When we think of Lotus pose many thoughts might come to mind all starting with the letter “P”, Padmasana, pain, pretzel, possible in the next life, purity etc. Padmasana is considered the quintessential seated mediation posture. What must be understood about Padmasana is that it is not accessible to all. What can be duplicated from this pose, however, is the grounded seat, long spine and a sense of replenishment.
In India the lotus flower grows in the most unlikely places, canals, swamps, ditches and heavily polluted areas. The flower has modest beginnings as the seed is often found in the bottom of a muddy pond. Beneath this water the root of the lotus takes hold and the shoot begins to grow. The struggle of the shoot is to search and find the sun. By the refraction of the sun in the water the plant knows to rise up to catch the rays of the sun. Once it breaks on top of the water it blooms taking care that its petals are not touching the muddy water.
This journey of the lotus represents the journey that we all may take. We too are rooted in the earth among the joys and sorrows of this life. We are in the process of finding our divine nature and seeing ourselves clearly. Our journey is one of struggle. We often define ourselves by the labels and titles that either has been given us or what we have accumulated in this life but are not really accurate of who we divinely are. We can feel separate and alone from others. By keeping our sights on truth and light we can begin to reach and move toward understanding. The symbol of surfacing above the water is another way of realizing our full potential.
The interesting fact about the lotus is that it blooms all the time and is found all over the world in a myriad of colors. It is the ultimate goal of the lotus to continuously work to find to find the light and create beauty. The beginnings of the lotus flower tell us that our own beginnings need not dictate our endings. We too can rise above and blossom.
In yoga this ultimate seated posture is a way to connect firmly to the earth by the grounding of our legs while reaching up through the spine like the lotus toward the sun.
