Full lotus

[goonis38]

Hi there,

Thank you for the video that was very helpful to me. And I did just as it shows. It is a great stretch. I made sure a did my breathing along with it. Thank you Mel

 

I would like to say a few words about what helped me with full lotus.

 

I don't like the idea of doing a lot of stretches of this and that for a meditation seat. So basically, I just did variants of one stretch: sit cross legged, and bend forward.

 

This video shows the method and stretches I'm talking about.

 

 

Start with whatever type of cross legged sitting you can do, and then bend forward as much as you can without strain, and then stay there. At this point, the keys are relaxation and deep breathing. When you are bent over like this, not only does it stretch the hips and lower back, but the breath can really get down into the pelvic cavity, and that movement stretches everything out down there in all directions. And if you tense up, you do not breathe as well or stretch as well and can't maintain the stretch, so don't push it! Just get into a position where the breath is opening you up. Let the breath do the work for you.

 

Then bend over to the left and right, and then switch legs, or if you don't have time, alternate legs each session. When you can, do this in half lotus, then when you can, do it with full lotus.

 

Remember, the issue is not getting into a posture, it is being able to sit in that posture and relax and maintain concentration for a good amount of time. So just doing stretches without emphasizing relaxation and deep breathing won't get you where you want to go. I think the bend forward, right and left and breathe method will help to get that stability in whatever cross legged position you choose, as well as help you get into more difficult positions.

 

I also think it helped me to sit in lotus and allow/encourage spontaneous movements. I got lots of crazy pelvic rocking, spiraling, vibrating, and even bouncing. Like with the breath, it allowed the tissues to loosen and stretch in ways no posture alone could. But if you're joints are not in good condition, this is probably not a good idea.

 

I am young and lithe; for all I know this method would not be effective for everyone. Feedback is welcome.

[Apech]

Well been doing stretches for a few days now and my posture is improving but have realised that my problem is not so much my dodgy knee or my fused L5 but my right hip which lacks flexibility. It feels oddly like its too strong if you see what I mean. Any good stretches for hips?

 

Nowhere near full lotus BTW can't get my right knee on the floor but its not brushing against my ear any more (ha ha).

 

The year long gong continues!!!

[Pero]

Well been doing stretches for a few days now and my posture is improving but have realised that my problem is not so much my dodgy knee or my fused L5 but my right hip which lacks flexibility. It feels oddly like its too strong if you see what I mean. Any good stretches for hips?

 

Nowhere near full lotus BTW can't get my right knee on the floor but its not brushing against my ear any more (ha ha).

 

The year long gong continues!!!

 

Are you following Temple's book?

 

Curiously my right hip is also blocked. In one of the youtube videos (or comments on them) someone said that usually the reason for one hip being more flexible than the other is sitting on the chair with crossed legs a lot, with one leg on top more than the other. For myself though I'm not sure if it's not an injury from basketball, I once fell on my hip, perhaps something moved.

[Apech]

Are you following Temple's book?

 

Curiously my right hip is also blocked. In one of the youtube videos (or comments on them) someone said that usually the reason for one hip being more flexible than the other is sitting on the chair with crossed legs a lot, with one leg on top more than the other. For myself though I'm not sure if it's not an injury from basketball, I once fell on my hip, perhaps something moved.

 

No, which book is that (I should probably know but I'll ask anyway).

 

I think my right hip is probably an old old problem. When I was 11 I broke my thigh bone and was in traction for 6-8 weeks. I don't think it was set with proper alignment and so I have had knee and hip probs on that side since. Also I used to do Aikido and I had a tendency to stress the right side too much which ended up in a bad knee problem which has not gone away.

[Apech]

Tips to loosen your hip flexors

 

 

 

Thanks - those lunges will be the death of me!

[Apech]

I posted this link previously. Just want to share again.

 

Basic instructions to reach full lotus, aka padmasana

 

 

I've been doing these ... soon I will have a body like hers ... well not exactly ...

[Friend]

Edited November 16, 2011 by Friend

[Pero]

No, which book is that (I should probably know but I'll ask anyway).

 

Anton Temple - Becoming the Lotus

 

I thought this because you said "year long gong", the book says one could achieve the full lotus pose, through practicing the exercises in it, in one year.

[Apech]

Anton Temple - Becoming the Lotus

 

I thought this because you said "year long gong", the book says one could achieve the full lotus pose, through practicing the exercises in it, in one year.

 

Ah thanks - might buy it - looks good.

[Mal]

I have it, good book, often recommended and dirt cheap.

 

Of course you actually have to be motivated enough to do the exercises, I wasn't

[Gauss]

I have a tip to all people wanting to achieve full Lotus.

 

Start out with Indian style, try to get both knees down to the floor. Push about 10 minutes per day. Every day.

 

When you achieve that you go to half Lotus. Same story, push your left knee down 10 minutes per day. Every day.

