How to Enjoy the Deep Benefits of Sukhasana

One of my all-time favorite asanas?

Sukhasana. That’s right, Sue-kasana! 

Well, it may not have been named directly after me, but it might as well have! There are so many things I love about this simple yet powerful pose. You may also know this asana as “Easy Pose.” It’s one of the foundational postures of yoga and meditation, and we practice it nearly every class.

But did you know what it can do for you when its potential is fully embraced? One thing that always strikes me in my yoga practice is how utterly potent the simplest of shapes are. A minuscule adjustment in a foot position can completely change the felt experience in your body. I love it!

Sukhasana or “Easy Pose” doesn’t mean “easy” as in “un-challenging.” Instead, it means “with ease.” Sukha” in Sanskrit means easy, comfortable, or joyful. And indeed, Sukhasana is a posture that has the potential to bring us into a sense of inner bliss.

On a physical level, it has many benefits. It opens the hips, lengthens the spine, and frees up the neck, shoulders, knees, and feet. It also strengthens the back and promotes good posture. And it supports the nervous system. I’ve found that it’s a shape that drops me into the parasympathetic (rest-and-digest) state quickly. Once I’ve settled into Sukhasana, I don’t want to leave.

On an emotional and mental level, Sukhasana teaches us to return to our foundation. It reminds us to come back to simplicity, to the essence of things. When you reduce anything — a problem, a question, an emotion— down to its simplest essence, a brilliant “a-ha” moment often ensues. A tiny touch of the divine.

As my practice has progressed over the years, I’ve become slightly less interested in the physical benefits, and increasingly fascinated with Kaiut Yoga’s capacity to support the mind and nervous system. When the mind quiets and the nervous system settles, that’s where the bliss is. What I’ve found is that, when we allow it to do its work, Sukhasana can be a direct route to more emotional equanimity. More inner peace. Abundant gratitude for what is.

It’s a posture that invites us to cultivate stability and alignment, and results in “sukha,” the natural blossoming of our inner joy and ease.

Wondering how to experience Sukhasana at its fullest? Here are my practical tips for you.

Sukhasana is unlike any cross-legged position you may have done. The trick with Sukhasana is in the placement of your feet and knees.

Start by crossing your right leg over your left, and leave your feet and ankles pressing into the floor. Then, wiggle your knees together until your right foot is resting on the mat in front of the left knee, and your left foot is aligned with your right knee. Your thighs will come closer to being parallel.

Your feet shouldn’t be resting on the opposite thigh or knee. They should be on the mat just in front of your knees. Students who are new to the asana usually spread their knees wide and bring their heels very close to their hips. Doing this will circumvent the work in your hips.

Once you have a well-adjusted Sukhasana, drop your head and shoulders, and allow your arms to relax forward toward the floor, with your hands shoulder-width apart.

Eventually, you can get to a place where your entire upper body is relaxed and surrendered to gravity.  As you allow the sensations in your hips, thighs, and ankles to dissipate your restrictions, you’ll naturally enter a parasympathetic state.

Bliss!

Want to practice together?

If you want to practice live, I teach Monday-Friday 10:30-11:30 am MST. If you’d like to try a class for free, you are my welcome guest. The only entrance requirement is that you must sign a very short WAIVER