your left palm on your left knee and your right palm on your right knee with the cupped palms facing downwards. Keep your arms straight at the elbows. This hand position is called Drona Mudra (Bowl Hand Gesture) because the palm is shaped like a bowl (Drona) covering your knees.
•You can remain in the Perfect Posture (Siddhasana) for a few hours; however, you must consider your fitness, age and will power.
•As a variation, instead of keeping the neck erect and looking straight ahead, you may bend the neck and look downwards with the chin touching the chest.
•And also as a variation, instead of closing your eyes, you may focus on the nose tip (Nasagra Drishti) or between the eyebrows (Bhrumadhya Drishti.)
Three: Svastikasana (Prosperous or Auspicious Pose)
Swastika is an Auspicious Tantric symbol – a symbol of fertility and creativity. As this Asana resembles Swastika, it is called as Svastikasana (pronounced as Swastikasana.)
The term is made up of the prefix su ‘good’ and asti ‘is;’ i.e. ‘It’s good;’ and ‘asana’ meaning pose.
Svastikasana is sitting at ease with the body erect. Spread the legs forward.
Fold the left leg and place the feet near the right thigh muscles. Bend the right leg and push it in the space between the left thigh and calf muscles. Now the two feet are between the thighs and calves. This is very comfortable for meditation. Maintain the arms as instructed in Padmasana.
The Following Instructions Help You Get the Hang of this Posture
1.Sit on the floor with your legs straight out in front of you and keep them at a distance of 1 to 1.5 feet. Put your arms on the floor beside your hips, with your palms down and fingers pointing forward. Shake your legs up and down a few times to get the kinks out.
2.Likewise put the left foot in between right thigh and knee from below the knee. Neck and back should be straight. If this step is difficult, don’t use this posture.
3.Bend your right knee toward you, and take hold of your right foot with both hands.
4.Grip the front of your ankle with your right hand and the ball of your big toe with your left hand; slide the little-toe side of your foot between your left thigh and calf until only your big toe is visible, and wiggle the big-toe side of your left foot up between the right thigh and calf, if you can.
5.Rest your hands on your knees, with your arms relaxed, join thumb and index finger as in Yogamudra. The sight should be focused on the tip of the nose.
6.Stretch your spine by stretching your back in an upward motion, balance your head over your torso, and look straight ahead.
7.Start doing this for 5 minutes and slowly increase it to 3 hours.
8.In the classic posture, the chin rests on the chest with the arms straight down and palms open in Jnana Mudra (Wisdom Seal) at the knees. The bottom left foot is pulled up and wedged between the right calf and the thigh.
9.Jnana Mudra is one of several arm positions used in Yoga. To do this Mudra, bring the tip of your index finger to the tip of your thumb to form a circle; extend the three remaining fingers, keeping them close together. This hand gesture makes a good circuit, sealing off the life energy (Prana) in your body.
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Benefits
•This is one of the simplest and comfortable poses for long hours of meditation.
•This asana is most suitable for Pranayama, meditation, learning and spiritual activities.
•It reduces the high blood pressure.
•Illnesses of knees are cured from the practice of this Asana
•Flow of energy increases.
•A pleasant feeling in the body arises and calmness pervades the body and mind.
•Auspicious vibrations and feelings will enter the mind.
•It tones the muscles of abdominal area and sciatic nerve.
•Normal temperature in the body is maintained by the regular practice of Svastikasana.
•The Svastikasana improves the flexibility of the hips, knees, and ankles and also strengthens the back.
Four: Easy Pose (Sukhasana)
This is one of the classic Meditative Poses and I usually perform it regularly.
The Easy Pose helps in straightening the spine, slowing down metabolism, promoting inner tranquility, and keeping your mind still.
Sukhasana (soo-KAHS-uh-nuh) is an asana practiced as a basic seated yoga posture similar to sitting in a simple cross-legged position. This easy sitting pose is one of the simplest pose for meditation suited for all beginners. It’s intended to be comfortable and calming. Sukhasana comes from two Sanskrit words: ‘Sukha’ which can mean comfort, ‘easy,’ ‘joyful,’ ‘pleasure,’ etc. from ‘su’ meaning good, and ‘kha’ meaning space; and ‘asana’ meaning pose.
Sukhasana is a very common pose for practicing meditation and breathing exercises called ‘pranayama.’ It’s also used as an alternative to practicing Lotus Pose (Padmasana) for those whose hips are very tight.
Sukhasana is a pose that many people automatically practice as children, but lose the ability to do over time due to sitting in chairs, which is a very modern problem. Early yogis didn’t have the ‘convenience’ of chairs, so their hips were much more open. Sukhasana is especially good to practice if your hips are very tight – just be sure to prop yourself up so your hips are higher than your knees as shown in Modifications and Variations below. If you come down to the floor and sit in Sukhasana a few times a day, you’ll notice how different it feels than to sit in a chair. Regular practice will gradually open your hips and bring your spine into correct alignment.
In yoga, you practice putting forth effort while staying connected to the part of yourself that is innately joyful and at ease. When you learn to act in this way – both on the mat and off – you are able to move through life skillfully without panic or fear.
How to Do Sukhasana (The Easy Sitting Pose)?
1.Using a yoga mat or a cushion or a carpet, sit on the floor with legs stretched out. Extend your legs in front of your body and sit erect with spine straight in Seated Staff Pose (Dandasana). Then, cross your legs in front of you at the shins.
2.With your knees wide, place each foot beneath the opposite knee
3.Fold your legs in toward your torso.
4.Place your hands on your knees, palms up or down as you wish
5.Balance your weight evenly across your sit bones. Align your head, neck, and spine. Stretch your spine, but soften your neck. Relax your feet and thighs.
6.Gaze straight ahead with soft eyes.
7.Relax your whole body and breathe normally through the nose down into the belly.
8.Hold for a minute or for the duration of your meditation or Pranayama practice.
9.Release and change the cross of your legs.
10.Maintain this position for as long as you’re comfortable.
Modifications