Sitting in padamasan for long time

Yoga Discussion General Yoga
#1

hi all ,

i am trying for long time and still could not find solution to my problem. My main requirement is to sit cross legged for log hours like 8hrs.

Till now i can only sit for 20 mins max . After sometime my foot starts sleeping and i have to open legs , move here and there and then again.

Then someone told me to sit in padam asan with legs on top of thigh. But i am not able to do that as i have no flexibility.

So can anyone please guide me , how can i increase my flexibility so that i can sit in Padamasan

#2

Salamba Kapotasana practice.

But if you think your legs get tired now, wait until you get into full lotus.

#3

[QUOTE=mirage;58507]hi all ,

i am trying for long time and still could not find solution to my problem. My main requirement is to sit cross legged for log hours like 8hrs.

Till now i can only sit for 20 mins max . After sometime my foot starts sleeping and i have to open legs , move here and there and then again.

Then someone told me to sit in padam asan with legs on top of thigh. But i am not able to do that as i have no flexibility.

So can anyone please guide me , how can i increase my flexibility so that i can sit in Padamasan[/QUOTE]

eight hours is very ambitious. Try to reach 40 min in the next month. Then 1 hour in the next two months. When you reach 90 min hold that for six months.
If you reach two hours , you have progressed indeed. But the main issue is can you hold your mind still for more than half a minute ?

#4

Why did they tell you to sit in padmasana ? The more you sit the more open your hips will become , look after your knees , do hatha yoga preferably with a guide.
As Reswaran said its about the mind really , not how you sit , although this helps ,have your hips higher than the knees when you sit.

#5

What makes the Lotus so special?

Why do you want to sit for 8 hours?

#6

What makes the Lotus so special?

I can think of a few, given my name! lol

Seriously, Padmasana should not be looked at as a goal. The goal in sitting meditation is to be comfortable. If you are not, the mind will wander. I encourage my students who are uncomfortable during meditation to lay down. They have found this to be quite helpful. As the hips open and the core/spine is stable, they may progress. But again, it is not necessary. As you progress into padmasana, stay in it, on each side, only seconds at a time. Progress very slowly, adding only seconds each week. A suggestion would be sitting in Agnistambhasana (fire log) which is shin on shin. Make sure to do the other side! And as Chaliedharma said, hips should be higher than knees. If not, sit on a pillow or two until your knees are lower than your hips. Work on hip openers. Some of my favorites:
Cat/cow
Baddha Konasana
Supta Padangusthasana
Trikonasana
Ananda Balasana
Lunges
Eka Pada Rajakapotanasana
Upavistha konasana and Urdhva Upavistha Konasana
Gomukhasana
Garudasana

If you give us a bit more info it would be helpful. Such as are you preparing for a meditation retreat, are your hips tight, what type of practice do you do and so on.

#7

If padmasana isn’t special or a goal - why does almost every ol timey yogic shastra …

Tracks, Shiva Samhita, HYP, Yoga Upanishad

list it - along with siddha - as 'chief."

?

#8

@Scales,

If the goal of yoga is Samadhi, and all things being equal, would the person sitting in padmasana reach that goal faster than the one who is lying down?

#9

[QUOTE=lotusgirl;58532]@Scales,

If the goal of yoga is Samadhi, and all things being equal, would the person sitting in padmasana reach that goal faster than the one who is lying down?[/QUOTE]

yes Lotus wins.

Also why do many of the shastras say

Lotus is a remover of disease?

Also Why does lotus win?

#10

Padmasana has many benefits Scales. It is the ultimate pose for pranayam work as the spine is straight and stable. But because it is the ultimate or preferred doesn’t mean it is absolute. For most, it will never be a natural feeling pose. My thoughts are it is more important as to what is going on inside the mind, or not going on.

It is however, a pose I sit in while teaching/meditating. We continue to practice and make small strides. If it ends in padmasana, great. If not, that’s just fine too.

#11

[QUOTE=lotusgirl;58549]Padmasana has many benefits Scales.

It is the ultimate pose for pranayam work as the spine is straight and stable.

