I noticed an update on fb from a friend who has recently found himself able to get into full lotus.
"New resolution for this year: being completely comfortable in full lotus pose. It took quite a long time but it just happened with yesterday morning practice, sooner than expected actually".
This is a challenging asana for many and I know it can often feel disheartening but we can't rush it or we'll damage our knees, so hard to be patient sometimes. What we can do is work on the external rotation of our hips, focus on Janu sirsasana and the konasana's but especially make the most of the standing sequence, everything happens in the standing sequence, we should never feel it's something to get over and done with so we can move on to the 'real asana', the standing sequence is as real as it gets......
I thought a 'success' story might be welcome and asked Khoi Kevin Pham if he would say something more about the process of working towards padmasana, how long it took etc. Here's his generous response.
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It's there but not there yet It takes quite some preparation to carefully get into the pose then once in it's not fully comfortable yet... Need more practice
I wish that I kept a good blog about this journey like you do so well. Everyone's body is different so I can only speak for my case.
One year and half ago, my hips, thighs and hamstrings were pretty tight: when in half lotus, my knee pointed up to the ceiling and was at least 16 inches off the floor such that some friends look at it and call the situation "pathetic"
In the first year or so I struggled with sharp knees pain, limping, tried different techniques, frustrated, disappointed, stop/start/skip, going around in circle and moving nowhere ...
Chuck Miller probably said it the best
"there are is good hard work and there is stupid hard work"
...and my first year can be categorized as the latter That being said, I would not disregard as wasted because it triggered for a drastic change on how I had been approaching it that finally led to about 6 months ago a sort of "breakthrough" where I don't feel any pain after the practice, uncomfortable during practice yes but no pain after and that is so so nice
I would say many factors contributed to it:
1) it takes time and practice to finally understand the theory learned and advise gathered from various sources, what works and what does not for me
2) come into realization that no one else understands my body better then myself because some day's it's my outer thighs that I need to work on and other day it's the opposite inner thighs that I need to relax
3) develop more awareness on what I'm doing and what I'm feeling
4) learn to let go and let go of any time frame attachment and simply enjoy the practice
5) the body was being transformed so the process takes time and patience. I didn't even bother trying to put myself into full lotus everyday; once in the blue moon, I would try it to see... then it happened a few days ago to my surprise, where I can feel some degree of easiness and relaxation while in the pose
I would say that once one sorts out whatever tightness/blockage remaining in the lotus pose and along with the breathing, one should feel like Patanjali said asana is "steady and comfortable posture".
Oh and this too on the same theme from Maya over at her blog Mayaland Feb2011
![]( "first lotus")
But what's all this about Baddha Padmasana doing in a Jump Back blog? Point is, focusing on the jump back doesn't mean everything else has to suffer, they'll come along nicely on their own. Also it goes to show that the little tips/tricks/suggestions can make the difference and that something you begin to think you'll never be able to do will just surprise you one day. Like the jump back
.
"New resolution for this year: being completely comfortable in full lotus pose. It took quite a long time but it just happened with yesterday morning practice, sooner than expected actually".
This is a challenging asana for many and I know it can often feel disheartening but we can't rush it or we'll damage our knees, so hard to be patient sometimes. What we can do is work on the external rotation of our hips, focus on Janu sirsasana and the konasana's but especially make the most of the standing sequence, everything happens in the standing sequence, we should never feel it's something to get over and done with so we can move on to the 'real asana', the standing sequence is as real as it gets......
I thought a 'success' story might be welcome and asked Khoi Kevin Pham if he would say something more about the process of working towards padmasana, how long it took etc. Here's his generous response.
It's there but not there yet It takes quite some preparation to carefully get into the pose then once in it's not fully comfortable yet... Need more practice
I wish that I kept a good blog about this journey like you do so well. Everyone's body is different so I can only speak for my case.
One year and half ago, my hips, thighs and hamstrings were pretty tight: when in half lotus, my knee pointed up to the ceiling and was at least 16 inches off the floor such that some friends look at it and call the situation "pathetic"
In the first year or so I struggled with sharp knees pain, limping, tried different techniques, frustrated, disappointed, stop/start/skip, going around in circle and moving nowhere ...
