What Does
the Lotus have to do with Yoga?
By Caron Bosler
At first
glance, crossing your legs and sitting quietly on the floor
seems to have nothing to do with a flower, or a specific one
at that. I started to question how this basic pose, or asana,
in yoga, came to be so strongly linked with the lotus flower.
While the lotus pose helps to open the hips, strengthen the
back, and flexibility of the knees, it is also used as a base
for meditation, chanting, and pranayama (breathing techniques).
It turns
out the symbol of the lotus flower, or lily, has been a spiritual
symbol in Eastern religion for thousands of years. The lotus
flower grows from the bottom of streams and muddy ponds to rise
above the water and bloom. It symbolically represents being
fully grounded in earth, yet aspiring towards the divine. At
night, the lotus flower closes, and sinks below the water, just
to resurface again untouched the next day. The lotus flower
is an iconic symbolism of beauty because it lives in the muddy
water yet remains unsoiled.
The lotus
flower is actually the asian water lily! Lotuses are 5 species
of water lilies, three in genus Nymphaea and two in Nelumbo;
both genera are members of the water lily family, Nymphaeaceae.
So the connection can be made between the Eastern buddha sitting
on a lotus flower, and the white lily, common throughout Christianity.
The white lily is a symbol of purity associated with Christ
and also the Virgin Mary. In both Eastern and Christian religions
this flower represents spiritual unfoldment, and self- realization.
The Indian
Lotus flower symbolizes enlightenment, divinity, fertility,
wealth, and knowledge. Many Indian deities are depicted sitting
on a fully blossomed lotus flower, or holding a lotus flower.
Lilies are often associated in Christianity with Easter and
the resurrection of Christ. The Virgin Mary is often depicted
with the lily, symbolically representing both her virginity
and her purity.
The Lotus
Pose, or Padmasana, takes its name from the position of the
feet and legs representing the petals of the lotus flower. While
this is a basic pose in yoga, many Westerners find this pose
extremely difficult for the knees and hips. If the full pose
is uncomfortable or you find yourself straining, sit in a comfortable
variation until your legs are suitably limber to do the full
pose. A comfortable variation of the Lotus Pose is to sit with
your legs crossed and your wrists relaxed on your knees. Another
variation is to sit with the knees bent and the heels in line
with your pubic bone. Or, you can do the full Lotus Pose by
taking the right foot and placing it on the right thigh so that
the heel of the right foot is in the middle of the left hip.
Then place the heel of the left foot in the middle of the right
hip. The knees should be relaxed and comfortable. The spine
should be erect and the chin dropped slightly forward. The eyes
gaze softly forward, being neither open nor closed. The wrists
should be resting on the knees. Once you are comfortably in
this posture, you can use it for meditation, chanting, and pranyama
(breathing).
This asana,
or pose helps to keep the knees supple and strengthens the back
muscles, improving posture. It aids in focusing the mind on
inner contemplation, and helps prevent abdominal disease.
So the next
time you are sitting in Padmasana, take a moment to connect
to what the pose truly represents.
Caron
Bosler - http://www.cor-e-nergy.com
