Sukhasana: Difference between revisions

[[File:Sukhasana.jpg|thumb|Sukhasana (easy pose)]]

{{Contains Indic text}}

'''Sukhasana''' ({{IPAc-en|s|uː|ˈ|k|ɑː|s|ə|n|ɑː}} {{respell|soo|KAH|sə-nah}}<ref>{{cite book

|last1=Budilovsky

|first1=Joan

|last2=Adamson

|first2=Eve

|title=The complete idiot's guide to yoga

|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=b5pE8-Oyly0C

|accessdate=11 April 2011

|edition=2

|year=2000

|publisher=Penguin

|isbn=978-0-02-863970-3

|page=202}}</ref> {{lang-sa|सुखासन}}; [[IAST]]: ''Sukhāsana''; {{IPA-sa|sukʰɑːsənə}}), '''easy pose''',<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/2481 | title = Yoga Journal - Easy Pose | accessdate = 2011-04-11}}</ref><ref>{{cite book

|author=Satyananda Saraswati

|title=Meditations from the Tantras, with live class transcriptions

|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_bpWAAAAMAAJ

|accessdate=11 April 2011

|year=1974

|publisher=Bihar School of Yoga

|page=94}}</ref><ref>{{cite book

|author=Institute Of Naturopathy Staff

|title=Speaking Of Yoga For Health

|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=caiQUPjn_K8C&pg=PA56

|accessdate=11 April 2011

|date=6 December 2003

|publisher=Sterling Publishers Pvt. Ltd

|isbn=978-1-84557-026-2

|page=56}}</ref><ref name="FeuersteinPayne2010">{{cite book

|last1=Feuerstein

|first1=Georg

|last2=Payne

|first2=Larry

|title=Yoga For Dummies

|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bP2CnSidS3QC&pg=PA200

|accessdate=11 April 2011

|date=5 April 2010

|publisher=For Dummies

|isbn=978-0-470-50202-0

|page=200}}</ref> '''decent pose''',<ref>{{cite book

|last1=Yardi

|first1=M. R.

|author2=Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute

|title=The Bhagavadgītā, as a synthesis

|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0hgqAAAAYAAJ

|accessdate=11 April 2011

|year=1991

|publisher=Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute

|page=130}}</ref> or '''pleasant pose'''<ref>{{cite book

|last=Micozzi

|first=Marc S.

|title=Fundamentals of complementary and alternative medicine

|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yEFrAAAAMAAJ

|accessdate=11 April 2011

|year=2001

|publisher=Churchill Livingstone

|isbn=978-0-443-06576-7

|page=362}}</ref> is an [[asana]] practised in [[yoga]], [[Buddhism]], and [[Hinduism]], similar to sitting in a simple [[cross-legged]] position. While opening the hips and lengthening the spine, the asana's relative ease on the knees makes it easier than [[siddhasana]] or [[Lotus position|padmasana]] for people with physical difficulties. Some schools do not consider it to be as effective for prolonged meditation sessions because it is easy to slump forward while sitting in it. For meditation, it is important that the spine be straight and aligned with the head and neck. But if the practitioner steadies the sukhasana pose by putting pillows or blankets under the knees to create a steadiness, it may be easier to sit longer in sukhasana for meditation without slumping forward. An additional blanket or pillow under the buttocks may also be beneficial and steadying.<ref>Rama, Swami, Meditation and its Practice, Himalayan Institute, 1992</ref> The 20th century [[Jnana Yoga]] guru [[Ramana Maharshi]] advocated it as suitable for attaining Enlightenment.<ref>{{cite book

|author=Maharsi Ramana

|title=The teachings of Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi in his own words

|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=c-4XAAAAIAAJ

|accessdate=11 April 2011

|year=1962

|publisher=Rider

|page=134}}</ref>

==Etymology==

The name comes from the Sanskrit words ''sukha'' meaning "pleasure",<ref>{{cite book

|last=Joshi

|first=Dr. K S

|title=Yogic Pranayama: Breathing for Long and Good Health

|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NagKQNRaLtAC&pg=PA45

|accessdate=11 April 2011

|date=32 December 1991

|publisher=Orient Paperbacks

|isbn=978-81-222-0089-8

|page=45

|quote=Sukha means pleasure. Sukhasana is a posture in which one can sit with pleasure, ie, without a feeling of ...}}</ref> and ''asana'' (आसन, āsana) meaning "posture" or "seat".<ref name="Sinha1996">{{cite book|last=Sinha|first=S.C.|title=Dictionary of Philosophy|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-zzRvh1fRzEC&pg=PA18|accessdate=9 April 2011|date=1 June 1996|publisher=Anmol Publications PVT. LTD.|isbn=978-81-7041-293-9|page=18}}</ref>

==See also==

* [[Siddhāsana]]

*[[List of asanas]]

*[[Sitting#Cross-legged|Sitting cross-legged]]

==References==

{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==

*{{cite book|last=Iyengar|first=B. K. S.|authorlink=B. K. S. Iyengar|title=Illustrated Light On Yoga|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pbx5AAAACAAJ|accessdate=9 April 2011|date=1 October 2005|publisher=HarperCollins|isbn=978-81-7223-606-9}}

*{{cite book|last=Saraswati|first=Swami Satyananda|authorlink=Swami Satyananda Saraswati|title=Asana Pranayama Mudra Bandha|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YpR1QgAACAAJ|accessdate=9 April 2011|date=1 August 2003|publisher=Nesma Books India|isbn=978-81-86336-14-4}}

*{{cite book|last=Saraswati|first=Swami Satyananda|authorlink=Swami Satyananda Saraswati|title=A Systematic Course in the Ancient Tantric Techniques of Yoga and Kriya|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eWOrAAAACAAJ|accessdate=9 April 2011|date=January 2004|publisher=Nesma Books India|isbn=978-81-85787-08-4}}

==External links==

* [http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/2481 Step by Step instruction]

* [http://www.yoga.net.co/2016/03/sukhasana-pose-yoga-easy-pose-yoga.html Easy Pose Benefits]

{{Asana}}

[[Category:Buddhist meditation]]

[[Category:Asanas]]