How to sit correctly when meditating in yoga. Lotus pose for beginners: tips for doing it Why you need to meditate in the lotus position

Where did yoga come from? What is its essence and, most importantly, how to master one of the main asanas - how to sit in the lotus position? We will answer these and other questions further. By doing yoga, a person masters a variety of asanas, which means improved health. But this is not all that yoga can give. First of all, this is a special way to achieve unity with the Higher Mind. According to one version, yoga was given to people by Shiva, one of the supreme gods, who is also considered the main yogi. Through exercise, a person can become more perfect, as Hindus believe.

Whether yoga was really given to people by Shiva, whether it was born from his spontaneous dance at a wedding, or whether it was transmitted by the descendants of Atlantis and Lemuria, is not known for certain. But there is no doubt that this is an ancient system of healing and self-improvement. This is also confirmed by archaeological finds. Thus, on many bas-reliefs and stone tablets, scientists discovered images of people in asanas. Documentary evidence of yoga was first discovered in the Rig Veda. It describes for the first time the relationship between man and nature and the need to achieve harmony between them. Then the victorious march of yoga continued thanks to the writing of the Upanishads. The topic of life cycles and fundamental questions of life and death, the place of man in the world were also raised there. But yoga flourished thanks to Patanaji, who wrote the famous yoga sutras. But, despite the antiquity of the system, year after year yoga practitioners are faced with the question of how to sit in the lotus position. After all, what seems so easy, in practice, not everyone can do.

How to sit down correctly and what does it depend on?

To perform this asana you need some training. Hindus believe that the lotus pose can be achieved the first time by people who are pure in soul. In other words, your success depends on the state of your energy. But not everything rests on lofty matters. Much more often, problems lie in the innate characteristics of the body or in the lack of stretching. Sometimes the structure of the hip joint is such that it seems impossible to sit in the lotus position, but in practice there is not a single person who cannot cope with this task, albeit with some delay. In order to prepare the ligaments and tendons for mastering the main yoga exercise, you need to spend some time.

Not everyone manages to feel comfortable and relaxed in the lotus position. Over time, the ligaments will become more elastic, and the feeling of tension and discomfort will pass. The lotus pose, correctly performed, has a beneficial effect on a person’s physical, mental and energetic state.

How to sit in the lotus position without discomfort?

As mentioned above, the most important thing is stretching and preparatory exercises. The better the tendons and ligaments are stretched and warmed up, the lower the risk of injury, the easier it is to perform the exercise. By the way, yoga practitioners are mistaken when they claim that they “stretch the muscles.” Muscle basically unable to stretch. All exercises are aimed at increasing joint mobility and tendon elasticity. Let's look at the most effective preparatory exercises. They will also help you understand what the lotus position looks like. Photos will give you an idea of the exercises.

Exercise No. 1. Bends to an extended leg

Sit on the floor and extend one leg forward, bend the other and place it on your thigh. Grasp the toe of your straight leg with both hands and, gently springing, begin to bend over, trying to touch your leg not with your forehead, but with your stomach and chest. It will be unpleasant, to put it mildly.

But here it is important to maintain a middle ground, not to overdo it and not give yourself excessive indulgences. Follow the rule that kung fu fighters adhere to during training: do a little more than you can. But yoga wouldn't be yoga if it were that simple. This system does not provide for victory over oneself through pain. More precisely, yoga teaches how to sit in the lotus position without forcing yourself. It's all about breathing. When you lean towards your leg, do long breath for eight seconds. Hold this position. Then, straightening up, exhale in 4 counts. Repeat the exercise on the other leg, and then bend down to the two extended legs.

Exercise No. 2. Leg on hip

This exercise is similar to the previous one, but works on other ligaments. Initial position- sitting on the floor, but left leg placed on the right thigh, and the knee is slightly pulled towards itself with the hands.

Exercise No. 3. Working with a tilt

Its name is "Butterfly". To perform, sit on the floor, bend your legs and pull your joined feet towards you. Grab them with your hands and lean forward a little. At first it will seem that it is impossible to do the exercise, but over time the tension will disappear and it will become easier.

