Siddhasana (The Accomplished Pose)

<h2> Siddhasana. The Perfect Pose</h2>Siddha is the name given to semi-divine beings of great purity and holiness who possess supernatural powers (siddhis). Siddha also means "an inspired sage, seer, prophet"."The siddhas say that among the niyamas the chief one is to do harm to no one, among the yamas it is a moderate diet, and among the asanas it is Siddhasana". "Of all the 84,000 asanas, Siddhasana should always be practised. It purifies the 72,000 nadis (nadis are the channels in the human body through which nervous energy passes)"."If a yogi who practises contemplation of the Atman and keeps to a moderate diet performs Siddhasana for twelve years, he will attain the yogic siddhis". (Atman means the Self and the Supreme Soul. Siddhis are supernatural powers). "Once Siddhasana has been mastered, Unmani Avastha (Samadhi), which brings bliss, is reached naturally and without effort"."No asana can equal Siddhasana, no kumbhaka can equal Kevala, no mudra can equal Khechari, no laya (absorption of the mind) can equal Nada."This is the most important asana for control of the breath, discipline of the senses, concentration, meditation and self-realisation. Siddhasana in brief 1. Sit in Dandasana (Staff Pose).2. Bend the left leg; take hold of the left heel and place it near the perineum. The sole of the left foot should press against the right thigh. 3. Bend the right leg and place the right foot on the left ankle; the right heel should be near the pubic bone.4. Tuck the sole and toes of the right foot between the left thigh and calf.5. Lift the lower abdomen so that it does not press on the heel. Keep the heels so that they rest against the perineum and the pubic bone.6. Extend both arms. Place the hands on the knees, palms facing up. Keep the palms open. Breathe evenly.7. Join the tips of the thumb and index finger of each hand so that they form a circle. The other three fingers should be straight and extended. This is Jnanamudra.8. The head and neck should be straight and lifted. Close the eyes and look inward.9. Stay in this position for as long as you can; breathe normally. While doing so:(1) the spine should be straight: do not let the lower back or the waist collapse. Keep the sides of the ribs lifted and the sides of the trunk parallel to each other;(2) keep the shoulder blades drawn in without tilting the trunk;(3) both knees point down towards the floor.10. Release the right foot, then the left. Now perform the asana bending the right leg first. Stay in this final position for as long as possible, breathing normally. Siddhasana in detail Siddhasana is the «perfect pose». It is a purely meditative asana, and despite its apparent simplicity a long time will pass before the shins turn easily with the heels facing up, as they do for Iyengar. With long and persistent practice this pose works above all on the knee and hip joints. There is of course no point in trying to sit «as in the picture» straight away; at first it is better to do what you can, placing one leg above the other as far as possible - this will be something between «Sukhasana» (the easy pose) and «Padmasana», the «lotus pose». The legs should be arranged into something like Siddhasana in such a way that there is as little discomfort as possible, let alone pain or obvious strain.If the knees allow you to sit this way but the lower back or the hip joints tip the trunk backwards, you can settle against a wall or some other vertical surface, to spare the back muscles and the abdominals unnecessary work. For pranayama and mental practices you need to be able to sit comfortably in «Siddhasana» for up to half an hour or more. To build up the time it takes to get used to this pose, you can sit cross-legged in everyday life - while reading, for instance, or in front of the television, the computer, a musical instrument, or even at a desk.Excessive zeal, however, always carries the risk of overloading the knee joints, which shows up as unfamiliar sensations during everyday movement. Hence the rule: whatever asanas you did the day before and however many, today there should be no new or unfamiliar sensations in the body, and pain or discomfort is out of the question! The appearance in daily life of sensations that were not there before is a clear sign of overload. (V. Boyko, YIK) The effects of practising Siddhasana The blood circulates well in the region of the genitals. Siddhasana is good for removing stiffness in the knees and ankles; it has a calming effect on the nervous system as a whole. Like Padmasana (the Lotus Pose), it is one of the most relaxing poses. In the seated position the body rests, while the crossed legs and the straight back keep the mind attentive and alert. Siddhasana is recommended for the practice of pranayama and meditation.Siddhasana automatically engages two interconnected psycho-muscular locks (mula bandha and vajroli mudra), which change the direction in which sexual energy flows, sending it up the spinal column to the brain. This allows the practitioner to gain control over their sexual energy and to use it either for spiritual growth or to strengthen control over the sensual side of sexuality.