The Lotus Pose is one of the most suitable yoga poses for relieving stress, although it might seem simple and quite basic at first glance. Besides being a great stress reliever, this pose has many benefits, such as improving digestion, decreasing the muscular tension and blood pressure.
Why Does The Lotus Pose Alleviate Stress?
The Lotus Pose (Padmasana) presents some great energetic benefits in Hindu literature, where it is claimed that it awakens Kundalini, which is a type of energy thought to be placed dormant in the first chakra, at the spine base.
According to a classic Sanskrit manual written in the fifteenth century, Hatha Yoga Pradipika, the manner in which the body is aligned in the Lotus Pose, being rooted into the earth, activates certain acupuncture points that change the metabolic structure and influence the brain patterns.
In this yoga pose, the gravity helps in dissolving the muscle tension of the body, therefore calming the nervous system down and decreasing the blood pressure when it is exercised regularly. Now the body and mind calm down, preparing it for meditation. The body feels grounded safely, enabling the mind to concentrate on higher levels, just like a lotus flower.
How To Come Into The Lotus Pose (Padmasana)
In order to come into the Lotus Pose (Padmasana), follow these instructions:
- Sit down on the mat with the legs straight. Bend the right knee and place the lower leg into a cradle, with the exterior edge of the foot notched inside the left elbow crook. Now the knee is lodged inside the right elbow crook and hands gripped. If you can, on the outside of the shin, elevate the front upper body toward the interior of the right leg, elongating the spine, while the lower back is kept straight. Move the leg back and forth several times, experiencing the entire range of movement at the joint of the hip;
- Now, twist the left knee and turn it out. Move the right leg away out towards the right, then press the back of the thigh to the calf and lock the knee tightly. Move the leg across in front of the upper body, rotating from the hip, and not from the knee. Place the outside foot edge into the inner left groin. Make sure you bring the right knee close to the left, as much as possible, and push the right heel into the lower belly of the left side. It is recommended, if possible, to keep the foot sole perpendicular to the ground, and not parallel;
- Next, lean back a little, grab the left foot from the ground and lift it in front of the right one. Attentively slip the left leg over the right one, nestling the left foot edge into the right groin. Once more, rotate the leg into position from the hip and place the sole perpendicular on the mat. Press with the feet edges on the groins towards the mat and elevate through the sternum top. If you want, you can put your hands into jnana mudra (the psychic gesture of Knowledge or Wisdom), with the first fingers and thumbs touching.