An Easy Guide to Lotus Position, or Padmasana
Work your yoga practice with our easy guides to great yoga poses. Lotus Position, or Padmasana, is a yoga pose in which the legs are crossed to resemble the shape of the lotus flower. It is regarded as a pose for advanced yogis because it requires great flexibility.
For many yogis, it’s a great asana for practicing meditation, as the pressure on the lower back encourages the body to relax, helping the mind to focus.
Lotus Position will loosen up your knees and ankles, so you can sit for long periods of time in meditation.
It's also a great yoga pose for strengthening the back, toning the abdomen, and stimulating all the lower organs.
Women might like to know that it's associated with easier childbirth. We make no promises!
Watch a clip on this yoga pose
How to do Lotus Position, or Padmasana, in easy steps
Step 1:
Begin by sitting on the floor, with the legs extended out in front of you (Dandasana).
Step 2:
Take hold of the left foot with the left hand and, keeping the left leg soft, bring the foot in towards your pelvis. Place the left ankle on the right thigh, as close to your navel as possible.
Step 3:
Gently roll the calf flesh out to open the knee joint. Remain here for a moment.
Step 4:
Now do the same thing on the other side - pick up the right foot in the right hand and bring it in towards your navel, placing the right leg on the left thigh.
Step 5:
Try to turn the soles of the feet upwards.
Step 6:
Cup your upturned palms just beneath the belly button or place them on your knees. Join the index fingers and thumbs in Jnana Mudra (thumb and index finger form a circle with the other three fingers extended).
Step 7:
Stay in the pose for as long as comfortable, building up to several minutes over time. Be sure to keep your spine erect and extend out of the lower back.
Gently disentangle the legs and repeat on the other side.
Return to Staff pose (Dandasana).
Step 9:
Return to Staff pose (Dandasana).
Yoga pose category: Seated and twists
Level: 3
Lotus Position is an excellent yoga pose for stretching the ankles and knees, but it requires regular practice to master. To begin with, only hold it for a few seconds at a time – holding it longer only when you have practiced further, and when you feel comfortable. With time, and with consistent practice, you will be able to open your hips fully, and the pose will become much more comfortable, to use as a base for short sessions of meditation.
Sanskrit words meaning
Padma - lotus
Yoga Pose Health benefits
Like all yoga positions, Lotus Position has many health benefits. Use it to help with the following health conditions:
Lower Back pain
Menstruation
Fatigue
Yoga Pose Contraindications
Don’t practice this yoga pose if you have any of the following health conditions:
Ankle injury
Knee injury
Lower back injury
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Lucy Edge
is a yoga advocate and writer with three yoga books to her name, including the beloved travel memoir Yoga School Dropout. She writes regularly for the national press, has authored over 150 guides to types of yoga and yoga poses, discovered nearly 250 proven health benefits of yoga through her painstaking classification of 300 clinical studies, and collected more than 500 personal testimonials to the real life benefits of yoga. She is also the creator of our yoga shop – YogaClicks.Store – handpicking yoga brands that are beautifully made by yogis committed to environmental and social sustainability.
