Siddhasana (Adept Pose) - Issues and solutions

List of some of the issues that can be relevant for practising this pose:

            Pregnancy





There is relatively little strain in the pose on either the neck or upper back – provided the lumbar spine is well-positioned – see below.

However, some people do tend to slouch forwards – a solution here is to think in terms of lifting the breastbone and imagining the shoulders broadening away from each other.

Some people tend to jut their chins forwards (putting compressive extension into the neck) – a solution here is to draw the chin into the front of the neck or to imagine the top back of the neck being gently pulled upwards (or both).


There is a tendency in this pose to allow one’s lower back to curve outwards. Problems with this include putting the lumbar spine into compressive flexion and also encouraging the upper back to curve outwards, tending to thoracic kyphosis type problems. In this case, a solution is to tilt the pelvic girdle forwards. Putting padding under the buttocks so that the hips are raised a little can, for some people, make it easier to sit with the pelvis tilted forwards sufficiently. It can also help to put wedge-shaped padding under the buttocks with the slope facing forwards as this will encourage the pelvis to be tilted forwards. Another approach is to practise a supine version of the pose so that the spinal shape is supported by the floor or to practise with one’s back against a wall to give one extra feedback and guidance on the spine’s shape.


In this pose the circulation to and from the legs is restricted but perhaps not as much as in the lotus pose. Thus, when sitting in this pose for more than one exercise, it is a good idea to straighten or inwardly rotate your legs between the exercises. Those with an already compromised circulation in the legs (e.g. varicose veins, thrombosis in the legs or oedema in the legs [or pregnancy]) should take particular care that there are never any signs that the circulation in the legs has been further compromised (e.g. legs or feet going slightly numb, or pins and needles upon releasing the cross-legged position). Placing the feet slightly further away from the pelvic girdle can help (as this makes the knees less fully flexed), as can sitting on some padding. Some will find that it is only the feet that have a circulation issue. This is a result of the veins at the surface of the ankle being compressed between the bone of the ankle and the ground – putting soft padding under the ankles can help in these circumstances. The main solutions to circulation issues in the legs are to either hold the leg position for short(er) periods or to adopt a pose which does not restrict the circulation in the legs as much (Egyptian Pose and Dandasana are better in this regard).


The flexibility (or, rather, lack of flexibility) of the hip joints with regard to outward rotation is usually a key limiting factor in this pose – however, it simply means that the knees don’t end up quite so close to the ground. It can, however, have “knock-on” effects on the rest of the posture and, in particular, with regard to the positioning of the pelvic girdle - and thus on the shape of the spine. Also, if the knees are not close to the ground, one tends to feel “less grounded” or less stable and, traditionally for pranayama and meditation practices, one is advised to have the knees lower than the hips. For these issues relating to stiff hips, an effective solution is usually to place some padding (e.g. folded towel or yoga blocks) under one’s buttocks – the stiffer the hips are, the more padding it is usually helpful to have. Sometimes it can also be helpful to place some firm(ish) padding under the knees and hold the pose while gently pressing the knees in to the padding – this gives a good feeling of stability (both with regard to the ground and internally). Stiffness in the hips can also have an impact for the knees – see below.


In the classical full version of this pose, some of the nervous tissue and blood vessels relating to the genital organs tend to get pressed upon – indeed this is an integral part of the full version of the pose as this tends to encourage celibacy. However, for those not wishing to abstain from sexual intimacy, this is not a good idea. The solution is to arrange one’s heels so that that they don’t press against the genital organs – either by having one’s feet a little further forwards or having hips sufficiently raised (e.g. by sitting on yoga blocks) that the genital organs are sufficiently raised so as not to press down strongly against the heels. I am not myself interested in celibacy so all of the versions of Siddhasana that I offer to try will avoid this potential issue with the genital organs – however, something of the key flavour of the pose is lost as a result. I recommend those interested in learning more about this issue or the full classical version of the pose to have a read of what H. David Coulter has to say about the pose in chapter 10 “Relaxation and meditation” in his book “Anatomy of Hatha Yoga” [Body and Breath Inc. ISBN 0-9707006-0-1].


In this pose the knees are in close to full flexion and may also have some degree of rotation – for knees that are healthy this should be fine. But, for knees that have already become compromised, this may feel uncomfortable / damaging – all the more so if the hips are stiff. If raising the hips (via padding under the buttocks) more does not help, then the best solution is to practise an alternative sitting pose (one that is comfortable for you) until one’s knees are healthier and / or one’s hips are more flexible.


The “bony bits” of the ankles tend to press uncomfortably into each other. Turning the feet so that the soles face upwards helps and one can usually adjust one’s feet so that the “bony bits” slightly miss each other (rather than being directly on top). Even so, placing a couple of folds of a soft towel between the heels / ankles often leads to greater comfort. If one’s ankles still feel uncomfortable then placing one foot just in front of the other (instead of on top) usually resolves this problem. The “bony bits” of the ankles can also press uncomfortably into the ground – placing soft padding underneath the ankles usually helps.

Pregnancy

Practising yoga in the first trimester is considered by most yoga teachers to be contra-indicated. The only explanation I have heard for this is that there is then  a fairly high tendency for spontaneous miscarriage and this could in principle be exacerbated by yoga (although, as far as I know, there is no evidence for this). Possibly a mid-wife or an expert pregnancy yoga teacher might be able to give a better explanation.

A key issue here is the reduction in circulation in the legs, which makes this a posture to avoid sitting in for extended periods – but it is usually fine, and comfortable, if one remembers to move the legs regularly. Another issue is that the joints of the pelvic girdle are encouraged to relax by hormones in the later stages of pregnancy (in preparation for childbirth) – thus extra care needs to be taken not to over stretch the musculature and ligaments associated with the hips and pelvic girdle. So, while this pose can be helpful / comfortable during pregnancy (if one is already familiar with it), there is no need to work on actively stretching the inner thigh muscles.

Top