They are a way of living that helps to spiritual growth and the recommended behaviors are sattvic or pure by nature. By following the recommended list of behavioral rasayanas, it becomes a tool for the prevention of disease and helps to boost levels of happiness.

Rasayanas are an essential part of an Ayurvedic lifestyle. According to Charak Samhita, the main text of Ayurveda:

”The means by which one gets the excellence of ras (the nourishing fluid which is produced immediately after digestion) is known as rasayana. A person undergoing rasayana attains longevity, memory, intellect, freedom from diseases, youth; excellence of lustre, complexion, and voice; respect, and brilliance.”

The Behaviors

Having a diet in line with your dosha is a single part of the behavioral rasayanas. In addition to pacifying and balancing your dosha through the six tastes, here are the additional behaviors to follow.

These behaviors help to create a baseline of what is expected from you at a minimum so that you can achieve balanced health. This will allow you to live a more fulfilling life that is free from disease.

Ayurveda goes beyond recommending just a diet or various foods to eat. Ayurveda recognizes that health is based upon what you consume, whether that is food or experiences. Thus, behavioral rasayanas are all about the experiences you have.

1. Being truthful at all times.

It only serves you to speak the truth and to be honest. Telling lies creates ama or impurities within the body. Besides, they say to cover a lie, you will end up telling more lies.

The truth is easier to remember and is nourishing for you to simply speak the truth. Lies also create stress within the body, which will weaken your immune system. Always be honest and respect others. This includes being faithful to your partner and not stealing any wealth from others.

2. Being free from anger and staying in control over your emotions.

Although it is important to recognize anger and to embrace your emotions, this one is about having the right outlet for the anger and not allowing your anger to harm others. Being in control over your anger also means teaching yourself about unconditional forgiveness. Letting go of jealousy and hatred goes along with avoiding anger.

Read: A Yogic Method for Creating a Compassionate Relationship with Anger

3. Living in peace, remaining calm and non-violent.

Sometimes the world around you may feel like its crumbling or you are in a variety of stressful situations. However, you want to teach yourself to remain calm and centered. You want to be the eye of the storm and cultivate inner peace. You want to avoid getting caught up in the storm but rather look at it from a calm perspective before taking any action. This will allow you to avoid any destructive or self-sabotaging behavior.

4. Engaging in positive and uplifting speech.

Always speak in positive words and be encouraging to others. Avoid any hurtful or harsh speech. This includes avoiding speaking ill of others behind their back. It is also helpful to surround yourself with those who do the same. Keep in mind positivity attracts positivity and negativity attracts negativity.

5. Being clean at all times.

Keep your body and environment clean at all times. Starting with your body, eat well, exercise and ensure your digestive system is working well. Ensure your home is clean and free from clutter. As a service to the world, do your part to help keep the world a cleaner place.

6. Engaging in meditation or a spiritual practice that helps with spiritual development.

Ayurveda does not reference religion directly, however, religious practices fall under spiritual development. Therefore, any self-development practice that helps with your spiritual growth is highly recommended.

Read: Where is Your Spiritual Discipline Wavering?

7. Being respectful of teachers and elders.

Teachers and elders have a lot to offer. It is important to never stop learning and to use teachers and elders like guides. Serve your elders and help them as necessary. Reading and learning should continue throughout life.

8. Not letting your ego take over.

Be non-egotistical by remaining humble. This means avoiding being vain or thinking that you know it all. Nobody knows everything. Be open to learning from and respecting others. In order to grow spiritually, one must let go of the ego.

9. Doing charitable work.

Give back to your community. Whether it's by making monetary donations or getting physically involved in a charity, always help those in need. The concept of paying it forward can be seen in both Ayurveda and yoga.

10. Having a balance of sleep and awake times.

Getting either too much sleep or not enough sleep will imbalance the doshas and so will the misuse of your time. Therefore, always have a balance of rest and activity.

11. Showing love and compassion to all.

Everyone, regardless of where they come from or how life has treated them, deserves love and compassion. Treat others the way you would like to be treated. By showing love and compassion, your mind and body will feel more at peace.

