The lotus flower and padmasana
©juliemathysphotography
Have you ever observed the evolution of the lotus flower?
Its seed is planted in the mud where it takes its roots. Its bud then blows its way through the muddy waters to finally break the surface of the water and let its thousand petals bloom in the sunlight without any marks.
When the sun goes down, the flower closes and goes back again in the muddy waters to bloom again the next morning above the waters.
Symbolism of the lotus flower
Given this life cycle, it is not surprising that the lotus flower (padma in Sanskrit) has become a symbol of Eastern cultures, since it represents, among other things, purity, spiritual awakening and cycle of rebirths.
Does this life cycle make you think of anything else? Yes! the life of the lotus flower is a metaphor for the path of the yogi.
Indeed, we are generally absorbed by our daily concerns and our desires (mud and muddy waters) which hide from us the reality of things and prevent us from seeing our true nature - the Self.
However, our life force tends by all means to make its way towards the light (spiritual awakening) to make us discover our true Self which is not limited by our beliefs (the heart of the lotus flower) .
This discovery then allows all of our potential to bloom (the thousand petals of the lotus flower) and to find an enlightened awareness of who we are and what surrounds us, helping our mind to be still and happy.
Note: the fact that this flower is born in the mud, but still manages to hatch above the muddy waters makes it a beautiful symbol of hope for all those who struggle in their daily life by showing them that whatever the difficulties, with perseverance and confidence, it is always possible to bloom. It makes it a great gift to offer to someone having a bad time;).
The lotus posture
The beauty of the lotus flower is transposed into the lotus posture (padmasana) which is seen as the ultimate sitting posture and ideal for meditation.
Why is this posture ideal for meditation?
In this posture, the pelvis is firmly grounded and it creates a good seat which allows the spine to lengthen naturally and without effort: this position of the spine promotes a fluid circulation of oxygen and energy in the upper body as well as concentration.
However, you should be aware that this posture is not accessible to all.
Indeed, it requires the practitioner to have very mobile hips. Otherwise, there is a risk of injuring your knees. It is therefore necessary to pay special attention on the opening of the hips during your practice, to not rush the process and to not force into the posture!
Remember that it is not your body that have to adapt to the postures, but rather the postures that have to be adapted to you.
There are therefore other meditation postures that allow your body and mind to be able to remain calm and find the same state of concentration, such as the cross-legged position (sukhasana), the adept's posture (siddhasana), the ankle locking posture (svastikasana) or the diamond posture (vajrasana).
The lotus posture step by step
If you feel that your body is ready for the lotus posture, here's how to do it:
You can place a cover folded in 4 under your pelvis. This helps with external hip rotation
Extend your legs in front of you.
Fold the right leg, open the hip and take your foot in the opposite hand.
Bend your knee well and draw it far towards the right.
Keeping your knee bent, point your heel towards the navel.
Place your foot in your left groin.
Pssst: if the foot stays on the thigh, do not go further and continue to work on the opening of the hip and the flexibility of the adductors so as not to force on the knee.
If your foot is comfortably installed in the groin, you cangon on with step 8.
Pssst: watch out for your ankle which may tend to twist laterally too much. If so, flex your foot. Obviously, if it hurts, go no further!
It is time to place the left leg. This is the most delicate step for the left knee, because many practitioners compensate the lack of hip rotation by twisting the knee taking the risk to injure it.
Pssst: to protect the knee, make sure that the tibia and the femur (calf and thigh) are close to each other and that they always move together. So, bring the tibia closer to the thigh: this prevents the knee from twisting.
Then, follow the same steps described above for the right leg: open the hip, draw the knee out on the left side, draw the heel towards the navel, keeping the knee closed, point the foot and place it in the groin.
If you feel any discomfort or pain at any steps above, return to a place where you felt comfortable.
Remember that it is useless to rush the process and that everything comes at the right time to who knows how to wait.