Lisa’s Asana 101 Pose of the Week l Lotus l Padmasana

Lisa’s Asana 101 Pose of the Week l Lotus l Padmasana

This asana is common for sitting in meditation or contemplation for periods of time, as well as working on the breath. I will cover beginning a meditation and Pranayama practice with you in another post.

Sitting on your mat or a firm folded blanket, folded edge just under your hips, find your sitting bones reaching down and grounding you into the Earth.

Begin by sitting in simple seated pose, legs crossed under the body. Spine straight, chin level with the Earth. Lift from the crown of the head on the inhale, and on the exhale release the sits bones and tail bone down, softening the lower back.

Work you way into Half Lotus, if your hips are ready. Bring the entire ankle up and place it on top of the opposite femur (the largest leg bone), ensuring the ankle isn’t sickling down and causing flexion.

Breathe here for several minutes.

If this is comfortable, then bring the other ankle up and place it on the opposite femur. Straighten the spine and again ground through the sitting bones and tail. Breathe into this posture for 1 minute working your way into 3, then 5 then 10 minutes.

Combining Lotus posture with Pranayama (breath control and retention) is essential to meditation.

Finding time each day for a moment for yourself, breathing and simply being present with the moment allows your mind to begin to focus and be still. This is the first step into creating a stress free life.

Namaste.