Read: A Simple Act of Loving-Kindness: Practicing Metta-Bhavana

12. Having self-control when needed.

Avoid the over-indulgence of sugar, alcohol, drugs, and sex. It is important to know your limits and stopping when needed. This could also mean having self-control over your emotions or thoughts. Yoga and breathing exercises are a great way to teach your body self-control as they help you to learn more about you.

Overall, the behavioral rasayanas are about being well-behaved and showing respect to yourself as well as others. Being honest, showing up with love in your heart, always ready to learn is all you need as a baseline.

Always do the best you can with the resources you have. This will help you to apply the behavioral rasayanas to your daily life.

The post Achar Rasayanas: The Behavioural Conducts of Ayurveda appeared first on Yogapedia.

Through what we’ve come to know as gut instinct — sometimes fluttery, sometimes dull and heavy — I just know.

And yet, there are other times when I find myself searching desperately for answers. Not all of the universe’s limitless questions and scenarios can be grasped by the five senses. Recognizing the mind’s many means of knowing can help us to understand how best to react and interact with the world around us.

I'll be sharing with you here how the mind functions, through the lens of Hindu philosophy. We'll look at the six means of knowledge, known as pramanas, and how they can help you understand your Self in any given situation.

Patanjali’s Vrittis

In his Yoga Sutras, Patanjali outlines five fluctuations of the mind, known as vrittis. If we imagine the mind to be a pool of still, tranquil water, vrittis are whirlpools causing ripples and waves. These fluctuations come in the form of thoughts, interrupting and interfering with our stream of consciousness.

According to Patanjali, the aim of yoga is to harness the vrittis as a means of stilling the mind, thereby providing freedom from thoughts and suffering. The first and arguably most complex vritti is pramana, meaning "source of true knowledge." The others are viparyaya (misconception), vikalpa (imagination), nidra (sleep) and smriti (memory).

Read: Yoga's Philosophy on Calming the Waves of the Mind (Vritti)

Pramana and Prior Knowledge

Anything and everything your mind dreams up is founded in prior knowledge. From the moment you were born to the moment you read the last sentence, you are continually and constantly acquiring all kinds of knowledge.

But how do we know what is really true? How can we be sure to trust our own minds?

The epistemological branch of Hindu philosophy tries to answer such questions with a theory on the nature of knowledge and its origins, known as pramana.

Sanskrit for “proof,” pramana explores the various means by which we obtain accurate and reliable knowledge about the worlds around us, both internal and external.

There are six pramanas, each of which can be thought of as faculties of the mind. When we become conscious of an object or situation, our mind selects a faculty with which to analyze and interpret the information. Knowledge of various kinds requires distinct faculties as a means of understanding, of knowing what is true.

The Six Pramana

The following six pramana are said to be the only reliable and accurate means of knowledge available to us.

1. Pratyaksha (Perception)

Split into two types, internal and external, pratyaksha refers to acquiring knowledge based on direct experience.

It is important that knowledge acquired through pratyaksha is from your own perception, not having accepted someone else’s.

External pratyaksha involves using the five senses, whereas internal pratyaksha relies on intuition and cognition of remembered feelings such as pain, love, danger or anger.

Read: The Tendencies of Feelings and How to Take Back Control of Your Emotional Responses

2. Anumana (Inference)

Anumana involves applying reason and prior knowledge to one or more observations in order to reach a new conclusion. A common example of anumana is inferring fire after observing smoke.

3. Upamana (Comparison and Analogy)

Upamana is a process by which conclusions are drawn from either observing similarities or understanding analogies of a similar word, object or situation.

Similes and metaphors can help us to acquire knowledge through upamana.

4. Arthapatti (Postulation)

Arthapatti is presumption or supposition of a fact derived from circumstance or an already established fact. In this sense, arthapatti can be considered the junction between common sense and conjecture.

5. Anupalabdhi (Non-apprehension)

Anupalabdhi is using existing knowledge of a negative as cognitive proof to derive further knowledge. By non-perception, it is possible to prove the non-existence of something.

6. Sabda (Verbal Testimony)

Sabda is the relying on the spoken and written word of past or present experts. This is considered an important and authentic means of knowledge since we each have only limited time and energy available to learn truths directly.

