Padmasana (Lotus Pose)

Padmasana also known as Lotus position has derived its name from the great benefits it offers. It is said that regular practice of Padmasana helps to experience a sense of purity, divinity and calmness. This yoga asana, which involves sitting with straight spine and legs crossed, offers health benefits for the entire body (thus allowing a person to bloom overall) and hence the name – Padmasana (Lotus pose). Padmasana is a part of various hatha yoga poses and is an important yoga asana for all the practitioners and yogis. This pose is mainly used during meditation.

How to do Padmasana?

Here are steps to perform Padmasana:

• Take your yoga mat and sit comfortably on it, with your legs stretched out in front of you. Keep your spine erect.
• Bend your right leg at the knee and place it on the left thigh, with the help of your hands, making sure that your sole point upward and the heel as much as possible is close to your abdomen.
• Now repeat the same process with your left leg. Holding your left foot with your hands, make it rest on your right thigh.
• Once you are in this position (with both the legs crossed and both feet placed on opposite thighs), place your hands on the respective knees in mudra position.
• Make sure that the sole of both your feet are turned upwards and the feet are close to your abdomen.
• Keep your spine erect and your hands straight.
• Gently breathe in and out and focus on maintaining balance and relaxation while in this pose.

Mudras for Padmasana:

The benefits of Padmasana of lotus pose can be enhanced by combining it with mudras. Mudras are hand gestures that help in circulating energy all through the body. Every mudra is different from each other, and each one has amazing benefits. Chin mudra, Adi mudra and Chinmayi mudra are the three mudras that can be performed with Padmasana.

1. Chin Mudra

Chin mudra is created or performed by bringing the tip of the thumb to the index finger, while keeping the rest of the fingers extended. It is said that this mudra can help to improve calmness and concentration. It also helps to enhance the meditation experience while performing Padmasana.

2. Adi Mudra

Adi mudra is created by curling up the thumb in the palm and then closing the remaining fingers over it. This mudra when performed with Padmasana is known to activate the root chakra, thus promoting stability and grounding. It is also known to strengthen the connection of your body with the earth.

3. Brahma Mudra

Brahma mudra is performed by connecting the fingertips of the hands while stretching the index finger in the upward direction. This mudra is known to achieve balance in the left and right hemispheres of the brain. When Brahma mudra is performed with Padmasana, it improves mental focus and brings about an awareness of balance and harmony.

Padmasana for beginners:

Like any other yoga asana, beginners may find it difficult in performing Padmasana. If there is a problem in overlapping both the legs while performing Padmasana, a person may also sit in Ardha – Padmasana (Half – Lotus Pose). This involves placing any one leg on the opposite thigh, while keeping the other leg relaxed. Slowly as you build your strength and improve flexibility of your hips and knees, you may progress to full Padmasana.

5 Benefits of Padmasana:

Padmasana or Lotus pose, provides a wide range of benefits to both the body and the mind. Regular practice of Padmasana not only helps to relax the mind and reduce muscular tension but is also known to improve digestion.

1. Improves digestive health

One of the main benefits of performing Padmasana is that it helps to improve digestion. While sitting in Padmasana, the abdominal organs get gently compressed, which helps to stimulate the digestive system and thus improve its functioning. This in turn helps to get relief from various digestive issues like constipation, bloating or indigestion.

2. Reduces muscular tension

Regular practice of Padmasana is known to reduce the tension in the muscles of the back and the hips. Padmasana requires sitting straight with an erect spine and feet crossed, thus helping to stretch the hip muscles and relieve any tension that may have built up and increasing the flexibility. It is also known to be helpful in strengthening the muscles of the back and core while offering support to the spine.

3. Relaxes the mind

A seated position is used while practicing meditation because it helps to calm the mind and aids in the meditation process. Padmasana improves concentration and focus by helping to attain inner peace, which in turn helps to reduce stress, anxiety and improve mental wellbeing.

4. Helps during childbirth process

If practiced by a pregnant female in the third trimester, Padmasana is known to be beneficial in labor pain and in reducing mental stress.

5. Reduces menstrual discomfort

Menstrual discomfort is a common problem in females nowadays due to poor lifestyle. Padmasana boosts the pelvic region and thus helps to reduce menstrual pain and discomfort.

Contraindications of the Padmasana

It is important to understand that even though Padmasana offers various health benefits, it might not be suitable for all. Here are some safety guidelines to be followed while performing Padmansana.

• To prepare your muscles and joints, always start with warm up exercises.
• If you are a beginner, start by practicing a simple seated position or Ardha Padmasana and progress slowly to prevent any injuries.
• Stop immediately if you feel any strain or discomfort while performing this asana.
• Ensure you are sitting and performing Padmasana in a comfortable and soothing environment.
• People suffering from any knee or ankle injury should perform this asana under the supervision of an experienced yoga trainer, as this posture puts a lot of pressure on the knees and the ankles and can worsen the injury.
• To stay relaxed and focused, to get the maximum benefits, and to avoid any injuries, maintain deep and controlled breathing while performing Padmasana.
• Pay attention to your body’s limitations while practicing Padmasana and do not over-exert.

Preparatory Poses before Padmasana

It is essential to practice certain poses to improve flexibility and prepare your body before performing Padmasana. These poses will not only help to build strength but also help to improve flexibility and endurance needed to safely and effectively perform Padmasana.

1. Ardha Matsyendrasana (Half Lord of the Fishes Pose)

Ardha Matsyendrasana is a seated asana that helps to stretch and loosen the muscles of the hip, thus preparing the hips and knees for performing the intense Padmasana.

2. Badhakonasana (Butterfly Pose)

Badhakonasana, is a yoga asana that makes your body ready for performing Padmasana by helping to loosen the hip muscles as well as stretch the inner parts of your thighs.

3. Janu Shirasasana (Head to Knee Pose)

This asana, which involves bending forward in a seated position, helps to stretch the muscles of the hamstrings and opens the hip muscles, making it easy to perform Padmasana without any injury.

4. Lotus in the chair pose

This pose is helpful for people who have difficulty in sitting down or who have restrictions in mobility. This is a pose performed while sitting in a chair.

Follow-up Poses after Padmasana

Like we practice cool down stretches after a workout session, it is important to follow Padmasana with poses that can help to ease down the tension between the muscles and joints and bring the body to a relaxed position. The follow up poses will help to enhance the benefits of Padmasana and also promote overall physical and mental health.

Here are few follow up poses to be done after Padmasana:

Conclusion

 Regular and consistent practice of Padmasana will help to improve your physical and mental well-being. Incorporating Padmasana in your everyday routine can help to achieve a sense of peace and tranquility. In order to achieve maximum benefits and to stay away from injuries, make sure that you practice Padmasana or any other yoga asana under the supervision of a trained yoga instructor. This will not only help you to experience better relaxation but will also enhance your concentration skills. It is always important to learn the correct techniques to gain maximum benefits. So find a calm place, perform Padmasana and find your inner peace.