Asana 1 - Padmasana (Lotus pose)

Padmasana (Lotus Pose)

Technique:

Ø  Sit on a clean mat in an airy and quiet room. Stretch legs forward.

Ø  Folding one leg at the knee, hold the ankle, lift and place it over the opposite thigh so that the heel fits into the junction of the torso and thigh.

Ø  Repeat the process with the other leg; folding the leg over the previously folded leg so the ankle fits at the junction of the hip and thigh of the opposite leg.

Ø  Keep back erect but relaxed. Relax the legs. You will feel them slipping slightly and then becoming stable.

Ø  Join the forefinger with the thumb to form a circle. This is called “Chin Mudra”

Ø  Breathe calmly, keeping the mind silent. Be conscious of your anchor within the self. Command your body to relax, moving from the top of the body to the extremities. Imagine stress leaving your body with each exhalation. Release your mind. Let it not grasp anything or any thought.

Ø  Start with 5 minutes and increase upto 15 minutes.

Ø  Do not try to achieve perfection on day 1. Make sure your body is able to take the strain. Over time, the body will become supple and perfection will be achieved.

Benefits:

Ø  Pressing of the femoral artery, ensures extra blood is infused in the genital and anal areas.

Ø  As a result of this, all lower body organs are benefited, especially muscles in the lower back.

Ø  The benefit is multiplied because of autosuggestion which relaxes the muscles and ensures that blood goes into every tissue thereby rejuvenating the complete body.

Ø  The process of relaxation results in increase in beta waves within the brain.

Ø  The feet press on the Inguinal nodes, thereby boosting their efficiency and increasing the capability of the immune system.

Ø  This posture stabilises the spine with hips and shoulders. Very good for spinal curvature retention.

Some noteworthy points:

Why Chin Mudra? = Padmasana is about collecting the disparate energies or prana into the person. Prana flows within and outside the body. An open palm would mean that the prana which moves to the extremities is unable to return which makes the flow unidirectional. With chin mudra, this loop is closed, like any good electrical circuit, resulting in uninterrupted flow of prana around the person, increasing retention and charge of prana within the system.