Using Pramanas to Understand the Self

Whilst each pramana operates as a clear and distinct means of knowing, they also each have a rather limited scope. As such, it is important not only to observe how they interact with one another, but to try and become conscious of which pramana to resort to and when.

Understanding how we may interpret knowledge based on the theory of pramana helps us to understand how we react and respond in various situations, in turn enabling us to harness Patanjali’s first vritti for a calmer mind.

By analyzing our thoughts through the lens of pramanas, we are able to ascertain whether knowledge is reliable and true, preventing ourselves from being carried away by baseless agonies.

Although it may take a lot of practice and self-study, sharpening self-awareness in this way undoubtedly averts suffering.

Read: How to Be Mindfully Aware of the Authentic Self

Trusting the Truth Within

Awareness of the six pramanas is a vital step toward stilling the whirlpools of the mind. By understanding which sources of knowledge are reliable and true, we gain a clearer acuity of our sense of Self and our place in the world around us.

Often, the fluctuations of the mind disturb us most when we are unable to establish truth, when we are desperately searching for answers. Next time you feel your gut instinct kick in, stop and question it.

Is it inference? Postulation? Perception?

With enough practice, you might find that you already have all the answers you need in any given situation.

The post Truth Through Hinduism’s 6 Pramana appeared first on Yogapedia.

Or did you? The boxes are impossible to ignore. Flick. So many red bubbles; best to check. Your boss has e-mailed. Your best friend is in a crisis. That friend of a friend you vaguely know somehow desperately needs your help.

Before you know it, you find yourself mindlessly scrolling social media without a clue that you’d been occupied only moments before.

This is the tricky thing about smartphones. I’ll admit, they’re certainly a blessing – how many of us would be able to juggle so many different adventures without them? But without awareness, the distractions of modern living can become a curse.

The importance we place on multimedia and multitasking has inspired a dominant drive to respond to everyone and everything immediately. And yet, before we had this capacity at our fingertips the world kept on turning as usual.

Remember those days when colleagues would only contact us within work hours? We would honour the quality time of arrangements made in person and, miraculously, people seemed much more adept at dealing with crises first-hand.

Whilst there’s no need to shun technology altogether, the never-ending disturbance it creates necessitates the revival of one of life’s lost arts: concentration.

Among its many values, concentration is a boundary. An invisible force-field that keeps us intimately tied to the present moment, free from the distractions of the past and the hypothetical future.

Without it, we are slaves to the whim of any interruption that comes our way.

What Is Concentration?

The roots of the word hint at its power for presence; con centrum, at the centre. Concentration is quite simply a means of being centred and fully in the now, aware of our surroundings, our bodies and minds exactly as they are.

It allows us to experience life with clarity and sharp focus, clearing the clouds of judgement and criticism that so easily arise from a distracted mind.

Thankfully, concentration can be cultivated. In fact, concentration is the very foundation of meditation, and the beating heart that drives many yoga practices.

Read: 10 Mind-Blowing Insights From the Yoga Sutras on Concentration

Meditation Versus Concentration

The word ‘meditation’ tends to conjure up a rather specific and misguided image: a robed figure in perfect stillness, impeccably upright and effortlessly at ease.

It’s a common misconception that the sole purpose of meditation is to empty the mind of thoughts.

Let’s be honest – for many of us, it’s just not that easy. Whilst it is by no means impossible to enter a no-mind state, it tends to take many years of devoted dedication, and in truth, the practice and process of getting there are arguably even more important.

In studios and retreat centres across the world, what is commonly taught as ‘meditation’ is in fact concentration, a vital preliminary step.

Read: The Sixth Limb of Yoga: Dharana

Dharana and Dhyana

In yoga, this is known as dharana, a means of training the mind to fix on one particular point. With practice, concentration can become so sharp that it merges with the present moment, and this is where true meditation or dhyana arises.

Dhyana is a spontaneous and natural state, not something to be desperately grasped or strived towards.

Understanding this distinction is the key to meditation; it cannot be experienced without first cultivating concentration.

