Padmasana, or Lotus Pose, registers as 4* on the 60* scale of difficulty and is a common posed used in meditation.
Iyengar quotes the Hatha Yoga Pradipika to describe Padmasana and breath control within the asana. The Hatha Yoga Pradipika instructs the practitioner to focus on drawing the apana (one of the vayus, or winds of the body, which is situated in the lower abdomen and is typically associated with downward energy, including digestion and elimination) upward by contracting the anus. Simultaneously, the practitioner should draw the prana (the life force, commonly associated with the breath) downward by contracting the throat. Through these two actions, the Hatha Yoga Pradipika states, the practitioner “‘obtains unequalled knowledge through the favour of Kundalini (which is roused by this process).’”
Kundalini is more than just a type of yoga practice. Often symbolized as a snake coiled at the base of the spine, kundalini is a cosmic energy residing in all bodies. Many of the pranayama and asana practices focus on awakening the latent kundalini energy that resides within each of us and allowing that energy to travel up the spine through the six chakras, or energy centers within the body.
Personally, I’ve never associated Padmasana with awakening of kundalini. Like many practitioners, I’m often so focused on the safety and happiness of my knees in this asana that I neglect subtler energetic foci within the pose. However, if and when you find yourself in a comfortable seat in Padmasana, give the Hatha Yoga Pradipika instructions your consideration. At the very least, you’ll find a new viewpoint in your practice. And who knows? Maybe your focus will charm the kundalini energy out of its resting place and up through your body.
Tags: Hatha Yoga Pradipika, Iyengar, kundalini, Light on Yoga, Padmasana
[...] Kat Saks Yoga Private InstructionPrenatal YogaClass ScheduleBioBlogContact KatHome « Focusing on Kundalini in Padmasana (Lotus Pose) [...]
[...] (Mountain Lotus Pose) is a variation on Padmasana focused on opening up the shoulder blades. The asana registers as 4* on the 60* scale of [...]
[...] who cannot comfortably sit in Padmasana should approach Tolasana somewhat differently. Rather than placing your feet in lotus pose, simply [...]
[...] asana is especially beneficial in awakening Kundalini… Yoga Mudrasana intensifies the peristaltic activity [of Baddha Padmasana] and pushes down [...]
[...] (Upward Lotus in Headstand, 6* on the scale of difficulty) requires a consistent and strong Padmasana and Salamba Sirsasana I practice. Even then, the pose proves quite challenging. Placing the legs in [...]
[...] off all outward channels of stimulation – the eyes, ears, and nose – while seated in Padmasana), I love [...]
[...] not only combines the learnings of a great number of poses covered thus far in the project (Padmasana, Salamba Sarvangasana I, and Urdhva Padmasana in Sirsasana, to name a few); it also carries with it [...]
[...] position of the other leg. The right leg that, in Marichyasana I, extendeds forward, rests in half Padmasana in Marichyasana II. This shift often leads to a sense of unsteadiness or unevenness within the [...]
I thought I’d see what you had to day about this pose, as I am working towards it at the moment. I spend most of the time I am in this pose thinking about pain (ankle mainly), rather than Kundalini. I am trying to sit in half lotus as much as poss. to encourage my knees and hips to get ready to be comfortable in the pose. Should have started 20 years ago!
Lotus just takes time, patience, and a great deal of respect for your knees! Keep working on outer hip openers to help you prepare, too.
[...] hip flexibility. Your right leg needs outer hip flexibility and knee flexibility to move into half Padmasana. Your left hip needs inner hip flexibility to open into half Eka Pada Sirsasana. If you’re [...]
[...] once – the time represented by this photo. Getting into Urdhva Kukkutasana requires taking Padmasana legs in Salamba Sirsasana II, then straightening lifting your head off the ground and straightening [...]
[...] II is an intense stretch for your hips, your knees and your feet. If Padmasana, Bharadvajasana and Vamadevasana I aren’t comfortable for you, Vamadevasana II may be too [...]
[...] noch ein link zu einem Artikel über Padmasana aus einem meiner Lieblingsblogs: Focusing on Kundalini in Padmasana (Lotus Pose) Gefällt mir:Gefällt mirSei der Erste, dem dieser post gefällt. This entry was posted in Yoga [...]