Padmasana or Lotus Pose requires stillness of mind and body.  In this yoga pose we fold the legs and rest the feet facing upwards on the opposing thighs.  Bringing our hands together or resting them in Gyan Mudra on our knees pulls the energy towards us and allows us to centre ourselves as we move into a meditative state of mind.

Often this is the pose of choice for those entering meditation.  A good starter pose for this intermediate yoga pose is Baddhakonasana or Bound Angle Pose.

Padmasana Lotus Pose by Amanda Jo

Photo: Amanda Jo

Meditative poses are all about being in the moment and reflecting on the now.  Yogi Amanda Jo shares her thoughts on just being. “Being empowered to me means to release and settle into the feeling within you.  It’s feeling it all, and that can be really intense.  The release and sweetness in presence occurs when we drop the stories we hold on to.”

[clickToTweet tweet=”The release and sweetness in presence occurs when we drop the stories we hold on to. #yoga #padmasana” quote=”The release and sweetness in presence occurs when we drop the stories we hold on to.”]

 Padmasana Lotus Pose by Nikki_Possibilities

Photo: Nikki Possibilities

Often in this busy world we find it hard to sit still, but stillness is important for self-reflection and allows our creativity to flow.  Yogi Nikki found it especially difficult to find stillness in her life.  After a life of not loving herself an accident last year forced her to learn to accept stillness and to love herself. “And so what can I say about loving myself now…that it is more today than it was yesterday, that this sitting is still difficult and yet now I can come to it with a little more ease, or that because I want so badly to live with love this solitary stillness has taught me it must start here, with me.”

Finding stillness in Padmasana is difficult, but with practice becomes easier.  Start with 10 minutes a day and increase as you begin to improve your yoga practice.  For more on meditation read an earlier article in TryBelle Magazine.

As with any exercise program you must know yourself and understand your own health before attempting.