58 YOGAJOURNAL.COM YOUR 6-WEEK YOGA GUIDE TO BUILD STRENGTH
Yoga Pradipika, written in the 15th cen-
tury and thought to be the first text to
talk about doing specific physical pos-
tures for health rather than just for med-
itation. Calling Lotus the “destroyer of
disease,” it lists the myriad physical and
energetic benefits of the pose. Accord-
ing to the Pradipika, because of the way
the body is “locked” into place, various
parts of it in Lotus Pose press into the
acupuncture points of stomach, gall-
bladder, spleen, kidneys, and liver. This
brings about changes in the metabolic
structure and brain patterns, helping
to create balance in the whole system.
The Pradipika’s companion texts,the Gheranda Samhita and the Shiva
Samhita, also mention Lotus Pose—in
somewhat lofty ways—as a pose to
master for pranayama. (Together, these
three works are known as the oldest
texts on classical hatha yoga.) As the
4
4 JATHARA PARIVARTANASANA
(REVOLVED ABDOMEN POSE),
VARIATION
BENEFITS Loosens hip rotator
muscles and prepares the pelvis
and low-back muscles for full Lotus
Come to the floor and lie on your
back. Bend your knees, lift your
hips off the floor, and shift them
3–4 inches to the right. Straighten
your left leg on the floor. With the
right leg still bent, take it across
the body. Elevate your right heel
6–8 inches off the floor as you
work your right knee toward the
floor; your foot should be higher
than your knee. (This opens the
outer hip area.) Lower your right
shoulder to the floor and gaze to
the right. On each exhalation, con-
tract the navel and twist to the left.
Repeat on the other side.Shiva Samhita says: “When the yogi
seated in the Lotus posture leaves the
ground and remains firm in the air, he
should know that he has attained mas-
tery over that life-breath which destroys
the darkness of the world.” Contempo-
rary practitioners continue to practice
Lotus for its numerous physical and
energetic benefits. The pose is said to
increase circulation in the lumbar spine,
nourish and tone the abdominal organs,
strengthen the ankles and legs, and
increase flexibility in the hips. And
that’s to say nothing of the pose’s pow-
erful energetic qualities.
“What is unique about Padmasana
is that it’s both a grounding and a pro-
foundly expansive pose,” says Para Yoga
founder Rod Stryker, who has been
teaching yoga for 25 years and who
designed the sequence shown here.
“The grounding happens in the body,