Lotus position

Statue of Jina Rishabha at LACMA

In Chinese Buddhism, the lotus position is also called the

"vajra position (Skt. vajrsana, Ch.
jngngzu).[2]
The traditions of Tibetan Buddhism also refer to the lotus position as the vajra position.[3] It is also practiced
largely by Baba Ramdev in India.

2 Position

Hsuan Hua meditating in the lotus position. Hong Kong, 1953

From the common sitting down on the oor (Indian Style,

Cross-legged) position (asana), one foot is placed on top
of the opposite thigh with its sole facing upward and heel
close to the abdomen. The other foot is then lifted up
slowly and placed on the opposite thigh in a symmetrical
way.

The Lotus Position (Sanskrit: [pd msn],

IAST: padmsana)[1] is a cross-legged sitting asana originating in meditative practices of ancient India, in which
the feet are placed on the opposing thighs. It is an established asana, commonly used for meditation, in the
Hindu Yoga, Jain and Buddhist contemplative traditions.
The asana is said to resemble a lotus, to encourage breathing proper to associated meditative practice, and to foster
physical stability.

The knees are in contact with the ground. The torso is

placed in balance and alignment such that the spinal column supports it with minimal muscular eort. The torso
Shiva, the meditating ascetic God of Hinduism, is centered above the hips. To relax the head and neck,
Siddhartha Gautama, the founder of Buddhism, and the the jaw is allowed to fall towards the neck and the back
Tirthankaras of Jainism have been depicted in the lotus of the neck to lengthen. The shoulders move backwards
and the ribcage lifts. The tongue rests on the roof of the
position.
mouth. The hands may rest on the knees in chin or jnana
mudra. The arms are relaxed with the elbows slightly
bent.

Etymology

The eyes may be closed, the body relaxed, with awareness

of the overall asana. Adjustments are made until balance
and alignment are experienced. Alignment that creates
relaxation is indicative of a suitable position for the asana.
The asana should be natural and comfortable, without any
sharp pains.

Padmsana means Lotus throne and is also a term for

actual thrones, often decorated with lotus foliage motifs,
on which gures in art sit. In Balinese Hinduism, a prominent feature of temples is a special form of padmasana
shrine, with empty thrones mounted on a column, for
deities, especially Acintya.
In most cases, a cushion (zafu) or mat (zabuton) is neces1

REFERENCES

Lotus position

(padmasana)
Lahiri Mahasaya in Lotus position

sary in order to achieve this balance. One sits on the forward edge of the cushion or mat in order to incline ones
pelvis forward, making it possible to center the spine and
provide the necessary support. Only the most exible
people can achieve this asana without a support under
their pelvis (and likewise does the Dalai Lama explicitly
advise).[4]

ow to the legs is redirected to the abdominal region,

which may help to improve digestion. The practice of this
asana leads to a straight spinal cord. It is observed that sitting in this posture good thoughts come to the mind and
thoughts of anger and lust subside. The practice of this
asana with repetition of Oum leads to reduction in stress.
[6]

5 See also
3

Contra-indications

Other meditation asanas are indicated until sucient

exibility has been developed to sit comfortably in the
Lotus. Sciatica, sacral infections and weak or injured
knees are contra-indications to attempting the asana.[5]

Asana
List of asanas
Zazen

6 References
4

Benets

The Lotus position is adopted to allow the body to be held

completely steady for long periods of time. This allows
the mind to calmthe rst step towards meditation. The
asana applies pressure to the lower spine which may facilitate relaxation. The breath can slow down, muscular tension decrease and blood pressure subside. The coccygeal
and sacral nerves are toned as the normally large blood

[1] Budilovsky, Joan; Adamson, Eve (2000). The complete

idiots guide to yoga (2 ed.). Penguin. p. 204. ISBN 9780-02-863970-3. Retrieved 11 April 2011.
[2] Hua, Hsuan (2004). The Chan handbook: talks about
meditation (PDF). Buddhist Text Translation Society. p.
34. ISBN 0-88139-951-5. Retrieved 5 August 2011.
[3] Patrul Rinpoche. Words of My Perfect Teacher: A Complete Translation of a Classic Introduction to Tibetan Bud-

dhism, rev. ed., trans. Padmakara Translation Group,

Walnut Creek, CA: AltaMira Press, 1998, 440.
[4] track 1 of Opening the Eye of New Awareness
[5] A yoga series to prepare for Padmasana Growing up a Lotus, Nanabozho (Gichi Wabush) Mis jour le 5 novembre
2006, after Donna Farhi Schuster, March 1987.
[6] Satyanda, Swami (November 2002) (in English) (paperback). Asana Pranayama Mudra Bandha (12th edition).
Bihar School of Yoga.

Further reading
Iyengar, B. K. S. (1 October 2005). Illustrated Light
On Yoga. HarperCollins. ISBN 978-81-7223-6069. Retrieved 9 April 2011.
Saraswati, Janakananda (1 February 1992). Yoga,
Tantra and Meditation in Daily Life. Weiser Books.
ISBN 978-0-87728-768-1. Retrieved 11 April
2011.
Saraswati, Satyananda (1 August 2003). Asana
Pranayama Mudra Bandha. Nesma Books India.
ISBN 978-81-86336-14-4. Retrieved 9 April 2011.
Saraswati, Satyananda (January 2004). A Systematic
Course in the Ancient Tantric Techniques of Yoga and
Kriya. Nesma Books India. ISBN 978-81-8578708-4. Retrieved 9 April 2011.
Temple, Anton (2007). Becoming the lotus: a systematic course of stretching and posture leading to
the safe and comfortable adoption of the lotus posture, including a guide to the symbolism and spiritual meaning behind the lotus ower. Merkur. ISBN
978-1-885928-18-4. Retrieved 11 April 2011.

External links
Padmsana () with detail explanation
Detailed non-commercial article with references,
updated 24.06.2006:
How to sit in Ardha Padmasana

9 TEXT AND IMAGE SOURCES, CONTRIBUTORS, AND LICENSES

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9.1

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