Seated / Meditative
Lotus Pose
Padmāsanaपद्मासन· pahd-MAH-suh-nuhlotus posture (padma = lotus)
Lotus Pose (Padmasana) is a classic cross-legged meditation seat with each foot resting on the opposite thigh. It creates a stable, upright base for breathing and meditation. It demands open hips and must never be forced from the knees — build hip openness first and use easier seats until ready.
Step by step
- 1
Open the hips first
Warm up with gentle hip openers such as Butterfly and Cradle.
- 2
Sit tall
Sit on a cushion with the spine long.
- 3
Place one foot
Bring one foot onto the opposite thigh, sole up, from the hip — not the knee.
- 4
Add the second foot
If the hips allow, bring the other foot onto the opposite thigh.
Breath: Move slowly and gently
- 5
Settle
Rest the hands on the knees, lengthen the spine, and breathe.
Benefits
- Creates a stable seat for meditation and pranayama
- Encourages an upright, alert spine
- Traditionally calming and grounding
- Opens the hips over time
Common mistakes
- Forcing the knee down instead of rotating from the hip
- Sitting flat on the floor with a rounded back
- Ignoring knee pain
Modifications & variations
- Use Half Lotus (one foot up)
- Sit in Sukhasana (easy cross-legged) on a cushion
- Sit on a chair for meditation instead
How Rasika breaks it down on video
Rasika breaks down Padmasana, opening the hips first with butterfly and gentle preparation so the knees are protected. Her guidance is to build into the full lotus gradually and use support where you need it, never forcing the knees.
Related poses
Video transcriptThis video guides you through preparing for and practicing half and full Padmasana (Lotus Pose), starting from Sukhasana and Dandasana.
Namaste! In today's video we are going to be focusing on the posture Padmasana, or Lotus Pose. Padmasana is an intermediate to advanced level of practice, so before you get into Padmasana, ensure that you have done sufficient warm up and are comfortable in a few of the preparatory postures.
To begin with, sit down in Sukhasana, which is a simple cross-legged posture, with your palms on your knees and the eyes closed. If you are comfortable sitting in this posture with your spine tall, shoulders relaxed and without any movement, you can then proceed to prepare for the practice of Padmasana.
To prepare for half lotus, or Ardha Padmasana, sit down with your legs extended, in Dandasana. Bend the right knee and hold on to the right ankle and the right knee. As you can see in the video, and gently cradle the leg moving from right to left. This creates space in the hip and allows you to prepare for Padmasana. Place the right heel against the left pelvic bone and bend the left leg into the simple cross leg that you do for Sukhasana. Sit with your palms on your knees and the eyes closed for a few moments and observe how this posture feels. Once complete, you can release the legs and repeat the same sequence on the left leg.
Once you have mastered the practice of Sukhasana and Ardha Padmasana, you can go on to attempt full lotus, or Padmasana. To begin, sit down in the Dandasana with your legs extended, bend the right leg and hold on to the knee and the ankle, cradling the leg from side to side to allow the hips to open up. Place the right foot against the left pelvic or hip bone and, using your hands, bend the left leg, bringing the left heel towards the right pelvic bone. Allow the knees to drop towards the mat, place the palms on the knees in Chin Mudra with the thumb and index finger in contact, the eyes softly closed. Sit in Padmasana for a few moments, observing your breath and your spine, and when you are ready, release. Shake the legs out before you attempt the same sequence on the left leg.
Frequently asked questions
- Padmasana hurts my knees — what should I do?
- Stop and back off — knee pain in Lotus usually means the hips aren't open yet and the strain is going to the knee. Work on hip openers and use Half Lotus or a simple cross-legged seat instead.
- Do I need to sit in Lotus to meditate?
- No. Any stable, comfortable, upright seat works — easy cross-legged, kneeling, or a chair. Lotus is traditional but never required; comfort and a long spine matter more.
References
- Hatha Yoga Pradipika 1.44–47 — Padmāsana · Classical text — Classical Hatha source describing the Lotus seat.
- B.K.S. Iyengar, Light on Yoga — Padmāsana · Book — Alignment and safety reference from the Indian Iyengar tradition.