Padma & Kamala, the lotus
A yoga pose, some variations, a mudra and the lotus in art
This issue of the magazine's overarching theme is water, so it seemed apropos to focus on the lotus as our featured yoga posture and mudra this month. The lotus rises from the mud to delight us with it's beauty and cycles back into the shadowy depths to return again to the light. Here's an in-depth look at full-lotus pose, some variations to prepare for it and the lotus mudra and some beautiful art featuring this beautiful symbol of spiritual awakening and renewal.
Padmasana or Lotus Pose in Yoga
[intermediate to advanced]
Padmasana Padmasana is described in verses 44-47 in the Hatha Yoga Pradipika. In verse 47, the lotus pose is described as the destroyer of all diseases. It is an intermediate pose and considered a base pose from which other variations can arise. Padma and Kamala mean lotus, so this pose is sometimes referred to as Kamalasana. Padmasana is practised frequently for meditation. It is also practised in hip opening sequences and, during the final closing posture sequence of an ashtanga practice. Many people associate the stereotypical image of a yogi seated in the lotus position. Today we see this pose frequently practised with the head erect and the eyes closed with the hands in a mudra.
IMPORTANT: The legs, ankles and knees have to be very flexible before attempting this pose. This is an intermediate pose, and if you have knee problems take caution. You do not have to realise the full posture from the beginning. Start by practising other poses that will allow you to come into this pose over time. Yoga is not about forcing yourself and potentially injuring yourself. Yoga, like art or music, is practised regularly. Over time you will progress.If you are very flexible in the hips and do not have issues with your knees, you can follow the instructions below to come into the pose. Otherwise, scroll down for the variations:
How to practice Padmasana
Bend the right knee and bring the foot up to the right buttock. Your foot should be on or slightly above the floor. Then place the right foot with your ankle resting upon the left thigh close to the hip. Repeat on the other side with your left foot now resting on the right thigh close to the hip. The left foot is always on top.
Once your legs lock into the posture, position your hands into any of the following mudras: Chin, Jnana, Bhairavi or Yoni mudra.
Chin mudra
Curl the index or pointing finger towards the thumb and press them together as you extend the remaining three fingers on your hand. Extend your arms outward and rest your wrists on top of your knees with your palms facing upwards.
Jnana mudra
This is the same as the chin mudra but the palms are facing down resting on your knees.
Bhairava mudra
Place the left hand on top of the right hand, the palms of both hands facing upward, hands in the lap.
Yoni mudra
Place your hands together in the prayer hands mudra, also called Anjali mudra or Namaskar mudra. Interlace the last three fingers together. The pointing or index fingers join at the tips. The thumbs join at the tips as well. The thumbs point upward and the pointing fingers forward
Allow your head to drop down with your chin towards or against the chest and your gaze to the tip of the nose (Nashik Agra drishti), stay here for a few minutes.
How to practice Baddha Padmasana
Place the right foot on the left thigh crease and the left foot on the right thigh, cross the arms behind the back and with your peace fingers and thumbs hold your big toes. Allow your head to drop down with your chin towards or against the chest and your gaze to the tip of the nose (Nashik Agra drishti), stay here for a few minutes. This variation is called Baddha padmasana, the destroyer of diseases. (from verse 44 of the Hatha Yoga Pradipika)
Chakras
Crown Chakra (Sahasrara Chakra), Third Eye Chakra (Ajna Chakra), Sacral Chakra (Swadisthana Chakra), Root Chakra (Muladhara Chakra)
Health benefits and anatomy
This pose benefits the feet, ankles and hips. Practising this pose brings about changes in metabolism and the brain to bring the body into balance. The body in this position presses on and stimulates a variety of acupuncture meridians (stomach, gall bladder, spleen, kidneys, liver).
Alternatives to Full Lotus
If you cannot realise this pose, try some of these alternatives to help move you towards full lotus - easy pose, fire log pose, half-lotus pose; they are detailed below. The foundations of the seated poses shared here are sitting cross-legged and being comfortable sitting on the floor on your sit bones. This firm foundation brings yoga practitioners upward energy and lifts the spine.
Ardha Padmasana or Half Lotus [beginner]
Ardha Padmasana or half lotus pose is the beginner variation of the traditional full lotus pose or Padmasana. Both the half-lotus and full-lotus poses facilitate breathwork (pranayama), concentration (Dharana) and meditation (Dhyana). Dhyana is a means to a luminous mind or samadhi and self-knowledge. In a half-lotus pose, the leg alignment allows the body to be upright, supporting and balancing the hips, keeping them stable.
