Do you want to learn how to meditate? For correct execution meditation, you need to give your body a certain position - the lotus position. How to learn the lotus position correctly so as not to injure yourself, we will tell in this article.
How to learn the lotus position: preparatory exercises
Lotus position: benefits
Of course, you have seen (in pictures or in movies) how yogis cross their legs in a kind of “castle”. This position allows you to calm the internal energy, relax muscle clamps, restore peace of mind.
In terms of recovery, this pose strengthens the muscles of the back and thereby creates a strong muscle corset for the correct position internal organs. With its regular performance, the elasticity of all skeletal muscle. Oh good stretched muscles- is a pledge physical activity and cheerfulness.
But looking at the photo, you should not immediately try to give your body the desired position. After all, it implies the presence of a good stretch in the hip and ankle joints.
Lotus position for beginners: preparatory exercises
Consider a few exercises that will help prepare you for this asana (pose).
Exercise number 1. Sit on the floor, stretch your legs, pressing them to each other. In this position with a straight back, try to reach your knees with your forehead.
Exercise number 2. Initial position- as in ex. No. 1. Now put the foot of one foot on the thigh of the other. Try using light pressure movements of the hand to put the knee bent leg on the floor. Repeat several times. Then repeat the whole cycle for the other leg.
Exercise number 3. Sitting on the floor, straighten your back and, bending your knees, connect your feet. Grab them with your palms. From this position, pull your closed feet as close to your perineum as possible. Stay in the position that feels comfortable to you. Now, with springy movements of your hands, press on your knees, trying to lay them on the floor. No need to move through the pain. Gradually, over time, you will succeed.
If you decide to start the practice of meditation, then you may have encountered a common problem - discomfort in the back, when trying to sit still for a long time. Naturally, for a comfortable stay in a sitting position, with a straight back, it is advisable to master Padmasana or Siddhasana. However, there is a simple way with which you can sit for a long time already at the beginning of yoga without experiencing discomfort.
Since meditation is one of the highest stages of yoga, the performance of asanas, by and large, is intended to prepare the body for the possibility of sitting for a long time in a motionless position, with a straight back. But such an opportunity appears only with a good disclosure of the hip joints, in which your knees practically lie on the floor. It is customary for Asians to "live on the floor", that is, to eat, read, and just spend time in communication, sitting on the floor, without using a chair. In this case, hip joints are not fixed. For residents of "civilized" countries, the use of such achievements of civilization as chairs, armchairs, sofas, leads to the fact that by adolescence, the hip joints become quite enslaved. There is an opinion about a different constitution of the Indians, however, babies of all nationalities have the same flexibility, but in most Asians the ability to sit with a straight back for a long time and comfortably is preserved precisely because of the above points. When traveling to India, I noted that those Indians who are trying to live by new standards, actively using seating furniture, just like us, cannot sit with a straight back for a long time in the absence of a chair or armchair. When an adult begins to practice yoga, he is faced with unpleasant sensations in the back and numbness of the legs when trying to practice pranayama, as well as meditative and contemplative techniques. Achieving the lotus position from scratch takes a long time, from a year or more. This should be striven for, but one should not postpone the practice of meditation "for later", because there is a very simple way to take the correct posture even for physically enslaved people.
To begin with, you should be aware of the kinematics of pelvic adjustment. The spine rests on the sacrum.
The sacrum itself is an integral part of the pelvis.
When we are standing, the pelvis is positioned in such a way that the sacrum is almost perpendicular to the horizon, so the spine naturally exits the sacrum vertically upwards. However, if a person with unopened hip joints tries to sit cross-legged in a Turkish position, the pelvis will tilt back, the sacrum will tilt the vertebrae that are attached to it, as a result of which the back will be rounded.
An external indicator that a person has positioned the pelvis correctly is the relative position ilium pelvis and knees. In most cases, if a person can lower their knees below their iliac bones, they will be able to straighten their spine naturally.
But if your hips aren't open enough to drop your knees, you can use the very simple method of just sitting on an elevated platform, such as pillows. The height of the pillows should be chosen in such a way that, while sitting on them, you can lower your knees below the iliac bones of the pelvis.
Do not be shy about the height of your “throne”, working out the inner sensations during meditation is of paramount importance, and the fear of looking like “not a cool yogi” is just a stupid manifestation of ego. However, in group classes, I often see how some people ignore this method, they say, “I can do it without pillows,” and after a few minutes they begin to fidget, trying to avoid discomfort, at a time when “yoga with pillows” is quite meditate successfully. You can learn more about this method by watching the attached video.
Or padmasana - one of the most important postures for meditation (and not only for yogis), because it is the crossing of the legs into a kind of lock that allows you to reverse the downward energy of apana-vayu. This asana calms nervous system, removes energy blocks, restores dynamic balance. On physical level we strengthen the back, improve muscle elasticity, stretch the hip joints. But why are many yoga teachers in no hurry to seat beginners in padmasana, even more than that, they themselves avoid doing this asana in their presence?
The thing is that the lotus position can be dangerous for beginners. Many beginners perceive padmasana as a kind of circus act and are in a hurry to twist their legs, imitating the guru. And this is fraught with serious stretching. Therefore, approach the performance of the asana seriously and carefully, and not just as a spectacular exercise. Yes, it may take you more than one week before you do the lotus position, but you should not rush, as in all yogic aspects.
