Baddha Padmasana (Locked Lotus Pose)

Getting into the Pose

  1.  Begin by sitting in padmasana (lotus pose).
  2. Take your arms behind your back and cross them.
  3. While exhaling, lean forward slightly and reach for the right big toe with your right hand and the left big toe with your left hand.
  4. If reaching the toes is challenging, retract your shoulders back to bring the shoulder blades closer together. Start by holding the uppermost foot’s big toe.

Maintaining the Pose

  • Stay in the final position as long as it’s comfortable.
  • Return to padmasana, cross your legs the opposite way, and repeat the practice.

Breathing

  • Breathe deeply and slowly while in the final position.

Awareness

  • Physical awareness on the abdomen or the breathing process.
  • Spiritual awareness on anahata chakra (heart center).

Contraindications

  • Avoid this pose and its variation if you have serious eye, back, or heart conditions, high blood pressure, hernia, or hydrocele.
  • Not suitable for those in the early post-operative or post-delivery period.

Benefits

  • Alleviates pain in the shoulders, arms, and back.
  • Encourages normal growth in children with underdeveloped chests.
  • Spiritually, it’s used in Kundalini awakening.

Sequence

  • Serves as an excellent preliminary pose for meditation practices.

Duration

  • You can hold the final position for up to 5 minutes, but 1 to 3 minutes is generally sufficient.

Variation

  • Sit in baddha padmasana.
  • Inhale deeply, then while exhaling, bend forward while stretching and aiming to touch your forehead to the floor.
  • Stay in the final position comfortably and breathe normally.
  • Inhale as you return to an upright position.
  • Gently release the pose.

Variation Benefits

  • Massages abdominal organs and stretches the back.
  • Used to awaken manipura chakra (navel center).
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