This explains why at the heart of most meditative practices is a focal point, an object of concentration to return to in the face of distraction. It could be the breath, a sound, an image, mantras, chakras, bodily sensations or even emotions.

As thoughts and feelings come and go like waves in the ocean, we can use these objects of concentration to remain anchored to the deep clarity beneath the surface.

Read: Dharana and Dhyana: Misconceptions of Meditation Explained

Letting go of Distractions

When we sit in stillness and silence, distractions will inevitably arise. Whether it’s disjointed thoughts, distant sounds or that incessant tingling in your leg, it is almost impossible for the monkey mind to be in only one place at a time.

By repeatedly shining the light of awareness on these distractions, not only can we better understand the nature of the mind, but we begin to hone the essential skill of concentration.

The purpose of meditation isn’t to sit perfectly still and force your mind into bliss. Absolutely anyone can be trained to sit still for an hour, but without awareness, this will be of very little use.

The practice of dharana is about integrating awareness and concentration into your life.

Think of it as training for the main event; by learning to become aware of distractions and repeatedly return to an object of concentration in meditation practice, we can hone this skill for day to day use.

Read: 3 Ways Meditation Can Improve Your Mental Health

Take a Breath

Next time you feel yourself mindlessly reaching for your smartphone, pause. Take a breath. Question your motive.

Do those red bubbles require your focus right now, or is there something more fulfilling you could be doing with your precious time?

When we regularly practice concentration, especially in the seemingly small or insignificant moments, it becomes possible to observe the patterns of our minds that make up our habits.

In noticing distractions – whether tangible or abstract –greater gaps appear between them, creating a sense of spaciousness, ease and clarity.

Trust this process. It is as inevitable as the distractions from which it arises.

The post The Lost Art of Concentration appeared first on Yogapedia.

For many of us, they’re all of these.

The Myth of Virabhadra

The three Warrior poses are named after Virabhadra, the fierce warrior that’s a form of Lord Shiva. The story of Virabhadra goes like this:

Once upon a time, in the celestial realms, Lord Shiva and a young woman named Sati fell madly in love and wed. Sati’s father, King Daksha, didn’t approve of his daughter marrying a wild yogi like Lord Shiva.

To show his disapproval, King Daksha through a lavish party, but didn’t invite Shiva and Sati.

When Sati heard about this, she begged Shiva to go to the party with her anyway. When Shiva refused she went alone.

When she arrived her father jokingly announced that she must have come to her senses and left her husband. Sati was not amused and she defended Shiva. Once she realized her father would never understand, she announced:

“Since you have given me this body I no longer wish to be associated with it!”

Determined, she took her seat on the floor in the middle of the party and closed her eyes. She visualized Shiva and then through pranayama and other yogic exercises she cultivated her Agni (internal fire). Moments later she burst into flames, leaving the body her father had given her.

When Shiva heard about Sati’s death, he became enraged. He tore out a tuft of his hair and from it, created the fiercest warrior, which he named Virabhadra. Shiva instructed Virabhadra to go to the party and seek revenge for Sati’s death.

When Shiva came to the party to see what Virabhadra had accomplished, he was heartbroken. His rage turned to sadness followed by compassion. He searched for Daksha, finding only his body.

Filled with remorse Shiva found a goat’s head and placed it on Daksha body, bringing his father-in-law back to life. After Daksha awakened, he recognized Shiva’s kindness and bowed.

Read: An Introduction to Lord Shiva: The Destroyer

The Significance of the Warrior Poses

The Sanskrit word vira means hero and bhadra means friend. The three Warrior poses are named after Virabhadra’s actions at the party that night:

Virabhadrasana 1: Virabhadra entering the party by breaking through the ground and rising up from within the earth, holding a sword in each hand.

Virabhadrasana 2: Virabhadra spotting Daksha and getting ready to strike.

Read: Cultivating Power in Your Practice With Warrior Two Pose

Virabhadrasana 3: Virabhadra moving swiftly and precisely to decapitate Daksha with his sword.

In the story of Virabhadra, Shiva represents our higher selves, Sati represents the heart, and King Daksha represents the ego. But the myths and teachings of yoga aren’t destined to stay up in the celestial realms, of course. They’re meant to be brought down into our lived experience.