[/QUOTE]

what does pranayama have to do with spine straight?

I’m trying to lead you on. Give me more. [B]Let it tumble around in your head.[/B] I haven’t seen the answer I’m looking for in any book. But it is available to you if you ponder it.

You list spine straight. What else? Why is spine straight important? Is spine straight what makes lotus chief?

If you don’t want to play with me. Then tell me so.

#12

[QUOTE=The Scales;58562] Why is spine straight important? Is spine straight what makes lotus chief? [/QUOTE]

Scales, bigger brains on this forum may know why this is, but I believe that sitting in full lotus contributes to straight spine. Elongated spine leads to better energy flow(?)

#13

[QUOTE=FlexPenguin;58571]Scales, bigger brains on this forum may know why this is, but I believe that sitting in full lotus contributes to straight spine. Elongated spine leads to better energy flow(?)[/QUOTE]

Flex it’s not really an intellectual thing - as in it would take a bigger brain to know why it (along with siddha) is chief - it’s more of an insight/understanding kind of thing.

The AHA!

A test. Tests seem popular around here recently. So it’s a little test.

If no one gets it I will explain my understanding. Which I ‘think’ will explain why it’s chief. But lets let it play out a while.

#14

[QUOTE=The Scales;58574]If no one gets it I will explain my understanding. Which I ‘think’ will explain why it’s chief. But lets let it play out a while.[/QUOTE]

I will wait and see what develops. My toss into the ring is straight spine unkinks the knots (like a garden hose) and allows the energy to flow. The nice thing about full lotus (a posture I have been blessed with achieving easily) is that it promotes elongation and releases the tension in the muscles around the spine - in my case.

Straight spine is a misnomer as the spine is never straight, but, as you hinted above, it is the ‘feeling’ of a straight spine.

#15

Sitting in padmasana will naturally (for the most part) keep your spine erect and stable. There is no effort once you are comfortable in the pose. Pranic energy is then able to move more freely. With the spine erect, the chest is open and the lungs are able to fully expand and take in the life force. When there is no effort from the physical body, it is easier to still the mind and be moved with the wave of no thought.

But again, it is not a necessary means.

Flex,
Notice how I slyly threw in the “erect” spine vs. “straight” spine. Good catch BTW!

#16

Wheres buddha at?

:confused:

buddha would know

“why is padmasana special?”

#17

I thought I was buddha?

#18

[QUOTE=FlexPenguin;58634]I thought I was buddha?[/QUOTE]

See he Appears!

I know you know the answer you sly dog.

Your just using skilfull means! Admit it.

#19

You clicked on this thread again because you thought I was going to elaborate on the mystery of padmasana. Admit it!

In good time. Perhaps I will. AHAHA!

I’m wondering if buddha came in here to get schooled?

I say yes.

What do you think?

126 clicks and rising . . .

Pardon me while I go sniff my fragrance.

#20

mirage,

One aspect of sitting in padmasana for longer stretches of time is to make certain that you do not sit directly with the body touching the floor. If you do this, within on average fifteen to twenty minutes, you will start to feel certain parts of the body becoming numb because the direct contact will cut off the blood circulation from flowing efficiently through one’s system. To solve this problem, one should sit on a cushion or something that can offer a protective padding. This will help the blood to circulate without obstruction, as well as assist prana to flow through one’s system.

Besides this, the more you practice sitting in padmasana is the most your body will gradually adapt to the posture. The muscles of the pelvic region as well as the heels will start to become more flexible. Since you are practicing already for 20 minutes in padmasana, start practicing in the posture for 30 minutes. Once you have practiced for enough time and you can sit in the posture more or less effortlessly without too much discomfort, increase the time to 40 minutes and do the same. Like this - gradually, you will be able to sit for hours upon hours in padmasana without too many problems.

Another factor to consider is strengthening of the spinal cord. This will happen naturally as you continue sitting in an erect posture. Otherwise, what is also of tremendous help is to practice asanas which involve bending of the spinal cord, such as dhanurasana, chakrasana, or matsyendrasana.