Exercise No. 4. "Butterfly" using hands

This exercise is a modification of the previous one. It prepares the hip joints for the correct position in Padmasana. It causes virtually no discomfort; you can do it while watching TV. The starting position is the same. But instead of bending forward with your hands, you need to press on your knees, bringing them closer to the floor. Then grab your feet and use your muscles to rhythmically lower your knees to the floor. In the process of performing the exercise, you “skip” the painful moment, as a result, doing it is not painful at all.

Exercise No. 5. Ankle stretch

Answering the question about how to sit in the lotus position, it should be noted that not only the pelvic ligaments, but also the ankles take part in this asana. That's why next exercise aimed specifically at the development of this group. It is performed as follows. Sit on a chair and place your feet under it so that your toes are pressed to the floor. Then, using light springing movements, press your leg to the floor 10 times to feel the tension in the ligaments. Another version of the exercise is shown in the photo. The leg being worked with is placed on the thigh of the bent second leg.

Exercise No. 6. Test of asana

A month later regular classes You can try sitting in the lotus position. To do this, bend your right leg and place it with your foot up on the thigh of your left leg. Do the same with the other leg. Based on the description, it may not be clear to everyone how to sit in the lotus position. Photos will help you navigate. If it is still very difficult to sit in padmasana, try the half lotus first. In this asana, one leg lies on the thigh of the other, and the other is positioned as in a normal sitting. Another option for a simplified lotus is to simply cross your legs “Turkish style”.

Exercise No. 7. Touching your belly to the floor

Sitting on the floor, spread your legs as wide as possible. Stretch first to one leg, then to the other. Finally, lean forward and touch your stomach to the floor, keeping your legs straight. Most likely, you won’t be able to do the exercise right away, as it requires a high level of preparation and stretching. Even if you sit down there is no guarantee that you will succeed.

The main difficulty is to ensure that the toes point upward when bending over. This depends on the position of the hip joint during the exercise. If you succeed, then you practically understand how to sit in the lotus position.

Exercise No. 8. Working with Energy

This exercise is more energetic than physical. Relax as much as possible and imagine that a stream of golden light is pouring onto you from the Cosmos, filling every cell of your body. Now imagine yourself doing, for example, padmasana. Mentally feel the movement of every muscle, every joint. Then slowly open your eyes and go to sleep.

Doing this exercise regularly in combination with daily practice and warming up helps you get into the lotus position faster. Its effectiveness is based on the statement of classical yoga that our consciousness is a bridge connecting the physical world and the spiritual world. Therefore, it can control our physical body. No matter how fantastic it may seem, the capabilities of the human brain have not yet been fully explored. In addition, a group of volunteers who, in addition to training, mentally continued to work on themselves, showed top scores than the second group of athletes who took part in one of the studies by American scientists.

Exercise No. 9. Working with a chair

Starting position - sitting on the floor with legs extended or on a chair. The second option is even preferable. Put your foot down right leg on your left thigh and with the help of your muscles try to place your knee bent leg so that as a result the foot turns upward. Switch legs and continue the activity.

Precautions when practicing yoga

Yes, many people are attracted to the lotus position. How to sit down? The asana photo really creates a sense of simplicity. Meanwhile, yoga is not just stretching. Asanas involve not only ligaments, but also joints, which often move in an unusual direction.

Without warm-up and preparation, many poses are simply traumatic and threaten to break. That's why instructors talk about the inadmissibility of tension and excessive pain. Remember: yoga is incompatible with violence, especially violence against oneself.

Want to learn to meditate? For correct execution During meditation, you need to give your body a certain position - the lotus position. We will tell you in this article how to learn the lotus pose correctly so as not to cause injury to yourself.

How to learn the lotus pose correctly: preparatory exercises

Lotus position: benefits

Of course, you have seen (in pictures or in movies) how yogis cross their legs into a kind of “lock”. This position allows you to calm your internal energy, relax muscle clamps, restore mental balance.

In terms of health, this pose strengthens the back muscles and thereby creates a strong muscle corset for correct position internal organs. When performed regularly, the elasticity of all skeletal muscles. And well-stretched muscles are the key physical activity and vigor.