We can interpret the myth of Virabhadra as symbolizing the inner work of the yogi. The power we gain in yoga is meant to bolster us in doing battle with the limiting tendencies of our minds.

We use our strength to triumph over our small, limited selves for the sake of experiencing the expansive nature of the heart. Virabhadra, after all, is a warrior for love.

To further understand how we might integrate the lessons of Virabhadra into our lives and practice, I asked yoga teachers to share their experience of the Warrior poses:

“In Warrior III, I feel brave, balanced and strong. I feel like I have the strength to face even the most awkward and difficult situations. Believing in myself and trusting the fact that all is temporary, I feel that all is meant to be.”

Emily McConnell

“I wrote a chant for each Warrior to use in my kids' classes. I encourage the kids to use their big, strong voices when reciting these chants in the warrior poses. My hope is that they add to the physical power of the pose by recognizing the power of their own voices.”

Heather Elson

“They have provided me an opportunity to rebuild strength and feel empowered after childbirth. I use the Warrior I and II legs and torso in my overnight settling of my newborn. They have rebuilt strength and engagement in my pelvis and given me something meaningful to do for myself in the early hours when you’re battling fatigue and rocking a baby.”

Shannon Park

In your own practice, consider how the warrior poses help you embody the heroic qualities of fearlessness, invincibility, and fortitude.

Read: Top Tips for Your Best Virabhadrasana Series

How could these virtues serve you in your life?

As spiritual warriors on the path of yoga, may our practice help to foster the strength and resilience to rise up and meet the challenges of our lives with courage.

May they allow the power of love to triumph in our beings and guide our actions in the world.

The post The Triumph of Love: The Significance of the Warrior Poses appeared first on Yogapedia.

As a yoga teacher and mental health counsellor working with children, youth, and families who have experienced trauma and intergenerational trauma, I found was already weaving many of the principles that I learned at this training into my work.

I also found that, as someone who identifies as a trauma survivor, I have naturally gravitated towards yoga classes and teachers that use trauma informed teaching methods.

After receiving this training, I am eager to share some of the basic teachings with Yogapedia readers. I feel passionate about trauma informed yoga. I consider myself to be a trauma centered mental health therapist, and will continue to focus my work in this direction.

What is Trauma?

Trauma could be defined as experiencing an event, or series of events, that threatens a persons sense of safety and overwhelms their central nervous system. Trauma is arguably a little subjective, as a “traumatic event” may result in "traumatic stress" for one individual and may not for another.

Trauma can result from a single event, whereas “complex trauma” is often the result of ongoing and prolonged exposure to traumatic circumstances – something that is seen after children have grown up in abusive or neglectful home environments.

Read: The Body Remembers: How Your Body is Storing Past Trauma

Yoga = Union

Yoga means to join the body, mind, and spirit. Traditionally, yoga was not designed as a practice to reduce stress or promote mental health. However, in our modern world, the adaptation of trauma informed yoga does provide an opportunity for trauma survivors to reconnect and re-join with themselves.

Since trauma overwhelms the central nervous system, the result for many people is a disassociation from their mind, disconnection from their body, and a block to their spirit or Higher Self. Remarkably, this is done by the sophisticated human mind as a survival tool to keep a person safe.

However, even when the threat has passed and the person may be safe, the disconnection often remains. As part of this disconnection, the person may lack feeling a sense of safety.

Read: Trauma Informed Mindfulness: Why Meditation May Not Be Helpful

So how do we practice or teach trauma informed yoga?

Getting on the Mat

For many of us, just getting on our mat can be a struggle. For a trauma survivor, that could be considered quite the understatement.

There are many potential barriers to practice yoga for all people (including trauma survivors) be them: psychological, financial, socio-economic, or physical ability. If you are teaching someone, or if you are a trauma survivor yourself and practicing yoga, you can start by honoring them/yourself for simply getting on the mat.

Start with recognizing that it's hard to show up, so that itself is a victory.

