This Is Yoga - Sukhasana "Easy Pose"

This is an expression of Sukhasana/Easy Pose 
without using any props or adopting modifications.

To help dispel some common erroneous ideas about yoga (like "Yoga is impossible" or "Yoga is too hard" or "I'm not flexible enough to do yoga"), I will be posting pictures of poses that may be done during a yoga practice and some of the modifications that can be incorporated if a person has trouble getting their body into the full expression of the pose.  Yoga practice is not just for the flexible, the thin, the fit, or the physically strong individual.  Yoga is especially beneficial for the person who would like to stretch, be more flexible, feel stronger, and find overall well-being.  Yoga is for any body and every body.

Throughout my "This is Yoga" posts, I will typically share the Sanskrit word for each pose and its English correlation.

Most commonly a yoga practice begins with the participants seated in Sukhasana or "Easy Pose".  If a person finds Sukhasana not so easy to do or downright painful, props can be added and adjustments made to bring more ease and comfort to the pose.

Sukhasana/Easy Pose brings calmness and peace to the body.  It stretches the knees and ankles and strengthens the spine while also opening up the groin area and hips.  
This pose is contraindicated for people who have severe knee injury or pain; however, in the final picture I show how this pose can be done safely and pain free sitting on a bench or chair.

In this photo, we've added blocks to support the knees.  Especially
helpful for people who are tight in hips and groin area.

Many also find it very helpful to add a blanket under the sitting bones
in order to slightly lift the hips and ease the pressure on the knees.
The blanket also helps to lengthen the spine.

If the blanket does not add enough height, a smaller bolster can also be used to
lift the hips a little higher and ease even more pressure on the knees.

The blanket and the blocks can also be used together.
If the knees don't go down this far, the blocks can also
be turned on a different side to add more height and support.

If there are knee injuries or pain that make it impossible to sit
cross legged on the floor, a person can also sit on a chair.

More helpful ideas and tips on how to do Sukhasana/Easy Pose can be found at this link.  Click here.  Or if you would like to have more personable yoga instruction in the Loveland/Fort Collins area, please contact me via email or phone to inquire about my small group and private classes or take a look at my Yoga classes information page.