LOTUS POSE
Padmasana (pah-nah-NAHS-ah-nah)
BENEFITS OF LOTUS POSE
- Opens the hips
- Stabilizes the back and the core
- Promotes body and self-awareness
- Clears up the mind, relieving stress
SUMMARY OF LOTUS POSE
Lotus Pose, or Padmasana, is a truly restorative yoga pose which can also serve as a part of one’s meditation practices. Mastering it allows the person to be completely aware of their body and their mind which comes very useful. The body gets stabilized in its healthy, natural state without any tension, pain or discomfort. Simultaneously, Lotus Pose provides some stretching benefits, namely by opening the hips. Furthermore, it happens to be mainly a Crown Chakra stimulant, opening the mind to new ideas and clearing up the already present thoughts.
LOTUS POSE TUTORIAL
1.) Begin cross-legged on your mat sitting tall.
2.) Take your right leg and bend it over your left, so that it rests in your left hip.
3.) Take the left lower leg and bend it over your right leg, so that it rests on your right hip.
4.) Rest your hands on your thighs and sit up straight. Breathe here for however long you would like to hold this pose.
5.) To exit the pose, simply reverse the steps. Repeat on the opposite side.
HEALTH BENEFITS OF LOTUS POSE
LOTUS POSE FOR OPENING THE HIPS
Lotus Pose actively opens the hips, preparing the practitioner for more advanced yoga poses.
LOTUS POSE FOR BACK AND CORE STABILIZATION
Lotus Pose promotes a healthy curvature of the spine as well as the natural back posture, engaging the supporting structures to take on their proper bolstering positions.
LOTUS POSE FOR BODY AND SELF-AWARENESS
Being a potent Crown Chakra stimulant, Lotus Pose allows the practitioner to connect to their inner self, increasing self-awareness both in terms of the body as well as the soul. Such an action significantly propagates self-consciousness and allows one to live in the present.
LOTUS POSE FOR RELIEVING STRESS AND ANXIETY
Lotus Pose synchronizes and harmonizes our breathing which makes it easier for us to process unwanted emotions and let go of stress and anxiety. The pose itself is a great relaxer.
Contraindications & Cautions
- Knee/leg/back injury
- Lower back pain or discomfort
Modifications & Deepening the Pose
LOTUS POSE VARIATION FOR OPENING THE SHOULDERS
Starting from the standard Lotus Pose, reach both hands to the back, extended, and clasp both hands together, intertwining the fingers with each other. On an inhale, lengthen the spine and open the chest and the shoulders as much as possible. On an exhale, feel the stretch and the opening. This variation of Lotus Pose provides the practitioner with a greater opening of the shoulders and the chest.
LOTUS POSE FOR STRENGTHENING THE ARMS
Starting from the standard Lotus Pose, place both hands flat on the ground one on each side of the trunk, making sure that the forearms are behind not in front of the folded legs. On an inhale, press the hands onto the ground and lift the folded legs up above the ground, eyes gazing forward. Engage the arm muscles to hold the balance. Release. This variation of Lotus Pose strengthens the muscles of the arm including the biceps and the triceps as well as the muscle of the core. It is also energizing as it is a typical Pitta stimulant.
