Cross-legged posture in yoga and 5 unexpected benefits

The cross-legged posture is the simplest and easiest to do in yoga exercises, but the benefits are surprising.

The Easy Pose or the Easy Pose has the Sanskrit name Sukhasana. This is a simple cross-legged sitting position and is one of the most basic poses commonly used in yoga and meditation. When doing Sukhasana, you can sit in whatever way you feel most comfortable. You can also use additional yoga tools to support such as folding blankets, yoga bricks, etc.

5 unexpected benefits of the cross-legged position

Easy Pose is a pose that opens the hips, stretches the knees and ankles, and strengthens the back. In addition, this pose also brings a lot of benefits to the body, depending on the movements you combine when practicing:

1. Find stillness and peace

Easy Pose can help you get rid of anxiety and find calm when life is challenging. If combined with breathing techniques or repeating a certain mantra with Easy Pose, you will have a wonderful meditation practice.

2. Good for the Knee

The cross-legged position is very beneficial for the knees. This is especially helpful if you work in jobs that involve sitting for long periods of time, such as driving or working in an office.

3. Open ankle

This is a pose that can help open the ankles slowly. Not only that, this pose also helps you to know if your ankle has a problem or not. If you feel pain in your ankle or feel a stretch in the ankle joint, you need to be careful.

You can try sitting on a cushion to relieve stress on your ankles. Over time, you’ll see your ankles begin to open up and you’ll be able to sit deeper.

4. Open hips

To open your hips, sit in this position for 5-10 minutes a day. If the hips are tight, place yoga blocks under each knee and gradually reduce the height of the blocks so that the hips open up slowly.

5. Stretches the back and spine muscles

Sitting up straight, chest up will help you get more benefits from the cross-legged position. In addition, this will also help open up the spine and lower back muscles. If you have a history of serious knee or back injuries, sit on a folded blanket so your knees are lower than your hips and there’s less stress. You can also try leaning against a wall to make it easier.

In general, in most eastern cultures, including Vietnam, the cross-legged position is quite common, so the hips, ankles and back are used to this. However, don’t let that stop you from doing it. Try to follow the correct steps according to the instructions of your yoga teacher, you will notice new things in this familiar pose.

The cross-legged posture is quite familiar in most Eastern cultures, including Vietnam

How to do the sitting cross-legged position?

To perform the cross-legged posture, you can follow these steps:

• Arrange supportive padding (blankets, yoga bricks, etc.) under the sitting bones so that the hips are higher than the knees
• Sit on a cushion in a comfortable cross-legged position. Use your hands to move the meat of your butt to the sides for stability.
• Lean back and forth a few times to make sure your shoulders are in line with your hips. The crown of the head should face the ceiling.
• Your hands can be placed on your lap. The palm can be facing up or facing down.
• Breathe evenly and hold the pose for a few minutes or incorporate deep breathing techniques or meditation.

Some common mistakes

Sukhasana is a fairly simple pose but it involves many parts of the body. To get the most out of this pose, while avoiding discomfort and injury, you can adjust your posture by following these tips:

• Lift your ribcage, shoulders wide, tilt your chin forward, and imagine the back of your neck being gently pulled up.
• To avoid forward flexion, imagine the sitting bones sag to help the pelvis tilt slightly back and the lumbar spine straight.
• To avoid leaning back, gently tilt your pelvis forward. You can also place a folded blanket under your butt to lift your hips up a bit.
• If your hips are not flexible, you may not be able to keep your knees close to the ground and this can strain your spine. You can fix this by placing yoga blocks or folded blankets below your knees for stability.

Some notes when practicing the cross-legged posture

Avoid sitting in a cross-legged position if you have a knee injury

Sitting in Sukhasana can restrict blood flow to the legs. This is something to be especially aware of if you are suffering from circulatory problems such as varicose veins or edema or if you are pregnant. Signs of restricted circulation include numbness or tingling in the legs and feet. To avoid these symptoms, don’t pull your legs too close to your pelvis. Placing them further apart will help keep the knees from bending too much. And don’t hold the pose for too long. Or else, you might consider trying another, simpler pose, such as staff pose (Dandasana).

Or you can ask a professional yoga teacher to help you modify this pose so you can get the most out of it and avoid the risk of injury. The use of cushions under the ankles or seats can also relieve pressure in many parts of the body.

This pose should be avoided if you have a knee injury. If you’re pregnant, it’s best to talk to your doctor before doing this or any other yoga pose.

Reference source

6 Holistic Benefits of Sukhasana or Easy Pose https://www.doyou.com/6-holistic-benefits-of-sukhasana-85637/ Accessed date: 11/26/2020

How to Do Easy Pose (Sukhasana) in Yoga https://www.verywellfit.com/easy-pos-sukhasana-3567124 Accessed: 11/26/2020