often, preventing the rhythmic and calm passage of the air flow through Airways. This type of breathing indicates that a person is in a state of chronic emotional stress. By the way, on my website there is a separate article on how to achieve physical and emotional relaxation using simple breathing techniques. Read it.

Freeing our breathing, making it deeper, even and calm, we are freed from unnecessary emotional stress, returning to a state of deep calm. Therefore, during meditation, it is desirable to maintain calm, deep, even breathing.

It is worth saying that if you are used to breathing shallowly, it may not be possible to immediately release your breath to the full extent. Therefore, you should not immediately strive at all costs to breathe in the right way. If you practice meditation regularly, gradually your breathing will become more and more free. However, from the very beginning it is important to create conditions in order to free your breath. A prerequisite correct breathing is the correct position of the body.

In order to understand which body position is correct, let's recall the school biology course and analyze how the breathing process occurs.

Inhalation occurs due to the fact that the space inside increases chest and, following this, the volume of the lungs increases. As a result, air rushes into the respiratory tract. That is, our body works like a pump: by increasing the space of the chest, it draws air in, while reducing this space, it pushes the air out.

The space of the chest increases and decreases due to the ribs and diaphragm. The diaphragm is a muscle located on the border of the thoracic and abdominal regions. This muscle is shaped like a dome that points upward into the chest cavity. On inspiration, the diaphragm contracts and the dome flattens, therefore, the volume of the chest increases. As for the ribs, everything is clear. When you inhale, the ribs rise, and the volume of the chest increases.

And now, with this information, let's return to the analysis of body posture for meditation, which provides deep and free breathing.

There are people who are used to stooping, and therefore their chest looks sunken. From this position, the volume of the chest is very difficult to increase. And, accordingly, if you stoop, then you can release your breath only after straightening your chest.
So, make sure that your chest is straightened.

Now about the diaphragm. The diaphragm is a muscle that is very sensitive to stress. She often spasms as a result of emotional stress. There is even an expression: "Sucked in the pit of the stomach." In a stressful situation, many people experience discomfort in the area. solar plexus(this is the area where the stomach is located, where the chest cavity ends and the abdominal cavity begins). Such sensations are often associated with excessive tension of the diaphragmatic muscle. Excessive tension of the diaphragm leads to the fact that breathing becomes more shallow. Outwardly, such tension looks like a slight compression around this area.

If you are prone to contraction of the diaphragmatic area, you can begin to meditate with either the back of the chair or the wall behind you. Then you can put a pillow behind at the level of this area and lean a little on the pillow. This will help you straighten this area.

So, I hope, after reading this article, you have an understanding in what position to meditate correctly.

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 striven 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 alignment. 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 a Turkish position, 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 mutual 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.

One of the main exercises during classes is the lotus position. How to learn to sit in the lotus position - we will consider in this article.

What is the benefit of posture?

First of all, the lotus position is useful for shaping and maintaining correct posture . In this asana there is a toning, an increase in muscles. An important fact is the improvement of blood circulation in the pelvic organs. A person who is in the lotus position improves his digestion,.

In addition, this position is the most convenient for. Yoga classes are practiced in the US Army as an alternative. Padmasana useful for. With the systematic implementation of this asana, it is possible to avoid ruptures during childbirth and prepare the pelvic muscles for labor.

Auxiliary asanas

The lotus position, at first glance, will seem one of the easiest in yoga. However, this is not the case, and it is quite difficult for beginners to immediately sit down in padmasana. To do this, you need to master a number of auxiliary asanas.

Pashchimottanasana

Paschimottanasana is a bend to the legs in a sitting position. To perform this pose, you need to take the starting position (Dandasana posture): sitting on the floor, straighten your legs. Next, follow next steps:

1. Reach your hands to your knees or shins without bending your back.
2. clasped hands lower limbs, pull forward and up.
3. Relax your back and lower yourself as low as possible to your feet. Breathe in this position for a minute.
4. You need to get out of the asana by pulling back and deflecting in the chest and back. Then go up until the spine is in a vertical position.

Important! When performing the exercise, make sure that the legs do not bend at the knees.

Upavistha konasana

Starting position - as in the previous asana, then spread at an angle of 90º or wider. The spine must remain perfectly straight. Rest your hands on the floor on the sides. The execution technique is as follows:

1. Stretch your chest muscles by pushing your hands off the floor.
2. Press the heels to the floor and tighten the knees.
3. Stay in this position for 30 to 60 seconds. Make sure that the body does not fall back or forward.
4. Then you should lean forward, grabbing your toes with your hands. At the same time, do not bend the lower limbs at the knees.
5. Stretch your spine forward. Lean as low as possible, trying to touch the floor.
6. Freeze in this position should be for 5-7 breath cycles.

Did you know? Yoga classes for two months help to reduce body weight by 20%.

baddha konasana

Ballha konasana or butterfly pose next exercise on the way to achieving the main goal: how to sit in the lotus position. To perform the asana, you need to sit on the floor, bend the lower limbs at the knees and press the feet to the groin. The next steps are:

1. Pull your hips out to the side until your knees hit the floor.
2. Grasp your feet with your hands, straighten your spine, look ahead of you. You need to stay in this position for as long as possible.
3. Next, you need to press the hips to the floor, exhale and lean forward, touching the floor first with your forehead, nose and then with your chin. It takes about a minute to be in this position.
4. Inhale, rise up to position p. 2.
5. Straighten your knees and relax.

Did you know? In India, shoemakers usually sit in the Baddha konasana pose during work.

Janu shirshasana

The last exercise, after which you will understand how to sit in padmasana correctly. The starting position is the same as for all previous asanas. Further the algorithm is:

1. Leave the right leg straight, and pull the heel of the left leg to the crotch.
2. Grab the shin right foot and stretch the spine forward and up.
3. The left thigh and buttock should be pressed to the floor.
4. Try to get as low as possible, pressing your stomach against the thigh of your right leg.
5. Take about 10 breathing cycles and return to the original position.