gentle Sukhasana · “easy” pose
Cross-legged
The default floor seat: shins crossed, knees dropping toward the floor. Comfortable for most people once the hips learn to open — and the single most useful position to make friends with first.
What it asks of you
- Hip external rotation (the knees fall out, not the ankles up)
- A pelvis that can stay upright rather than rolling back
How to sit it well
- 1 Sit on the front edge of a firm cushion so the hips are higher than the knees — this tips the pelvis forward and un-rounds the low back
- 2 Let the knees be heavy; don't force them down
- 3 Stack the shins loosely rather than jamming the feet under the thighs
- 4 Swap which shin is in front every few minutes
Good for
- Reading
- Eating
- Working at a low desk
- Conversation
Props that help
- Zafu or firm cushion
- Folded blanket
- Yoga blocks under the knees