Guide · Reading
Seated postures primer
A three-minute read on choosing a seat for meditation: five floor seats, and the chair.
Awaiting subject reviewWritten from our source material and not yet checked by a teacher of this practice. Read it as reference, and learn the practice from someone who teaches it.
Practical guidance
Meditation asks the body to be still for a while, so the seat matters more than its shape. A good seat lets the spine stand upright on its own, with the knees at or below the hips, and can be held without pain for the length of the practice.
Raise the hips on a firm cushion or folded blanket in any floor seat. Change the cross of the legs from one day to the next.
Sukhasana
Easy pose, cross-legged. The simplest floor seat.
Swastikasana
Each foot tucked between the opposite thigh and calf. A little steadier than Sukhasana.
Ardha Padmasana
Half lotus. Only if the hips allow it without strain on the knee.
Padmasana
Full lotus, the classical seat. Learn it with a teacher.
Vajrasana
Kneeling, sitting on the heels. Useful when cross-legged seats are uncomfortable.
A chair
Sit toward the front of the seat with both feet flat and the spine upright, not leaning back. Nothing is lost by sitting on a chair.
Made of
Sukhasana
Easy pose
Easy pose. A simple cross-legged seat for breath practice and meditation.
Swastikasana
Auspicious pose
Auspicious pose. A seat with each foot tucked between the opposite thigh and calf.
Ardha Padmasana
Half lotus
Half lotus. One foot on the opposite thigh, the other tucked beneath.
Padmasana
Lotus pose
Lotus pose. The classical seat for breath practice and meditation, each foot resting on the opposite thigh.
Vajrasana
Thunderbolt pose
Thunderbolt pose. Kneeling and sitting back on the heels.
Sources and tradition
- YOG Union App Content Map, 2 November 2026, pp. 8–9, meditation table