Ok, so I have been blessed with open hips ever since. Been doing yoga for a year solid now and always been able to do full lotus. So, is it ok to sit at work for like an hour in full lotus? Some discomfort happens ofcourse. But no pain. So 1 - 2 hours full lotus ok?
This is an interesting question that maybe requires a little interpretation.
Maybe you mean, is it possible to do this without causing some physical damage. I don’t know. Maybe you should try it for a couple weeks or so and let us know.
Maybe you’re asking, is it appropriate to sit in lotus position at work? I don’t know, maybe you should ask your boss.
Lotus position is a meditation seat. Maybe you’re asking is it appropriate to use a meditation seat at work. I don’t know. Does your work involve meditation?
Maybe you should ask yourself, self, why do I want to sit in lotus position for 1-2 hours at work?
- Because I can.
- Because I can and I can get away with it.
- Because I can and I want you to see that I can.
- Because I want you to see that I can and you can’t.
- Because I want to tell everybody that I can.
- Because I’m special because I can.
- Because I just feel like it, I want to, and I can.
Bottom line? I don’t know.
Sitting in full lotus for an hour, if done correctly, will not harm you and it is a great stable sitting posture for meditation and pranayama and if you flex the feet pushing out with the heels it will help to lift the whole spine up keeping the natural curves.
But if done incorrectly with ankles collapsing it will put a good deal of stress on the knees.
If you feel the blood flow in the legs is restricted you should not sit for long periods without releasing the legs and allowing normal blood flow.
Thanks Cambodia .
Asuri, 
I want to sit in lotus while at work so my hips will open even more and do postures like suptakurmasana and some 2nd and 3rd series ashtanga poses better . Thats all,
I’m asking on forum because I want to see if it may cause me physical damage. Anywayz… ill try it out ill let you guys know if I have hurt myself in a couple weeks
Well, I hope you will have enough sense not to hurt yourself.
“So, is it ok to sit at work for like an hour in full lotus? Some discomfort happens ofcourse. But no pain. So 1 - 2 hours full lotus ok?”
This is not something which one can make a general statement about - different people, depending on how their system is functioning, will function at different levels and capabilities. For some who are not accustomed to the posture, and when the body and mind have not adjusted to the posture, sitting just for 15 minutes when your system can only handle 5 mins would be damaging. There are yogis for whom, they have remain in deep meditation, sitting in the lotus posture for hours, weeks, months, or in some cases - years. Just as there is somebody who is capable of walking a tight rope without loosing balance - can you do it ? It is a certain potential and capability that becomes possible through practice. The same is the case for something as apparently simple as sitting in the lotus posture. For most - sitting just for one hour in that posture may be an agonizing experience - it is something one can slowly work towards.
Always practice at your own pace, and respect the present capabilities of the body while at the same time making an effort to move beyond your present limitations.
Keeping in mind all the other tips here, I have a way you can check if your body really is ready for padmasana, or if your ego says you’re ready but you are actually hurting your knees. I have been able to do padmasana since the first time I tried but I wasn’t actually ready for it until recently.
Start by getting yourself into viparita karani. I recommend using a bolster so that you can get your pelvic bone and belly button level with each other.
Starting with an imaginary tray of drinks on your feet always helps. With one leg extended, bind your desired leg paying attention to taking the wrinkles out of your ankle. Then bring your other leg down so that your ankle is below your knee. If your ankle goes any lower then this becomes easier in an incorrect sort of way. You can press lightly on your knee to start but instead you should cut your inner hip out. Once your knee touches your ankle your hips are ready for full padmasana.
Best of luck, I believe dandasana is an excellent counterpose for padmasana as well as an essential pose that is all to commonly ignored.