Accomplished Pose (Siddhasana)

Pronunciation and meaning

Siddhasana: sid-DHAHS-uh-nuh. The stress falls on the second syllable.

Siddha means accomplished or perfected and asana means posture or seat. It is a cross-legged seat with one heel placed in front of the other, used for breathing practice and meditation.

How to do Accomplished Pose

1. Sit on the front edge of a folded blanket or firm cushion, legs long in front of you.
2. Bend your left knee and draw the left heel in toward the centre of your pelvis, close to the body, with the sole resting along the right inner thigh.
3. Bend your right knee and place the right foot in front of the left, heel in line with the left heel, or lightly on top of the left ankle. Tuck the right toes between the left calf and thigh only if it feels easy.
4. Let both knees drop toward the floor. If either knee hovers, place a folded blanket under it.
5. Rest the hands on the knees, lengthen the spine and breathe slowly through the nose for one to five minutes.
6. Release the legs, stretch them out for a few breaths, and next time sit with the other foot in front.

Make it easier

• Keep both feet on the floor, one heel in front of the other, without stacking them.
• Sit higher, on a block or two cushions, so the knees can sit below the hips.
• Sit with your back near a wall for longer meditation.

Pregnancy and after birth

Pregnancy. Adapt. Sit high with the knees wide to leave room for the belly, and keep the feet side by side rather than stacked if the hips feel loose. Check with your OB or midwife.

After birth. Adapt. Once your doctor or midwife has cleared you, sit on a high cushion. If sitting on the floor is uncomfortable after birth, a chair works just as well.

See prenatal yoga notes by trimester before you adapt a pose.

Common mistakes

• Pressing the knees down with the hands to make the shape look neater.
• Sitting flat on the floor, so the lower back rounds and the knees rise above the hips.

Siddhasana is one of the oldest named seats in posture practice. The Hatha Yoga Pradipika, a Sanskrit manual from about the fifteenth century, describes it at length and calls it the foremost of the seats. The page on hatha yoga poses and the old texts sets it beside the other seated shapes that manual describes.

In a modern class it appears at the start or the end, for breathing practice or a few minutes of stillness. It suits people who find Easy Pose, the simple cross-legged seat a little loose, but are not ready for full Lotus.

How is Siddhasana different from Half Lotus?

In Half Lotus, Ardha Padmasana, one foot lifts onto the opposite thigh. In Siddhasana both feet stay low, so the knees take less rotation. That makes it a common middle step between Easy Pose and Lotus Pose, Padmasana.

How do you sit in it for meditation?

Height under the hips is the key. Once the knees are lower than the hips, the spine lifts by itself. The guide on how to meditate, step by step covers what to do with the breath and the mind once you are seated. Stop if a knee or ankle aches, and switch which foot is in front each time.