Asana practice is done to prepare the body, breath and mind for the higher practices leading to awakening and realization. While others masters practices many asana to return to the practice of the most important one, known as Padamasana.

1. Evolve and help others to evolve by Acharya Girish Jha , more details at www.girishjha.org
How and why to practice Padamasana (lotus posture) –
one of the two most important postures in Yoga tradition
How many asanas? Who
discovered all? Meaning
There are 8.4 million asana
discovered by the originator of
Yoga by Lord Shiva.
The Sanskrit word ‘padama’
means lotus flower. The lotus
symbolically represents
awakening and realization.
There are two most important
asana recognized by great
masters – Siddhasana and
Padamasana

2. Evolve and help others to evolve by Acharya Girish Jha , more details at www.girishjha.org
How and why to practice Padamasana (lotus posture) –
one of the two important postures in Yoga tradition
Reference from the text:
Place the right foot on the left thigh and similarly the left one on the right
thigh cross the hands behind the back and firmly catch hold of the
great toes of feet so crossed. Place the chin on the chest and fix the
gaze on the tip of the nose. The posture is called Padamasana. This
posture destroys all diseases (Gherand Samhita- II.8)

3. Evolve and help others to evolve by Acharya Girish Jha , more details at www.girishjha.org
How and why to practice Padamasana (lotus posture) –
one of the two important postures in Yoga tradition
Why Padamasana is so important:
The Yogi who, sitting with Padamasana, can control breathing, there is
no doubt, is free from bondage. (Hatha Yoga Pradipika I-51)
Having kept ……………………… one gets the highest intelligence by
awakening the Kundalini . (Hatha Yoga Pradipika I-50)

4. Evolve and help others to evolve by Acharya Girish Jha , more details at www.girishjha.org
How and why to practice Padamasana (lotus posture) –
one of the two important postures in Yoga tradition
Technique:
Preposition:
Sit on the carpet on the floor and stretch both legs straight
Procedure:
1.
Bend the right knee and hold the right foot with both
hands , place it on top of the left thigh bringing the heel as
close to the belly button as possible.
2.
Bend the left knee and grasp the left foot with both
hands and place it on top of the right thigh bringing the
heel as close to the
Belly button as possible.
3.
Both knees should be on the ground and the soles of
the feet are pointed upward. The spine is held straight but
not rigid.
Position:
The spine is straight. Optionally, one may gaze in between
the eyebrows. Keep hands either in Jnana (join the tips of
the index and thumbs) or Anjali Mudra hands on lap one
over the other).
Releasing:
Return from the posture by bringing feet forward on the floor one
after the other

5. Evolve and help others to evolve by Acharya Girish Jha , more details at www.girishjha.org
How and why to practice Padamasana (lotus posture) –
one of the two important postures in Yoga tradition
Secret:
Begin practicing for minimum 3- minutes (1.5 min each side) every day.
Increase the duration every week by 1 min until you reach 10-minutes
each side. It means 20 minutes practice.
Maintain awareness of stillness of body, silent and slow breath instead of
directing attention to starching as it disturbs the mind.
One can begin with half louts pose also

6. Evolve and help others to evolve by Acharya Girish Jha , more details at www.girishjha.org
How and why to practice Padamasana (lotus posture) –
one of the two important postures in Yoga tradition
Secret:
Begin practicing for minimum 3- minutes (1.5 min each side) every day.
Increase the duration every week by 1 min until you reach 10-minutes
each side. It means 20 minutes practice.
Maintain awareness of stillness of body, silent and slow breath instead of
directing attention to starching as it disturbs the mind.
One can begin with half louts pose also