Even with a pose with the word “easy” in the name, there’s always somewhere new to go and develop your yoga practice. Easy Seat (Sukhasana), also known as Easy Pose, is a foundational yoga pose that’s included in many practices. This simple cross-legged position is often used at the beginning and/or end of class. It’s a pose many of us have been doing since we entered a school classroom, sitting down on the floor in a “criss-cross applesauce” type of posture.
While Easy Pose may seem basic and, well, easy, there are little micro-movements and areas to bring awareness to that can help you develop this pose in your practice. Learn how to do Easy Seat in the correct alignment and tips to use the pose to deepen your yoga practice.
How to Do Easy Seat
Easy Seat is often used for grounding and centering for a yoga practice, as well as for focusing on breathing exercises. The goal with Easy Seat, like with any yoga pose, is to use your breath to find the balance between effort and ease in the pose. You want to have proper alignment, but you also want the pose to feel natural and not strained.
To come into Easy Seat, follow these steps.
- Sit down on your mat.
- Cross your legs, with one leg in front of and underneath the other.
- Place your hands wherever you’d like — on your knees or at heart center, for example.
- Elongate the spine by sitting up tall.
- Roll your shoulders back and down to open up the chest and heart center.
- Draw the chin back slightly. Imagine a string is lifting the crown of your head up toward the sky, similarly to Mountain Pose (Tadasana).
- As you connect with your breath, try to maintain your long, straight spine.
As you sit in Sukhasana, notice if you’re leaning forward. Try to realign your spine as you breathe.
Sitting in the pose for several breaths, try to relax a little bit more with every exhale. Feel your seat growing heavier, your hips opening up a bit more, and your spine lengthening as your upper body relaxes.
Benefits of Easy Pose, Sukhasana
Sukhasana may look deceptively simple, but it can actually be quite challenging, especially when you’re trying to maintain alignment for several breaths or for several minutes. Some of the benefits of Easy Seat, according to the “Yoga Toolbox”, include:
- Enhances flexibility in the hips, groin and hamstrings
- Supports the eliminatory, reproductive and urinary systems
- Promotes spinal alignment and core strength
Bringing your awareness to opening and lengthening the upper body is a great reminder for good posture when you’re sitting in a chair or standing, as well. Sukhasana offers the dual benefits of giving you a comfortable, Easy Seat in which to practice breathwork and meditation, while also providing an opportunity to be mindful of your posture.
Modifications for Easy Seat
For some people, Easy Pose can be quite uncomfortable. One way to make Easy Pose a little more accommodating is to fold a blanket and sit on the edge of it, with your seat slightly higher than your knees as they relax down. This helps relieve pressure on your sitz bones and enables your knees and thighs to relax.
Similarly, you could try sitting on the flat side of a block in yoga for similar benefits. Another option is to prop blocks up under your knees for support.
One more option for extra support in Easy Seat is to sit with your back flat against a wall. This helps you notice what proper spinal alignment should feel like in Easy Seat, so when you move away from the wall, you can maintain that same type of shape.
What’s Your Experience With Easy Seat?
Do you have a favorite variation of Easy Seat? Where/how do you like to place your hands? Are there micro-adjustments you’ve done that have helped you improve your Easy Pose over time?
I’d love to hear your feedback! Please share your thoughts in the comments.
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