Lotus position
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Lotus position or Padmasana is a cross-legged sitting meditation pose from ancient India, in which each foot is placed on the opposite thigh. It is an ancient asana in yoga, predating hatha yoga, and
Demonstrating lotus position
The flower of the sacred lotus, Nelumbo nucifera, grows out of mud, thus symbolising enlightenment.
The sage Bharadvaja meditating in half lotus. 19th century
Baddha Padmasana
Hatha yoga
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Hatha yoga is a branch of yoga that uses physical techniques to try to preserve and channel vital force or energy. The Sanskrit word हठcode: san promoted to code: sa literally means "force", alluding
Haṭha yoga's components include from top left to bottom right Shatkarmas (purifications, here Nauli), Asanas (postures, here Mayurasana, Peacock Pose), Mudras (manipulations of vital energy, here Viparita Karani), Pranayama (breath control, here Anuloma Viloma).
Tibetan depiction of Tummo (candali, inner heat) practice showing the central channel, the sushumna
A folio of a medieval copy of the Amṛtasiddhi, written bilingually in Sanskrit and Tibetan
18th century yoginis in Rajasthan