Meditation, and Progressing in Lotus Pose

Padmasana (lotus) is a pose you should relax into. While this is true of all poses, because lotus pose is a visible symbol of a mature meditation practice, it’s easy to focus on a fuller expression as the goal, rather than allow it to unfold as a side effect.

For me, sitting in lotus on its own didn’t provide enough motivation to practice consistently. What worked for me was finding my way to a meditation practice, and then sitting in whatever expression of lotus I could hold. In the beginning I would either set a timer or listen to a guided meditation. The guided meditations I used were just under 30 minutes. I do feel 30 minutes is a bit long to start with, and in the first few weeks I would switch sides during one session. Holding padmasana for a certain amount of time isn’t the goal, I just used the timer as a way to displace inertia.

Perhaps because I sat at a desk for 20 years, despite having a regular hot yoga practice, even half lotus (ardha padmasana) was incredibly difficult and my right side was noticeably tighter and more painful than the left. In the first few weeks, there were moments where the pain was excruciating. This pain was mostly mental as when I breathed into it, it largely went away. Iyengar has some helpful words on good vs bad pain in Light on Pranayama, and I want to stress that I never forced the pose, and this was the kind of pain that did not persist; it brought lessons, not injuries.

However, because of the risk of injury, it’s important to learn this pose, and suitable variations from a qualified source. Because of its comprehensive instruction on yoga (not just the mechanics of asana), I found A Systematic Course in the Ancient Tantric Techniques of Yoga and Kriya, Swami Satyananda Saraswati to be quite helpful, and in particular the chapter “Asanas: Meditative Asanas”.

As for which meditations to do? Paradoxically, it’s both important and not that important. Whether you choose a guided meditation, pranayama, japa or something else, a true meditation practice is experiential not just theoretical. You have to start somewhere to gain experience, so just pick a mediation or two that resonate and begin. As you practice, your experiences will deepen, as will your expression of lotus.

Namaste Yogis