- Category
- Seated
- Level
- intermediate
- Hold
- 2–5 minutes per side
- Type
- Asana
- Breath
- Slow, even nasal breathing
Half Lotus
Ardha Padmasana — "half lotus posture"
One foot on the opposite thigh, the other tucked below — the honest middle step between Easy Pose and full Lotus. A stable, sustainable meditation seat in its own right.
Step by step
- 1Sit tall with your legs loosely crossed.
- 2Cradle your right shin and rotate from the hip to place the top of your right foot high on your left thigh.
- 3Tuck your left foot beneath your right thigh.
- 4Check that your right knee rests down without pain — if it hovers, support it.
- 5Lengthen your spine and rest your hands on your knees.
- 6Sit and breathe, then change which leg is on top halfway through or on alternate days.
Benefits
- ✓ Opens the hips and external rotators progressively
- ✓ Provides a steadier meditation base than Easy Pose for many people
- ✓ Prepares the body safely for full Lotus
- ✓ Encourages a naturally tall spine
Make it yours
- · Sit on a cushion or folded blanket to lift the hips.
- · Slide a block or blanket under the top knee if it hovers.
- · Alternate the top leg between sits so the hips open evenly.
Take care
- Come out at any hint of knee pinching; the rotation belongs in the hip.
- Use Easy Pose instead if the top knee stays high off the floor.
This is general practice guidance, not medical advice. If something hurts, ease out of it.
Props that help here
- Cork blocks (set of 2) — Bring the floor closer in lunges, folds, and triangle — and a block between the shoulder blades turns a backbend into something you can hold. find one
- 8-foot cotton strap — Extends your reach in hamstring and shoulder work — the honest substitute for grabbing a foot you can't yet reach. Get 8ft, not 6ft. find one
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