Lotus Pose, or Padmasana in Sanskrit, requires open hips and consistent practice. This pose creates an essential foundation for meditation practice while helping to manage stress with a conscious stretch in the front of the thighs and ankles.This asana is also called Sukhasan which is a comfortable posture.

The lotus is often found in Hindu iconography, associated with many powerful deities. Lakshmi (the goddess of abundance) is often shown sitting on an open lotus and holding another in her hand. The same is true of Ganesha, the elephant-headed destroyer of obstacles, and Lord Vishnu, who is said to represent the principle of preservation in the universe. And lore has it that wherever the Buddha walked, lotus flowers bloomed.

Padmasana (Lotus Pose) is both a grounding and energizing pose with powerful symbolism behind it.“A lotus is rooted in the mud, and when it grows, it blooms into a beautiful flower,” says Richard Rosen, the director of Piedmont Yoga Studio in Oakland, California. “In the same way, when a person begins yoga, they are rooted in the mud as part of the mundane world. But as they progress, they can grow into a blooming flower.”

Lotus boasts many physical and energetic benefits. This posture can help improve circulation in the lumbar spine, stretch the ankles and legs, and increase flexibility in the hips. It’s not just about stretching: “What is unique about Padmasana is that it’s both a grounding and a profoundly expansive pose,” says ParaYoga founder Rod Stryker, who has been teaching yoga since the late 1980s. “The grounding happens in the body, but energetically it directs our awareness toward the spine and the higher centers.”

Practice the pose to whatever extent your body allows, and don’t get caught up in achieving a “perfect” pose. To achieve full Lotus, both thighs must rotate externally in the hip sockets. The hip is a ball-and-socket joint with a circular range of motion that varies greatly from person to person. Some people will be able to do Lotus, and some won’t. 

Lotus Pose Basics

Sanskrit: Padmasana (pod-MAHS-anna)

Pose Type: Seated(sit with your hips on the ground)

Why We Love It: Whenever I’m cued to ‘come into a seated position’ during my yoga classes, I often opt to come into Lotus. This pose makes me feel grounded and at ease. Yet, at the same time, it’s a fantastic hip opener that really preps for my hips for a practice. -Ellen O’Brien, Staff Writer

Pose Benefits

Lotus Pose creates a foundation for meditation practices. It can help manage stress, and when done in a relaxed manner, activates the relaxation response (parasympathetic nervous system) and deactivates the stress response (sympathetic nervous system). Lotus Pose may help lower or regulate blood pressure. It also stretches the front of the thighs (quadriceps) and ankles.

Lotus Pose: Step-by-Step instructions

1. Sit on the floor with your legs extended. Bend your right knee and cradle your foot in your left hip crease. Rotate your leg from the hip, not the knee. Lift your sternum, extending your spine.
2. Lift your leg leg with the thigh rotated outward. Again, be careful to rotate from the hip.
3. Try not to let the ankles sickle. Release your knees towards the floor and lenthen your spine. If your spine rounds, sit on a folded blanket.
4. Take slow, deep breaths and stay in the pose as long as is comfortable.

Beginners’ tip

When you bring your foot across into the groin, maintain an even stretch of the inner and outer ankles in both feet. Don’t allow one side of your feet or legs to feel overstrained or taxed. Adjust or use a prop like a block of blanket if you are feeling strained.

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