So, we will talk about how to learn the lotus position. First of all, it is worth starting with exercises that stretch the hips and ankle joints. For us, European people who are used to sitting on a chair (unlike Indians, who have been sitting on the floor since childhood and have no difficulty with padmasana), this is extremely important.
Lotus Pose Exercises
Preliminary exercises:
- stretching your legs and pressing your feet to each other, stretch forward, trying to touch your feet with your hands, and your knees with your face. Keep your back and legs as straight as possible;
- repeat the previous exercise, only with legs apart, trying to touch the floor as far as possible, stretch your face and chest down;
- get down and sit on your knees, then spread them apart. Leaning on your hands, slowly bend back to lie on your back on the floor. Spread your feet to the side;
- sit on the floor, clasping your shin in your hands and lifting it up. The knee should lie on one elbow for a long time, and the foot - as in a cradle - on the other. Rock the "cradle" back and forth. Repeat with the second leg.
In addition, two very effective asanas can be performed that will prepare you for the correct lotus position:
Janu sirshasana:
- sit with your legs stretched forward;
- the foot of one leg must be placed on the thigh of the other. Try to make sure that the knee touches the floor;
- keeping your back straight, lean forward, trying to lie with your chest on a straight leg. Grasp the foot of the straightened leg with your hands.
Baddha konasana. We all know this pose as the butterfly exercise:
- sit on the floor with your back straight and your feet together;
- pull your feet to the perineum at a comfortable, but as close as possible distance for you;
- put your hands on your knees to stretch the hip area with small springy pressures (they should not cause much discomfort!)
- another option is to wiggle your hips, imitating the fluttering of a butterfly's wings. Try to keep your back, neck and head as straight as possible.
If you did everything correctly, then after a while you will feel that you are finally ready to take the lotus position.
Correct lotus posture
One of the main exercises during classes is the lotus position. How to learn to sit in the lotus position - we will consider in this article.
What is the benefit of posture?
First of all, the lotus position is useful for shaping and maintaining correct posture . In this asana there is a toning, an increase in muscles. An important fact is the improvement of blood circulation in the pelvic organs. A person who is in the lotus position improves his digestion,.
In addition, this position is the most convenient for. Yoga classes are practiced in the US Army as an alternative. Padmasana useful for. With the systematic implementation of this asana, it is possible to avoid ruptures during childbirth and prepare the pelvic muscles for labor.
Auxiliary asanas
The lotus position, at first glance, will seem one of the easiest in yoga. However, this is not the case, and it is quite difficult for beginners to immediately sit down in padmasana. To do this, you need to master a number of auxiliary asanas.
Pashchimottanasana
Paschimottanasana is a bend to the legs in a sitting position. To perform this pose, you need to take the starting position (Dandasana posture): sitting on the floor, straighten your legs. Next, follow next steps:
- Reach your hands to your knees or shins without bending your back.
- clasped hands lower limbs, pull forward and up.
- Relax your back and lower yourself as low as possible to your feet. Breathe in this position for a minute.
- You need to get out of the asana by pulling back and deflecting in the chest and back. Then go up until the spine is in a vertical position.
Important! When performing the exercise, make sure that the legs do not bend at the knees.
Upavistha konasana
Starting position - as in the previous asana, then spread at an angle of 90º or wider. The spine must remain perfectly straight. Rest your hands on the floor on the sides. The execution technique is as follows:
- stretch muscles chest pushing off the floor with your hands.
- Press the heels to the floor and tighten the knees.
- Stay in this position for 30 to 60 seconds. Make sure that the body does not fall back or forward.
- Then you should lean forward, grabbing your toes with your hands. At the same time, do not bend the lower limbs at the knees.
- Stretch your spine forward. Lean as low as possible, trying to touch the floor.
- Freeze in this position should be for 5-7 breath cycles.
Did you know? Yoga classes for two months help to reduce body weight by 20%.
baddha konasana
Ballha konasana or butterfly pose is the next exercise on the way to achieving the main goal: how to sit in the lotus position. To perform the asana, you need to sit on the floor, bend the lower limbs at the knees and press the feet to the groin. The next steps are:
- Pull your hips out to the side until your knees hit the floor.
- Grasp your feet with your hands, straighten your spine, look ahead of you. You need to stay in this position for as long as possible.
- Next, you need to press the hips to the floor, exhale and lean forward, touching the floor first with your forehead, nose and then with your chin. It takes about a minute to be in this position.
- Inhale, rise up to position p. 2.
- Straighten your knees and relax.
Did you know? In India, shoemakers usually sit in the Baddha konasana pose during work.
Janu shirshasana
The last exercise, after which you will understand how to sit in padmasana correctly. The starting position is the same as for all previous asanas. Further the algorithm is:
- Leave the right leg straight, and pull the heel of the left leg to the crotch.
- Grab the shin right foot and stretch the spine forward and up.
- The left thigh and buttock should be pressed to the floor.
- Try to get as low as possible, pressing your stomach against the thigh of your right leg.
- Take about 10 breathing cycles and return to the original position.