Initially, some practitioners may find this practice hard on the ankles and knees. As an alternative, practising Easy Pose (Sukhasana) for an extended period can help you increase endurance and begin to bring more flexibility to the body. You can also practice the fire log (Agnistambhasana) pose to increase your flexibility in your hips and knees. As you progress in your yoga practice, you will gain flexibility in the hips, knees and ankles. Then you can then practise half-lotus and then ultimately the full lotus pose.
How to practice Ardha Padmasana or Half Lotus
Sit on the floor with your legs crossed. Bring your right foot towards your groin. Place the outside of your left ankle onto your right thigh, close to your hip. Allow your hands to rest on your thighs or knees. Straighten your back, and try to sit comfortably here for at least five minutes.
Chakras
Sacral Chakra (Swadisthana Chakra), Root Chakra (Muladhara Chakra)
Health benefits
The half-lotus pose benefits the hips and knees.
Easy Pose or Sukhasana
Easy pose is also known as Sukhasana and comes from the Sanskrit word Sukha meaning joy or pleasure. This pose is done by simply crossing the legs. You can place a pillow, block or blanket underneath your sit bones, allowing your knees to draw downward. This posture is excellent for meditation, breathwork or pranayama.
Fire Log Pose or Agnistambhasana
A seated pose, fire log pose or Agnistambhasana is a hip-opening pose and an excellent precursor to the full lotus pose. It will also benefit the knees.
Essentially this pose stacks ankles over and under knees and shins stacked upon one another. Start from a seated position, straighten your right leg out, placing your left ankle under your right knee. You can sit with your spine erect or fold forward from the hips and allow your spine to round. Hold the pose for 3 to 5 minutes. Lean back on your hands and straighten the legs to come out of the posture. Repeat on the other side.
Benefits and cautions
Increases hip mobility, especially external rotation and decompresses the lower back. Benefits the gluteus muscles, hips and knees. When folding forward, this action massages the organs of digestion through compression stimulating the gallbladder and urinary bladder meridians. Caution: This pose can aggravate sciatica. If your knees are weak, do not fold forward, instead keep your spine erect or bend sideways.
The Lotus Mudra/Padma mudra
We’re practising the lotus mudra AKA Padma mudra in the video below. This mudra (a hand gesture) is a heart-opening gesture. We can open to receive everything that life offers us without judgement. We can set an intention offering it to the cosmos, the ineffable. When we open our hearts, we open to new experiences.
Open your heart with The Lotus Mudra
Energetically opening our heart means to open our heart chakra, known as the Anahata chakra and, is part of our energetic body.
How to practice the Padma Mudra or Lotus mudra
Bring your hands to meet by pressing the edges of your hands together along the pinkies and thumbs. Keep the base of your palms together.
Create a bowl-like opening in the middle like a blooming lotus flower.
Hold your hands in this position at your heart centre. Alternately, you can draw your forearms together and lift them above your head, opening the back of your heart.
When finished, simply close your hands together in the Anjali mudra or prayer hands mudra and thank yourself for taking the time today to connect and guide your heart. You are love. You are loved.
The Lotus in ART
The lotus is a beautiful symbol of death and rebirth. The lotus flower rises from the depths of muck and mud to be born out of the water as a bloom and then the cycles repeat. Before we get to the art, I wanted to mention that chakras, the wheels of our energetic body, are represented as lotus flowers. Each chakra’s lotus has a certain number of petals. For instance, the Sahasrara Chakra or crown chakra is depicted as a thousand-petaled lotus. Since we are connected to both earthly and spiritual life, a chain of lotuses is certainly a beautiful way to envision this and, because we are focusing on the lotus mudra and lotus pose, it seemed worth mentioning. And now we will focus on lotus art.
Guanyin as the Nine-Lotus Bodhisattva 1593, unknown artist. In the summer of 1586, nine lotus flowers in the Ming imperial palace issued double blooms, a rare occurrence that was seen as an auspicious omen. That the flowers bloomed in the residence of the Empress Dowager Cisheng, mother of the emperor, was particularly favorable, for Cisheng was a devout Buddhist who had dreamed of her own incarnation as Guanyin. This painting is one of several Cisheng commissioned to celebrate the occasion. The composition, which places the boy pilgrim Shancai (Sudhana, in Sanskrit) before a maternal bodhisattva in a palace setting, strongly suggests that we are meant to see Cisheng as Guanyin. The square red seals in the upper left belong to Cisheng and her son, Emperor Wanli. Guanyin as the Nine-Lotus Bodhisattva, Unidentified artist , late 16th century, Hanging scroll; ink and color on silk, China
