Padmasana Lotus Pose Breakdown

By: Steph Ball-Mitchell, ERYT500, RPYT, RCYT, YACEP, CAADC

Padmasana Lotus Pose Breakdown

Padmasana Lotus Pose Breakdown - Is it safe for me to practice?

• If your knee joint closes completely, you may be ready to try Lotus 
• Closing the knee joint fully means that you’re able to bend your knee while gently pressing the calf to the thigh
• If your knee joint doesn’t completely close, your quadriceps may not be long enough yet for Lotus. You can work on lengthening the quadricep muscles to protect the knees. You can do this in Virasana (Hero’s)
• Another reason why the knee joint might not close is if there is compression from soft tissue
• If your knee joint never fully closes, it’s ok
• If you’re able to close the knee joint, then you want to take a look at opening the hips
• If you’re able to comfortably come into Baddha Konasana (Bound Angle), then you’re hips are probably in a safe space for lotus
• If your knees are really high, you probably aren’t in a safe place for lotus.  Otherwise, the knees can get injured Padmasana Lotus Pose Breakdown - Is it safe for me to practice?
• Lotus requires the hips to externally rotate but as you’re coming into the pose, it requires internal hip rotation so that the pelvis can tip forward and the lower back can naturally curve

Sanskrit Name: Padmasana
English Name: Lotus Pose