Assume the Position
“Place the soles of the feet completely under the thighs, keep the body straight, and sit at ease.” Siva Samhita, 3.4.95
Sukha means pleasant or easy. Sukhasana is often called easy pose or happy pose, and sometimes tailor’s pose. Learning to maintain this and similar meditation poses is, according to many yogis, what the physical practice of Hatha Yoga is all about.
The usual directions for this posture aren't much more than, “Sit cross-legged.” We’re going to look a little more closely.
To begin, sit on the floor with your legs extended. Fold one leg in, bringing the foot underneath the opposite knee or thigh. Then fold the other leg in the same way.
To begin, sit on the floor with your legs extended. Fold one leg in, bringing the foot underneath the opposite knee or thigh. Then fold the other leg in the same way.
Feet
Try not to let your feet “sickle,” or rotate inward. Why? To protect your knees. When you sickle your foot, the peroneus longus muscle that runs down the outside of your lower leg is lax, which means up at the top of that muscle the ligament that supports your knee is also lax and not doing its job.
Another good reason not to sickle: if sukhasana becomes your meditation posture, it can do permanent damage. These are my feet (and sock-lines, thank you very much!). I spent roughly a decade sitting on my foot wrong in meditation before I got into Yoga and heard about sickling.
Another good reason not to sickle: if sukhasana becomes your meditation posture, it can do permanent damage. These are my feet (and sock-lines, thank you very much!). I spent roughly a decade sitting on my foot wrong in meditation before I got into Yoga and heard about sickling.
Seat
Are your knees up higher than your hips? Does your lower back round out behind you instead of gently inward at the lumbar curve?
To do this pose with correct alignment, most of us need a meditation cushion or a folded blanket to sit just on the edge of. The purpose of this prop is twofold: 1. it allows the knees to be below the hips so the thighs release down, and 2. it preserves the natural curves of the spine. Both of these things lead to better posture and greater comfort.
With your legs folded, you want to feel that you’re sitting on your sitting bones, or ischial tuberosity, that protrude from the bottom of your pelvis. If you don’t feel them, rock forward and back until you find them. These and your tail bone should go down rather than be tilted under or out back.
To do this pose with correct alignment, most of us need a meditation cushion or a folded blanket to sit just on the edge of. The purpose of this prop is twofold: 1. it allows the knees to be below the hips so the thighs release down, and 2. it preserves the natural curves of the spine. Both of these things lead to better posture and greater comfort.
With your legs folded, you want to feel that you’re sitting on your sitting bones, or ischial tuberosity, that protrude from the bottom of your pelvis. If you don’t feel them, rock forward and back until you find them. These and your tail bone should go down rather than be tilted under or out back.
Knees
If your feet are properly extended or slightly flexed and your hips are above your knees but you still feel strain in your knees, use blankets or blocks to support your thighs. Place the props up toward your hips rather than under the knees themselves.
Spine
Now, sit up. Donna Farhi explains it like this: “Slide the ribcage up as if your head, ribs, and pelvis were beads on a string, and you were holding the bottom bead down and pulling the string gently from the top."
Tuck your chin just slightly, feeling the back of your neck lengthen. You want to lengthen your spine while maintaining its natural curves.
Tuck your chin just slightly, feeling the back of your neck lengthen. You want to lengthen your spine while maintaining its natural curves.
Shoulders and arms
Let your shoulders relax down. You can place your hands face up or face down on your thighs. Unless your arms are very long, it isn’t recommended to rest your hands on your knees as this tends to pull the shoulders forward and get your spinal alignment all outta whack.
Second Side
Sukhasana is what’s known as an asymmetrical pose. Because of how the legs fold, the pressure is unevenly distributed on the lower legs and the hips are unevenly open.
So, after your designated hold time, extend your legs. Shake them out if that feels appropriate. And then fold the opposite one under first.
So, after your designated hold time, extend your legs. Shake them out if that feels appropriate. And then fold the opposite one under first.
How Long Should I Hold the Pose?
A couple minutes, building up to longer.
Most of the time in classes, sukhasana is a base pose for other movements and not held too long as a pose in itself. When you do hold it, you may find that after a very few minutes your back starts to fatigue and you feel like slouching. That’s normal for people who grew up sitting in overstuffed couches and chairs with backs.
The good news is that nearly all the Yoga poses help make sukhasana easier. Practice sukhasana whenever you can and maintain a regular Yoga asana practice, and eventually you'll be able to stay in sukhasana for hours, if that's the sort of thing that's appealing to you.
Most of the time in classes, sukhasana is a base pose for other movements and not held too long as a pose in itself. When you do hold it, you may find that after a very few minutes your back starts to fatigue and you feel like slouching. That’s normal for people who grew up sitting in overstuffed couches and chairs with backs.
The good news is that nearly all the Yoga poses help make sukhasana easier. Practice sukhasana whenever you can and maintain a regular Yoga asana practice, and eventually you'll be able to stay in sukhasana for hours, if that's the sort of thing that's appealing to you.
What Good is it?
Sukhasana builds back strength and opens our hips and shoulders. It’s a recommended posture for pranayama and meditation. According to the Siva Samhita, which is one of the three main texts of Hatha Yoga, out of all of the poses only four are really important and one of those four is accessible to everyone; that pose is sukhasana.
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