Full lotus

[Smile]

Thanks everyone for their advice on full lotus. I normally meditate in half-lotus for as long as I want but all of a sudden have this inner pull to do FL. This thread is such a great help.

*bows*

[松永道]

 

I remembered "Yi" as being actually from the kidney energy -- or will power. I googled "yi is kidney energy" and the top post was from taobums just about a year ago -- jan. 11th:

 

A Daoist saying refering to immortality, is when Shen falls in love with Jing. Here the spirit falls in love with body and will not leave. Otherwise they separate and that's it - game over. Thus, to demonstrate this concept of health and vitality in the body, the Tai Ji Tu should have the Yang side below and the Yin side up. Here Yang lifts Yin and keeps the body healthy. When yin settles and yang rises up and away, Shen and Jing separate.

 

 

意 (yi) is not kidney energy. The Huangdi Neijing describes Yi and the spirit of the spleen. The character, interestingly enough, is 音(Yin) which means sound over 心(Xin) which means heart or mind. Yi is the noise of the mind, or in western terms Ego. Yi, the spirit of the spleen, is stored in the kidneys by the 志(Zhi) which means both will and memory.

 

This is what I believe the Daodejing refers to as watching the myriad of things arise, fall, and return to their origin. The pictures and sounds of the ego, when not given the attention of 神(Shen) consciousness, will all rise, fall, and return to their origin in the mingmen/kidneys/lower dantian (these aren't the same but they are all connected). When the Yi is has settled, so goes the need to eat (remember Yi is the spirit energy of the spleen) and also so goes the obstacle it created between the Jing and Shen. Then let the summer of love begin!

 

You're right on with the Taijitu.

[yatzhong]

I've been able to do the full lotus posture for about five years now. Got the flexibility as a byproduct of moving the torso (rotating the spine) via the kua ( inguinal crease) while doing yiquan moving drills. My former classmate told me that the flexibility for doing that was the same that was needed to do the full lotus position. He stated that it was the iliopsoas muscles that controlled the movement as well as the ability to get into the full lotus posture. He is a TCM doctor who specialized in acupuncture.

 

The yi as I know it can tap the energy from the glands that sit atop of the kidneys (adrenals) if you practice right but I've only known yi to mean intent, not energy from the kidneys.

 

Interesting thought though.

[gendao]

意 (yi) is not kidney energy. The Huangdi Neijing describes Yi and the spirit of the spleen. The character, interestingly enough, is 音(Yin) which means sound over 心(Xin) which means heart or mind. Yi is the noise of the mind, or in western terms Ego. Yi, the spirit of the spleen, is stored in the kidneys by the 志(Zhi) which means both will and memory.

 

This is what I believe the Daodejing refers to as watching the myriad of things arise, fall, and return to their origin. The pictures and sounds of the ego, when not given the attention of 神(Shen) consciousness, will all rise, fall, and return to their origin in the mingmen/kidneys/lower dantian (these aren't the same but they are all connected). When the Yi is has settled, so goes the need to eat (remember Yi is the spirit energy of the spleen) and also so goes the obstacle it created between the Jing and Shen. Then let the summer of love begin!

Fascinating, thanks!

I've been told by a trustworthy master that one's ability or inability to assume the full lotus position is karmically determined, and that one's inability to sit in full lotus indicates a karmic load heavier than otherwise. If someone can't do it and keeps practicing to make oneself able to do it, the pain and endurance, the dedication and courage, dissipate adverse karma in direct proportion to the amount of pain, endurance, dedication and courage invested into mastering the pose.

Very interesting. I've wondered if the ability was due to karma or physical flexibility (or both)?

 

Half-lotus is fairly comfortable for me right now, but not full-lotus.

Edited May 7, 2008 by vortex

[voidisyinyang]

http://www.springforestqigong.com/ecommerc...=250&page=1

[Taiji Bum]

Bump Bump, because I want to do it. Anybody doing full-lotus whop couldn't do it before?

[SiliconValley]

Yup...me

 

Master Chunyi Lin teaches some exercises for getting into full lotus and they really help!

[mantis]

i can sit in it for ~30 minutes or so but i don't because it usually makes my right knee hurt

[mYTHmAKER]

Yup...me

 

Master Chunyi Lin teaches some exercises for getting into full lotus and they really help!

 

Care to share

[hyok]

I can barely make full lotus, but when I do I notice that my perenium faces the ground instead of being at an angle in half lotus. I'm thinking in FL it might help energy flow through up the spine in a more pure and streamlined fashion.

[picnic]

1 ) Lie on your back

 

2 ) place soles of feet together

 

3 ) move your feet towards your bum so that your knees are off the ground (feel for yourself how far off they should be)

 

4 ) take a good book, listen to music, practice breathing, meditate, do as you wish

 

5 ) don't force a thing

 

6 ) as you stay in the position and relax, tension in muscles and tendons will slowly release and you knees will drop slightly

 

This releases great tensions, can be emotional. Did you know it is your muscles, memory and mind stopping the position as your skeleton could easily do it?

 

Don't over do this and always do corpse pose after to allow the stretch to rest.

 

Don't over do it! With simply lying in this position, when reading at night, resting or whenever, you knees will drop and hips will open, you don't have to do a thing

[voidisyinyang]

Yeah the main thing is to focus on creating electromagnetic fields through the small universe practice. When the body fills with electromagnetic energy then full-lotus is natural.