Read: Cultivating Daily Practices to Strengthen Your Relationship to Yourself and Others

Practicing Together

This is something different than what you might see in your average class and what teachers are taught in their yoga teacher trainings. In regular classes you will often see teachers pacing around the classroom, describing poses in great detail, giving assists, and sometimes encouraging or pushing students to "full" expressions of poses.

In trauma informed yoga, teachers practice with the student as a symbol of walking together in a shared human experience.

This can invite a sense of connection. It may also help students feel safer, less judged, and be better able to focus on their own practice.

It is not about full or perfect expressions of poses. Instead, poses are minimally described, and assists are not typically given at all unless there is prior trust built.

Read: The Power of Community in Yoga

Emphasizing Choice

Arguably, the most important takeaway for me from this trauma informed yoga training is the importance of choice for a trauma survivor.

Experiencing trauma inherently takes away some choice, in that the person has had something happen they did not want and/or did not know or invite the consequences it would have in their life afterwards.

Choice in a yoga class means using the language of invitation. This could be using phrases like:

• "When you feel ready…"
• "In your own time…"
• "You might want to explore…"

Students can be reminded by teachers to consider that while practising yoga in a class, everything is an option, and they are free to move their body however they need to or leave at any time.

Choices can be offered for each pose. One important choice is the option to keep eyes open or closed. Some individuals who have experienced trauma may feel unsafe closing their eyes, or may even have vivid visions or flashbacks of traumatic events.

Though, too many options may overwhelm students. It is not uncommon for trauma survivors to experience anxiety and racing thoughts, so the simpler the instructions the better.

Read: Yoga for Everyone: The Top Organizations Making Yoga Accessible

Trauma Informed Yoga Research

Trauma informed yoga is a tool to help trauma survivors reclaim the body and it is evidence-based. This means there is scientific research to support it. A 2009 study looked at yoga for treating Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and found it was more effective in reducing symptoms associated with PTSD than another talk-based therapy called Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT).

The research article also extensively outlines other things to consider in a trauma informed yoga approach, such as: Teacher Qualities (this includes conservative attire and a gentle slow pace); Environment (considering limiting noise, mirrors, and the lighting not being too dark or too bright); and goes more in depth discussing use of language, assists, and exercises.

Knowing Yourself and Your Students

The drafts and principles I discussed are not exhaustive. Depending on the teacher and the students, a class could change substantially.

If teachers or students know the kind of things that could trigger trauma flash-blacks, they can always work with these specific things in mind and potentially change the way a class looks and the language that is used.

I use the principles in 1-on-1 therapy sessions and group settings with clients by offering options for breath, eyes open or closed, being sensitive to the language I use, and always practising alongside my clients.

Each of Us Have the Right to Reclaim Our Body

If you have experienced trauma and find yourself in a class where the teacher is directive, you may find it helpful to remember that it is your body and you can choose to follow their directions or not.

You have the option to move at your own pace, exploring your body in a way that feels natural and safe to you.

If this is not supported, it may not be the right teacher or class for you.

There are many different trauma informed yoga trainings and although some are not regulated, many yoga teachers are already taking a trauma informed or trauma sensitive approach even if they are not calling it that.

If you want to make sure you find a trauma informed yoga teacher, you can find a certified Trauma Centered Trauma Sensitive Yoga Facilitator here through the trauma sensitive yoga website.

The post Trauma Informed Yoga: A Tool for Reconnection appeared first on Yogapedia.

The Hatha Yoga Pradipika features only six poses, all of them seated, and padmasna first. Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras define yoga asana as a steady comfortable seat.

When thinking about padmasana, it’s useful to keep in mind that the ultimate goal of yoga is not physical fitness or even mental and emotional stability.

Regardless of particulars of lineage, the ultimate goal of yoga is liberation from ignorance of our true nature; it is recognition and (re)union with ourselves as part of the universal consciousness.

Patanjali’s description of yoga as a steady comfortable seat is a perfect explanation of the value of padmasana. It is not uncommon for Himalayan yogis to sit in meditation for days at a time, and padmasana allows a yogi to sit steadily for long periods of meditation with a properly aligned spine and without fear of falling over.

What Does Padmasana Look Like?