Chuck Miller probably said it the best
"there are is good hard work and there is stupid hard work"
...and my first year can be categorized as the latter That being said, I would not disregard as wasted because it triggered for a drastic change on how I had been approaching it that finally led to about 6 months ago a sort of "breakthrough" where I don't feel any pain after the practice, uncomfortable during practice yes but no pain after and that is so so nice
I would say many factors contributed to it:
1) it takes time and practice to finally understand the theory learned and advise gathered from various sources, what works and what does not for me
2) come into realization that no one else understands my body better then myself because some day's it's my outer thighs that I need to work on and other day it's the opposite inner thighs that I need to relax
3) develop more awareness on what I'm doing and what I'm feeling
4) learn to let go and let go of any time frame attachment and simply enjoy the practice
5) the body was being transformed so the process takes time and patience. I didn't even bother trying to put myself into full lotus everyday; once in the blue moon, I would try it to see... then it happened a few days ago to my surprise, where I can feel some degree of easiness and relaxation while in the pose
I would say that once one sorts out whatever tightness/blockage remaining in the lotus pose and along with the breathing, one should feel like Patanjali said asana is "steady and comfortable posture".
UPDATE
Oh and this too on the same theme from Maya over at her blog Mayaland Feb2011
Anyway. Now we turn to other fast breaking yoga news, namely this: I have, finally, at long last, gotten into a FULL LOTUS. Not since I was seven and made entirely of rubber has this been possible.
Obviously, this is not a nice tight, pretty padmasana. It’s a kind of scrunched, barely there, knee-doesn’t-like-it padmasana. That right foot is just about to be sucked under, haha. But that’s okay. Just the fact that that left foot can get up on the thigh at all is so exciting, evidence thatchange is occurring, even at glacial speed (I’ve been at this a year and a half now). Woo hoo!
When I started, not even half-lotus was possible. Lifting either foot off the floor was excruciating in the knees. Any kind of lotus at all seemed ridiculously unattainable. But here I am.
Give it another year and lotus might go from possible to even actually enjoyable. Hey. It could happen. And my hamstring will be perfect, and I’ll be able to hold Navasana without sinking like the Titanic, and there could be world peace, and free chocolate at the chocolate store—
UPDATE II
So now lotus is possible....what about baddha padmasana?
Here's a post of mine from very early on the blog, August 2008, back when I wrote short posts..... it's so old I even apologise for not wearing a shirt.
The post is on the theme of achieving things that you may have been working on for some time.
The post is on the theme of achieving things that you may have been working on for some time.
Does everything else suffer by focusing on the jump back? EG. Baddha Padmasana
I've thought about posting this for the last couple of weeks but didn't want to risk jinxing it. I've noticed that while I've been focusing on the jump back and this blog, everything else has just started coming together by itself. Marichiyasana C has become easy, D has become closer ( P.S. Just nailed my first Marichiyasana D couple of days after this post, left side only so far). Upavishta konasana has appeared from nowhere. Last week I was able to clasp my hands behind my back in Supta Kurmasana and I find I can get my foot behind my head and almost let go with it staying there. Back bends are stronger, though I still can't imagine being able to drop back (I'm thinking the subject of a sister blog next year).
Best of all this morning I was able to struggle into Baddha Padmasana. I was convinced this would be something I would never be able to manage, just didn't think I was built right for it (but then didn't I think that about Marichyasana C). I found a trick to it. Get into a really tight lotus, feet up higher than usual then reach around with the left arm and clasp left toe, then, and here's my trick/tip, slide your right arm between your back and left arm which enables you to work it down to your toe and clasp (might take a bit of tipping over to the left - see video on youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHZOQAjzYWc
Apologies for no shirt on this one but couldn't do it with it on, think being hot and sweaty helps).
Edit- Seems that video has got lost but this one form a few days later works and shows some of the other baddha padmasana options
Best of all this morning I was able to struggle into Baddha Padmasana. I was convinced this would be something I would never be able to manage, just didn't think I was built right for it (but then didn't I think that about Marichyasana C). I found a trick to it. Get into a really tight lotus, feet up higher than usual then reach around with the left arm and clasp left toe, then, and here's my trick/tip, slide your right arm between your back and left arm which enables you to work it down to your toe and clasp (might take a bit of tipping over to the left - see video on youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHZOQAjzYWc
Apologies for no shirt on this one but couldn't do it with it on, think being hot and sweaty helps).
Edit- Seems that video has got lost but this one form a few days later works and shows some of the other baddha padmasana options
.