"In asana practice we learn to cherish each breath, to cherish every cell in our bodies. The time we spend on the mat is love in action” — Rolf Gates

Compared to advanced yoga poses, like handstand pose (Adho Mukha Vrksasana) or forearm hollow back pose (Pincha Mayurasana), sitting asanas are naturally more relaxing.

You’re closer to the earth, breathing easier, and sitting up straighter. Sitting asanas also provide a lower risk of losing your balance and falling.

Yoga as exercise is great because you don’t need a gym membership or heavy equipment to tone or build muscle. You can still enjoy these benefits from the comfort of your home. For sitting asanas, all you need is a yoga mat or cushion.

Today you’ll learn:

• The best sitting asanas for better flexibility and mobility
• Tips on how to practise these asanas properly
• The best accessories for practising yoga at home

How to Do This Pose

1. Sit in a cross-legged position. You can place one foot close to your groin and the other right in front of it. Alternatively, you can also tuck one foot underneath the other.
2. Keep your back straight, engage your core muscles and gaze forward.
3. Rest your hands on top of your knees or on your lap.
4. Hold this pose for 60 seconds. You can increase this time to five minutes once you can hold the position comfortably without slouching or fidgeting.

Expert Tip: In order to reap the maximum benefits of this pose, your knees need to be below your hips. Place a yoga blanket or cushion under your bum to help with this.

2 - Lotus Pose (Padmasana)

The lotus pose (also called Padmasana) is symbolic of the lotus flower which, despite being rooted in mud, blooms into a beautiful flower.

This pose is meant to be grounding and energising. The symbolism is meant to refer to how you can be grounded in mud (the mundane world) and still slowly blossom as you grow, just like a lotus.

The lotus is also associated with multiple Indian deities, including Lakshmi (goddess of abundance), Ganesha (destroyer of obstacles) and Lord Vishnu. Lore suggests that wherever Buddha walked, lotus flowers bloomed.

Just as important as the lotus is in Indian imagery, it is also an important foundational pose for anyone practising yoga. Benefits of this pose include:

• Opening up the hips which is critical for injury prevention and healthy movement
• Keeping the spine straight which boosts mobility by enabling you to move easily without your weight straining your body
• Keeping joints and ligaments flexible, which enables you to move easier without injury
• Encouraging good posture which gives you a more balanced gait as you walk
• Reducing muscle tension

How to Do This Pose

1. Sit on the floor, extend your legs forward and keep your spine straight. Let your arms rest at your side.
2. Bend your right knee out to the side. Take your right foot in your hands and guide it to the left hip crease.
3. Bend your left knee, letting your thigh rotate outward. Slowly guide your left foot over your right leg and tuck it into the right hip’s crease.
4. The top of your feet should settle on your thighs.
5. Try to sit up straight, lift your sternum and lengthen your spine. You can also sit on a folded blanket or a yoga pillow to prevent your spine from rounding.
6. Stay in this position for as long as possible while taking slow, deep breaths.
7. Remember to change your feet’s position each time you do this pose.

For beginners, this pose may prove difficult at first because of how it rotates and opens the ball and socket joint at the hip. Depending on your flexibility, this may be a breeze or a bit difficult.

If it’s the latter, don’t force the pose. Never make your joints feel strained. Instead, practise the pose slowly until you can comfortably stretch your hips and ankles.

How to Do This Pose

1. Start in an upright kneeling position. The tops of your feet should be flat on your mat, and your hips must be over your knees.
2. Spread your legs on either side of your thighs while keeping your knees together.
3. Slowly inch apart your feet. The distance you manage will depend on your body size. If you’re petite, you may find this task a little bit easier. You’re essentially creating space for your bum to come down on the floor between your feet.
4. Keep your toes pointing straight, not inward or outward.
5. For the effectiveness of this pose, you must ensure that you are not sitting on your feet.
6. Sit up straight, and rest your hands on your knees or lap.
7. Try to remain in this position for one minute or longer.
8. To get out of this pose, place your arms on either side of your legs and push yourself up slowly.
9. When practising this position, avoid moving too quickly. Go through each of the steps slowly. Also, ensure you distribute your weight evenly.

A variation of this pose is downward facing hero pose (Adho Mukha Virasana), which offers a great stretch and improved flexibility for the hip muscles, hamstrings, calves and quadriceps.

To perform downward facing hero, follow the steps of the traditional hero pose outlined above, but instead of sitting on your heels, bend over with your arms outstretched in front of you.

Try to keep your arms straight and flat on the floor. Breathe deeply as you feel your spine and quads stretching. Maintain this position for as long as you can.

If you find it difficult to stretch your arms flat on the floor, you can use a yoga bolster or cushion to help give you some support.

As you practise yoga, you’ll realise there are variations to almost every yoga pose to suit the level you’re at.

The table below provides a summary of various yoga levels and the sitting asanas you can perform at each stage to improve flexibility and mobility.