Is the hunch in your shoulders eating away your confidence? Do you hold onto grudges and seldom forgive people? Do you feel detached from the world around you? If yes, roll out your mat and learn to bloom in the dirt with the hidden lotus pose.
The hidden lotus pose helps in stretching and strengthening of the neck, arms, shoulders, spine, and hips. It is an excellent yoga asana for posture correction, improving balance, mental focus, and opening the sacral chakra.
Let’s dive deeper and understand how to practice the correct posture of the hidden lotus pose, its benefits, and how to customize it to suit your needs and fitness levels.
Hidden Lotus Pose – Step by Step Instructions
How to practice the correct posture of the Hidden Lotus Pose
- Sit in a padmasana
Sit in a padmasana (left foot over the right thigh, right feet over the left thigh, with an erect spine and neck) on the mat and take a few deep breaths. Bring your awareness into the present moment and relax the tension in your body.
- Place your hands on the ground in front of your knees
Place your hands on the ground in front of your knees, lean your torso forward, raise your hips and stand on your knees. Make sure your knees remain in the padmasana.
- Advertisement - - Now gently lower your torso towards the ground
Now gently lower your torso towards the ground till your chin, chest, and abdomen are touching the ground. Make sure you do not overstretch your body and perform the yoga asana as per your flexibility levels.
- Bring your palms behind your back with fingers pointing towards your head
Once comfortable in this position, bring your palms behind your back with fingers pointing towards your head. If possible touch the back of your head with your middle finger. Make sure your upper body remains flat on the ground. Close your eyes inhale a deep breath and relax your body. Bring your awareness to the heart chakra. Hold the pose for a few breaths (as long as you can).
- Come out of the pose
To come out of the pose, raise your upper body with the help of your arms and slowly push back your torso, till you are sitting on your hips. Open your legs from padmasana and relax your body before practicing it again.
Beginners tip
A common beginner’s mistake is rushing through this yoga asana and giving up quickly. The hidden lotus pose is an intermediate level yoga asana and requires practice.
In case you aren’t able to touch your chin on the ground or hold your hands behind your back, use props such as a yoga block or a yoga strap to help you achieve the correct alignment of the pose.
If you are having trouble in padmasana you can try the hidden lotus pose with one-legged padmasana or a simple cross leg position.
Best time to perform
It is best to practice this yoga asana is in the morning as it energizes the body and prepares you for the day ahead.
In case you can’t work out in the mornings, it is ok to practice in the evenings. Just make sure you have an empty stomach and you had last meal at least 4 hours before you begin the workout.
Benefits
Health benefits
The hidden lotus pose is the perfect pose to strengthen the back and improve body posture. The yoga asana stretches and strengthens the neck, arms, shoulders, lungs, abdomen, and hips and relieves symptoms of constipation, asthma, and lower back pain. The pose increases the supply of oxygenated blood towards the brain and is an effective cure for migraines.
Therapeutic benefits
Regular practice of the hidden lotus pose improves the nervous system and connects our chakras with the grounding energy of the earth. The yoga asana brings mental clarity and a sense of resolution which pushes us to move higher in life. This meditative yoga pose is often used to ward off anxiety, depression, and self-doubt thoughts.
Precautions
Avoid this yoga asana if you are suffering from pain in the hips, knees, or shoulders.
Practitioners suffering from tightness in the lower back, and cervical spine should also avoid this pose or practice under an expert’s guidance.
Conclusion
A meditative yoga pose which helps in strengthening of the spine and lower body. The hidden lotus pose is also helpful in improving the breathing capacity and correcting posture defects such as rounded shoulders and hip displacement.
Additional facts
Preparatory poses – Paschimottanasan, Baddha Konasana, Ardha Matsyendrasana
Follow up poses – Sarvangasana, Setu Bandha Sarvangasana
Alternate poses – Bandha padmasana
Sanskrit name – Gupta Padmasana
Gupta – Hidden, Padma – Lotus, Asana – pose
The pose gets its name from the hidden feet/lotus position during the pose
Difficulty level – Intermediate
“All kidding aside, if everyone did yoga, we would have world peace.” – Rory Freedman
Fun fact – in Buddhism, the Lotus flower (Padma) is associated with enlightenment and good fortune. It is also related to purification of mind, body, and spirit. It reminds the yogi to bloom in the muddy waters of suffering, temptations and rise above them.