[mYTHmAKER]

1 ) Lie on your back

 

2 ) place soles of feet together

 

3 ) move your feet towards your bum so that your knees are off the ground (feel for yourself how far off they should be)

 

4 ) take a good book, listen to music, practice breathing, meditate, do as you wish

 

5 ) don't force a thing

 

6 ) as you stay in the position and relax, tension in muscles and tendons will slowly release and you knees will drop slightly

 

This releases great tensions, can be emotional. Did you know it is your muscles, memory and mind stopping the position as your skeleton could easily do it?

 

Don't over do this and always do corpse pose after to allow the stretch to rest.

 

Don't over do it! With simply lying in this position, when reading at night, resting or whenever, you knees will drop and hips will open, you don't have to do a thing

 

 

Good one.

If you put pillows under your thighs your legs will relax against them and let go.

You can keep moving the pillows lower and lower.

[Sloppy Zhang]

I used to not be able to do full lotus at all. I started to do some stretches and stuff like that, then one day I slipped into it.... then about 3 seconds later was unfolding myself

 

I'm working up every day though, I'm up to about 2 or 3 mins.

 

I'm trying to do some mini meditations in lotus position now that it's at least there for a couple mins, regulating breath and trying to relax even further, which helps prolong the time in the pose, yadda yadda. It's cool

[Pero]

bump

[voidisyinyang]

Was in full-lotus during the whole gift opening session. Shot energy into everyone. We all had a great time. Took about an hour and half of full-lotus. Love and euphoria.

[Pheurton Skeurto]

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)?

 

Hey. I know that this post is a year old now, but is there a chance that someone captured this video (or that they know of another working link)?

 

Thanks.

[rain]

yeah that was one good video, I lost it too but am doing the series of exercises ever so often, the ones I remember that is..am not sure how to explain them properly, will think about it and try if noone comes up with the video that is.

but I found this one also which makes sense in its own way..

 

[idquest]

Amaizing clip, rain. Thanks a lot!

 

Actually they have 32 clips there. Looks like all of them are of the same excellent quality.

[h.uriahr]

...

Edited January 5, 2009 by MPWay

[Pheurton Skeurto]

I have employed super detective techniques, and located the material:

 

http://yogamazing.blogspot.com/2007/06/yoga-for-hips.html

[dragonfire]

It took me 6 months, but I can do it now. I can sit for about 1 hour at a time. I sit

like the siddu full-lotus with the legs way up. ankles don't touch the ground. There are different levels of full-lotus.

You might be able to squeeze into it barely, but this is not really full-lotus. After

a while your legs will go up even higher. Its a very stable position.

 

The key is sit in half-lotus for long periods. Always stretching your legs. Keeping trying

to get into it. Eventually you can. Flexibility is key. One day you will just slip in.

[.k.]

I would have to also agree. I have seen many many monks and 30 year meditators and none of them have sat in full lotus. many sit in Agnistambhasana

siddasana is great as a meditation posture.

but.... if you want to sit in full lotus my advice would be to sit in baddha konasana for min 10 minutes to open the hips, virasana for 10 minutes with back to floor, sit in addha padmasana both sides for 10 minutes each, while siting in this posture pull up with the foot and push down on the knee at the same time, the foot should be as far into the crook of the opposite hip as possible. the after this sit in Agnistambhasana on each side for 10 minutes. Then Bhekasana for 10 minutes.

 

all these times can be varied until you can sit in each for at least 10 minutes.

the practice of yoga asana is to stop the bodies messages interferring with the meditation process, in order to acheive this, you need to sit in an asana for a long time and listen and let go of the body.

 

metta

.k.

 

 

 

Let me say something about this issue:

 

1. Full lotus is not a mandatory requirement to achieve Buddhahood or any other spiritual goal you are involved.

2. Semilotus is as good or even better for anyone with physical shortcoming for full lotus.

3. Sitting cross-legged is as good or even better than semilotus especially if someone wants to meditate for prolonged periods of time without the nuisance of pins and needles in the legs.

4. Siddharta Gautama meditated most of the time lying down. And he recommended sitting, standing, walking and lying down meditations. You can read this in the Discourses of the Buddha. Also here for free:

 

http://www.greatwesternvehicle.org/mahasatipatthanasutta.htm

 

Standing is Zhan Zhuang, interesting hey?

[adam mizner]

an answer by a person who knows what they are talking about!!!

good

 

metta

adam

 

I would have to also agree. I have seen many many monks and 30 year meditators and none of them have sat in full lotus. many sit in Agnistambhasana

siddasana is great as a meditation posture.

but.... if you want to sit in full lotus my advice would be to sit in baddha konasana for min 10 minutes to open the hips, virasana for 10 minutes with back to floor, sit in addha padmasana both sides for 10 minutes each, while siting in this posture pull up with the foot and push down on the knee at the same time, the foot should be as far into the crook of the opposite hip as possible. the after this sit in Agnistambhasana on each side for 10 minutes. Then Bhekasana for 10 minutes.

 

all these times can be varied until you can sit in each for at least 10 minutes.

the practice of yoga asana is to stop the bodies messages interferring with the meditation process, in order to acheive this, you need to sit in an asana for a long time and listen and let go of the body.

 

metta

.k.

[Long Yun]

My knees were a little sore for a few minutes after my first real success with full lotus. Is that normal, or am I doing something wrong?