Swastikasana - How to practice

Swastikasana or the Auspicious Pose is a very easy yoga pose for those who can not attempt the more difficult asanas like padmasana and siddhasana.  The Indian symbol of Swastika is a symbol o fauspiciousness.  The position of legs in the Swastikasana resemble the symbol of Swastika.   

The Swastikasana is relatively easy to practice and can be used for meditative purposes.  The swastikasana has a history dating back to the 200 BC where it was first described. The swastikasana is a comfortable pose which maintains the concentration of a person.

The swastikasana helps one to maintain temperature normally within the body and tones the abdominal muscles.  Here is a step by step procedure to practice swastikasana.

Steps to perform Swastikasana

Here is the steps to practice swastikasana.

• First sit on the floor with legs spread out in front of you.
• Fold the left leg and place the sole of the left leg against the inner thigh of the right leg.
• Now bend the righe leg and place the right foot in the space between the left thigh and calf muscles.
• Grasp the left foot by the toes and pull it up and place it between the right calf and thigh.
• Ensure that the knees touch the floor firmly.
• Feel comfortable by adjusting the pose
• Keep the body and trunk straight
• The hands can be placed on the knees in any of the classical meditation mudras like Chin mudra or Jnana mudra
• Maintain awareness on the breath.  You can also concentrate on the tip of the nose or the eye brow center depending on the type of meditation technique.
• Come out the pose by stretching out the right leg first and then left leg

Benefits of Swastikasana

• This is a good meditation pose for those who find it difficult to sit in more classical poses like padmasana or the siddhasana
• Even the people suffering from varicose veins and aching leg muscles can sit in swastikasana
• This is a good pose for meditation and relaxation
• The spinal cord gets stretched and becomes stronger with this asana
• If you practice swastikasana regularly, the abdominal muscles gets toned up
• High Blood Pressure patients can practice this asana to control the B.P

Here is a video on how to perform swastikasana...


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