Siddhasana And Feet numbness

Yoga Discussion General Yoga
#1

Hi All Yogis,

I am having this problem for 8 months. I thought with practise this will be eliminated. I feel entire left feet numb as restricted blood flow during sidhhasana position.
Although i can do Kapal bhati and anulom vilom pranayam continously for 15 minutes without break but due to numbness i have to break my aasan…fully extend my feet to be normal and then again start .

This is a deterrent to active mediation or chakra meditation i try to focus.

please advice !!

My technique is to extend both feet…then bring my left feet and place it in perennial region between both organs . now bring my right feet over left in such a way that my ankles are one over other and foot fingers in thigh region.

#2

Sounds like you are cutting off/disrupting the blood supply (or possibly trapping nerves) in your chosen seated position.It is not possible to say why this is happening without seeing you sitting to see if your posture is correct…so…Try a different seated position which has less constriction on the legs…try sitting in Virasana (kneeling with butt inbetween your heels) with a cushion under your butt between your legs it can be fairly high so that the back can be upright and the knees and legs not overly compressed…or a different cross legs position sitting with pelvis lifted on a cushion…perhaps with one foot just in front of the other…having a more open position will avoid compressing/stopping blood flow or nerve impulses.
Try a few different ways to sit…good luck.

#3

Also these kind of cross leg positions can be seriously damaging to your knees if not done correctly…please show your teacher how you take this posture…it could be that your hips are not “open enough” to do this posture safely.

#4

As yogacambodia said, without seeing you we can only guess. Likely culprit is sciatic nerve compression. But again, it is only a suggestion and if you have a teacher, I would consult with them. In the meantime, a couple of options for you to consider:

Before going into Siddhasana, try Gomukhasana a/o pigeon to help with the piriformis which runs across the sciatic nerve (and for about 20% sciatic nerve runs through). When the piriformis is tight it can irritate the nerve causing numbness. The piriformis is a tough muscle to get to relax and lengthen. Stay in the above mentioned poses at least 2+ minutes each side to facilitate a release. After doing these, try Siddhasana and see if there is a difference.

Or you could perhaps try another seated meditation posture that is more comfortable. Is there a reason you prefer to meditate in Siddhasana?

#5

This Google image is quite similar to what i do .

I cannot put myself in padmaasan ( not flexible enough in knees ) thats why i prefer siddhasan . Also it helps in kapalbhati and agnisaar pranayam which i do daily , also it keeps mind still and assist in directing the life force upwards .

Apart from my trainer, in Shiv Samhita special emphasis is given to yog mudra and sidhasana .

Thanks for your advice . Please share if you have more of scientific details.

#6

I do Manduk Asan, shashank asan in Vajraasan pose with ease. I think you pointed out correctly …the numbness occur when i keep my ankle one over other and hence pressurising the lower left feet

#7

If you have issues with knees, pigeon may be difficult. You can try the reclined version crossing ankle over thigh.

Do you practice asana before meditating? If not, I’d give the above mentioned asana a try to see if they bring you more comfort.

#8

saumitra it is not your knees!!! In lotus/padmasana the knees simply bend…that is all! the rest of the movement is from the hips…twisting the knee or stretching the knees in a sideways action will damage them…normal healthy knee movement is to be able to fully straighten the leg and to bend the knee so that the heel can touch your butt…very little sideways movement at all.

Numbness may be occurring due to blood vessels being constricted that asana…try other seated postures which do not constrict your legs so much.

Also you should ask a properly qualified yoga asana teacher to take a look at your seated posture then he/she will be able to offer you some asanas to develop the hip flexibility needed to sit in various cross leg meditation postures.

#9

Thanks you so much!! i will incorporate the methods mentioned by you!!