Padmasana is, of course, one of the most cherished asana for beginner yogis. Everyone wants to gain the compact stability which is energetically ideal for meditation as quickly as possible. Not to mention the fact that it is simply beautiful. But you should not hurry. The Lotus posture, like any other, should not be an end in itself. Asana in the wide, “limb” sense is just a means, part of a great journey and in no circumstances its final point. The limbs of your personal yoga practice should grow uniformly in all directions.
The main problem of Padmasana that our body allows us to approach it without warning of the dangers for the knee joint. Going too fast may meam injury which will make you forget all about Padmasana for several months in the best case and require surgical intervention in the worst. The point is that our knee joints are anatomically weaker than the hip joints. If the latter are insufficiently opened, an excessively intensive rotatory load is transferred to the knee, making it carry out an atypical function. The knee is intended for flexion only “forwards-backwards”, and in no circumstances “to the right/to the left”!
Padmasana should be executed only by opening the hips. Baddha Konasana (Bound Angle Pose) is an excellent indicator: if your knees do not lie on the floor in this posture, you are not ready for Padmasana. Open your hips through respective asanas (Baddha Konasana, Janu Sirsasana, Gomukhasana) and practice something easier for meditation, e.g. Sukhasana ( Easy Pose). Lotus will blossom itself when its time comes.
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