Padmasana
Four
Padma means
a lotus. This is the lotus posture, one of the most important and useful
asanas. It is the posture for meditation and the Buddha is often depicted in
it. Verse of the first chapter of the
Hatha Yoga Pradipika Describes the posture and the practice of breath
control while seated in it thus.
‘Assuming Padmasana and having
places the palms one upon another, fix the chin firmly upon the breast and
contemplating upon Brahman, Frequently contract the anus and raise the apana up; by similar contraction of the throat
force the prana down. By this she obtains unequalled knowledge through the
favour of Kundalini (which is roused by this process).
Kundalini is the Divine Cosmic
Energy in bodies. It is symbolized by a coiled and sleeping serpent in the
lowest bodily centre at the base of the spinal column. This latent energy has
to be awakened and made to go up the spine to the brain through Susumna Nadi, a
channel through which nervous energy passes, and through the six chakras, the
subtle centres in the body, the fly wheels in the nervous system of the human
machine. The awakening of Kundalini is discussed in detail in Arthul Avalon’s
(Sir John Woodroffe’s) book entitled the Serpent Power).
This is one of the basic postures and is often used in the
variations of Sirasana and Sarvangasana.
