Lotus Pose (Padmasana)
Padma means lotus and asana means posture. The crossed legs and upturned soles are said to resemble the flower sitting open on the surface of still water.
At a glance
- Sanskrit name
- Padmasana
- Pronunciation
- pud-MAH-suh-nuh. The first syllable is short, and the stress falls on the second.
- Family
- Seated and floor
- Practised in
- Vinyasa yoga
- In pregnancy
- Adapt
- After birth
- Adapt
Lotus Pose is the cross-legged seat most people picture when they think of yoga, and it is often used for breathing practice or sitting quietly at the end of a class. It is also easy to push too far, so the alternatives matter as much as the full pose. The name borrows one of the oldest images in Indian art, and what the lotus flower means in Hindu and Buddhist symbolism explains why.
In a Vinyasa practice at home we work on the hips first, and Half Lotus or a simple cross-legged seat is always a complete answer.
If the knees are not ready for Lotus, Cow Face Pose, with the knees stacked stretches the outer hips from a different angle.
How to do Lotus Pose
Sit on the mat with your legs straight out in front of you. If your hips are tight, sit on the edge of a folded blanket so the pelvis can tip slightly forward.
Bend your right knee and cradle the right shin in both arms. Rotate the whole leg outward from the hip before you do anything with the foot.
Lower the right foot into the crease of the left hip, sole turned up, heel close to the belly. Flex the foot a little so the ankle does not roll.
Bend the left knee and, again moving the leg from the hip, lift the left foot over the right shin and set it high on the right thigh.
Let both knees settle toward the floor, sit tall on your sitting bones and rest the hands on the knees. Breathe slowly for five to ten breaths.
Come out by lifting the top foot off with your hands, never by yanking the leg. Stretch both legs out, shake them loose, then cross in the other order.
My cues
- The rotation belongs in the hip socket. If you feel a pull on the inside or outside of the knee, that is my sign to have you stop and choose Half Lotus or a simple cross-legged seat.
- Hold the shin as if you were carrying something fragile, and bring the foot to the hip rather than the hip to the foot.
- Once you are in, forget the legs and lengthen through the spine. This shape is a seat for breathing, not a flexibility test.
Modifications
- Half Lotus: place only one foot on the opposite thigh and tuck the other foot under the knee. Change which foot is on top each time you sit.
- Sit higher on a firm cushion or two folded blankets so the knees can drop below the hips.
- Easy Pose, with the shins simply crossed, gives the same upright seat with no twisting load on the knee.
In pregnancy. Adapt. A cross-legged seat on a cushion is usually kinder than full Lotus during pregnancy, and this is not the time to work toward a new range in the hips. Leave room for the belly, and check with your OB or midwife before you start.
After birth. Adapt. After your doctor or midwife has cleared you to exercise, return to seated work in Easy Pose on a cushion. Save full Lotus for when sitting on the floor feels comfortable again, and come out if the pelvis or knees complain.
Common mistakes
- Forcing the foot into place with the hands while the hip stays closed. The knee then takes the twist the hip did not give.
- Resting the foot on the middle of the thigh instead of in the hip crease, which levers the knee and ankle.
Pairs well with
- Easy PoseSukhasana
- Butterfly PoseBaddha Konasana
- Seated Forward BendPaschimottanasana