Padmasana is a seated pose in which each ankle is crossed over the opposite thigh. This requires a crossing of the shins that essentially locks the legs in place. Indeed, many people who force their legs into lotus pose have trouble getting them back out without also using their hands to help.

In padmasana, the spine is long. The crown of the head reaches up toward the sky, the chin is gently tucked so that the back of the neck is long while the chest is open and the shoulder blades are drawn toward the spine.

The hands and arms can assume many different gestures. We will discuss them as placed on the knees, palms face-up.

Benefits of Padmasana

While it is less common for people in the West to meditate for hours and hours at a time, it was and is a standard practice in meditation retreats. (Learn more in Detoxing From Stimulation: Learning Patience and Trust Through Vipassana Meditation.)

In some traditions, monks spend years at a time in a small meditation space. It's natural for a body to get tired; padmasana provides such a stable base, that even if the meditator falls asleep, he or she won't fall over.

For those of us who are not monks, this stability helps us to sit in stillness for longer periods without needing to readjust the body.

With less attention going to physical discomfort and adjustment, there's more attention for meditation. This, of course, only holds for bodies that are comfortable in padmasana.

Can my Body Actually do That?

The best posture for meditation is a non-injurious one, in which your attention is not hoarded by pain and discomfort. (Learn more in Get Your Meditation Posture on Point in These 3 Poses.)

That means that for many people, especially people who come to yoga after childhood or early adulthood, safely doing lotus pose will either take a long time or not be an accessible option.

It’s worth remembering that the purpose of lotus pose is to support concentration, meditation, and samadhi. If it’s making a person miserable or causing them pain, it isn’t filling that roll, and it would be better to find another, more comfortable position.

Be Prepared to Transform Your Body Slowly

To do lotus requires extreme flexibility in the hips, knees and – in the learning stages – also the ankles, as well as strong deep core muscles to hold the spine long and prevent injury or strain to the lower back. (Learn more in Bend Without Breaking: 10 Yoga Poses to Increase Flexibility in Body, Mind, and Spirit.)

Preparing the Body

To do padmasana, a body that needs to be able to comfortably flex and extend the feet, squat deeply (malasana), sit in staff pose (dandasana), and recruit strength through a significant range of hip motion.

Do these preparatory exercises for as long as it takes for these exercises to be completely comfortable.

For Dandasana:

The body must be able to sit up tall with a long spine. If the hips are elevated by a blanket in dandasana, it’s a good draft to keep them elevated when working on other seated poses.

Ankle circles:

Seated in dandasana, cross one foot over the opposite and use the hands to move the ankle in circles.

Hip circles:

From dandasana, bend one knee and hold the leg by the foot or shin and the thigh. Use the hands to move the hip joint in large circles in each direction.

Stretch the Back:

The muscles along the spine need strength in every direction. One option is to seated forward fold, boat pose (navasana) and a side bending series, such as swaying palm tree pose (standing with arms overhead, leaning to one side while keeping the spine long and without breaking the line of energy at the hip).

Another option is to do a similar series of motions seated: with leg spread wide enough to feel stable, extend the arms and join the hands in front of the torso, moving the hands and torso in large circles each way.

For Malasana:

Many knees and ankles will require years to reach the deep squat of malasana asks.

To prepare and strengthen the body for malasana, practice utkatasana (chair pose) until the pose becomes comfortable.

When ready, try doing malasana with blocks beneath the seat, and then, for increasing increments of time, try the pose without the blocks.

Practice Half Lotus

To cross one ankle over the opposite thigh and place the other beneath the thigh opposite it is called half lotus. Begin to practice half-lotus, being sure to do both sides. Practice meditating in this posture.

Final Thoughts

Once you can comfortably do half-lotus on both sides and all the preparatory poses, you can begin to experiment with short sessions in full lotus. One thing to keep in mind: the goal of lotus is support for meditation.

To train the body to do padmasana, without training the mind to concentrate and meditate, is like aspiring to be a cardboard cut-out of an action figure.

The pose is to support meditation.

Therefore, deepening one’s meditation is the ultimate sign of success in padmasana – or any other seated meditation pose.

The post From the Lotus: The History and Benefits of Padmasana appeared first on Yogapedia.