 

When you can keep your left knee down for a minute or so against the floor, you migh be ready to try and pull up the right leg.

 

In my opinion, 3-6 months should be enough, in some cases 1 year is needed. The importnat thing is to be able to take some pain for 10 minutes every day, that is enough. If you are more than 50 does not matter, everyone can do it.

 

The feeling when one achieves the full Lotus the first time is very special.

 

Of course, I recommend mind cultivation in Falun Dafa, the cleaner mind with less attachments you have the easier to flex your legs in my opinion, it is a supernormal principle I find.

[Rara]

Heyyy! Well, 5 years later I join the discussion

 

If anyone reads this, does anyone have any advice for the excruciating pain of pins and needles 30-45 minutes in? I was on the floor in agony for 5 minutes yesterday after my meditation. Half of me says no pain no gain, the other half says, dude, this isn't for you.

 

What do you all think. I mean, I have no trouble getting in to full lotus, but I worry that I may do some damage if I stay in for too long...

[voidisyinyang]

Heyyy! Well, 5 years later I join the discussion

 

If anyone reads this, does anyone have any advice for the excruciating pain of pins and needles 30-45 minutes in? I was on the floor in agony for 5 minutes yesterday after my meditation. Half of me says no pain no gain, the other half says, dude, this isn't for you.

 

What do you all think. I mean, I have no trouble getting in to full lotus, but I worry that I may do some damage if I stay in for too long...

 

Well you should be able to break through it.

 

Basically the energy will cycle from the upper body back into the legs and this is the chi energy opening up your blockages -- the numbness goes away and your legs come back. haha.

 

So then after an hour -- then you should get the internal orgasm via the vagus nerve.

 

Close to two hours you get strong heat in the lower tan tien with lots of heart bliss -- so then you are starting to make real chi energy.

 

But at first maybe just do half hour of standing after half hour of full lotus and then go back into full lotus after the half hour standing and then finish with half hour standing. So you alternate -- you get an hour of full lotus and hour of standing.

 

Traditionally a 2 hour session is considered a full cycle of the chi energy.

[teknix]

Stagnant deoxygenated blood isn't healthy for your cells.

 

Nerve cells require a continuous flow of nutrients, especially Ca2+ and Na+ ions in order to properly function. As you may recall, nerve signal transduction depends on the nerve cell being able to route a wave of depolarization across the length of the axon. Without the vital nutrients and oxygen that fresh blood supplies, the electrical gradient can't be produced, resulting in no signal being sent to the brain. Your body interprets this lack of signal as numbness. You can try this out on your own by pressing against the large artery on the inside of your upper arm. After a few minutes you'll notice a drop in the sensation of your entire limb, which is due to your nerve cells not having fresh nutrients.

As for veins, blocking a vein will only lower the amount of blood that is being re-oxygenated, but there are hundreds of veins in your body that can compensate for a single vein being blocked, so it is very unlikely that blocking a single vein will have any effect. The only way that vein blockage could cause problem is if it is completely blocked off, resulting in a buildup of oxygen-poor blood not being able to leave a site, at which point numbness will be the least of your worries, and gas gangrene and swelling will become more pressing issues.

 

Blood is considered connective tissue because it is what is used to feed the cells, no blood flow, no cell food.

Edited March 1, 2013 by teknix

[mantis]

Heyyy! Well, 5 years later I join the discussion

 

If anyone reads this, does anyone have any advice for the excruciating pain of pins and needles 30-45 minutes in? I was on the floor in agony for 5 minutes yesterday after my meditation. Half of me says no pain no gain, the other half says, dude, this isn't for you.

 

What do you all think. I mean, I have no trouble getting in to full lotus, but I worry that I may do some damage if I stay in for too long...

 

Full lotus is painful, there really isn't anyway around it. It's a very special kind of pain too -- there is no way to accommodate.

 

It's difficult not to let the pain take control over your mental faculties but if you can it's great practice at developing concentration.

[Rara]

Thank you all...I feel more confident for all your advice. @teknix Your answer reflected that cautious "part of me", but makes me feel that I just need to take a break when I start to feel the legs reeeeeally going. I mean, today I tried again and the pins and needles was mild, but I was able to stand without screaming.

 

So I will practice but not over do it. And probably just see a doctor for another opinion too!

[Gerard]

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Edited September 13, 2013 by Gerard

[bojole]

I found this yoga routine that I wanted to share because it has made me able to sit in the full lotus afterwards, which for me, with a damaged knee and my extremely stiff norwegian hips, was a great achievement.

 

http://www.brightcove.tv/title.jsp?title=9...annel=301783449

 

Its yoga for the hips and takes just about 20 min.

 

It would also be interesting to hear if someone else has some other techniques they use to be able to do the full lotus. My guess is that Drew, the full lotus guru, might have(if he hasnt told us allready somewhere)?

Does the video work for you? I got 403 error.