But looking at the photo, you shouldn’t immediately try to give your body the required position. After all, it assumes the presence of good stretching in the hip and ankle joints.

Lotus pose for beginners: preparatory exercises

Let's look at a few exercises that will help you prepare for this asana (pose).

Exercise No. 1. Sit on the floor, stretch your legs, pressing them together. In this position with a straight back, try to touch your knees with your forehead.

Exercise No. 2. Starting position - as in exercise. No. 1. Now place the foot of one leg on the thigh of the other. Try using light pressure movements with your hand to place the knee of your bent leg on the floor. Repeat several times. Then repeat the entire cycle for the other leg.

Exercise No. 3. Sitting on the floor, straighten your back and, bending your knees, bring your feet together. Cup them with your palms. From this position, pull your closed feet as close to your perineum as possible. Stay in the position that feels comfortable to you. Now, with springy movements of your hands, press on your knees, trying to place them on the floor. There is no need to move through pain. Gradually, over time, you will succeed.

Or padmasana is one of the most important poses for meditation (and not only for yogis), because it is the crossing of the legs into a kind of lock that allows you to reverse the descending energy of apana-vayu. This asana is calming nervous system, removes energy blocks, restores dynamic balance. On physical level we strengthen the back, improve muscle elasticity, and stretch the hip joints. But why are many yoga teachers in no hurry to seat beginners in padmasana, and even moreover, they themselves avoid performing this asana in their presence?

The thing is that the lotus position can be dangerous for beginners. Many beginners perceive padmasana as a kind of circus act and rush to twist their legs, imitating the guru. And this is fraught with serious sprains. Therefore, approach the asana seriously and carefully, and not just as a spectacular exercise. Yes, it may take you several weeks before you do the lotus pose, but there is no need to rush, as in all yogic aspects.

So, we will talk about how to learn the lotus pose. First of all, you should start with exercises that stretch the hip and ankle joints. For us, European people, who are accustomed to sitting on a chair (unlike Indians, who have been sitting on the floor since childhood and do not experience difficulties with padmasana), this is extremely important.

Exercises for lotus pose

Preliminary exercises:

stretching your legs and pressing your feet together, stretch forward, trying to touch your feet with your hands and your knees with your face. Keep your back and legs as straight as possible;
repeat the previous exercise, only with your legs apart, trying to touch the floor as far as possible, stretch your face and chest down;
lower yourself and sit on your knees, then spread them apart. Using your hands, slowly bend back to lie with your back on the floor. Spread your feet to the side;
sit on the floor, clasping your shin with your hands and lifting it. The knee rests on one elbow for a long time, and the foot, like in a cradle, rests on the other. Rock the cradle back and forth. Repeat with the second leg.

In addition, you can perform two very effective asanas that will prepare you for the correct lotus position:

Janu Sirsasana:

sit with your legs stretched forward;
the foot of one leg must be placed on the thigh of the other. Try to get your knee to touch the floor;
Keeping your back straight, lean forward, trying to lie with your chest on your straight leg. Grasp the foot of the straightened leg with your hands.

Baddha konasana. We all know this pose as the “butterfly” exercise:

sit on the floor with your back straight and feet together;
pull your feet towards the perineum to a comfortable, but as close as possible distance for you;
place your hands on your knees to use small springy pressures (they should not cause severe discomfort!) to stretch the hip area;
Another option is to sway your hips, imitating the fluttering of a butterfly's wings. Try to keep your back, neck and head as straight as possible.

If you did everything correctly, then after some time you will feel that you are finally ready to take the lotus position.

Correct lotus position

Everyone can imagine what a lotus flower looks like. It is similar to water lilies growing in ponds, lakes and rivers of our country. Looking closely at the lotus, we can observe that this flower lives in several natural elements at once: the roots of the flower are at the bottom of a reservoir in the ground, the trunk and leaves live in the water, and the lotus itself is in the air, and its delicate petals face the sky and are heated rays of the sun.

A famous asana in the yoga world, it is called padmasana and also kamalasana, but rarely. “Padma” and “Kamala” mean ‘lotus’ in Sanskrit, and “asana” means ‘posture’. This asana is one of the most mesmerizing poses in yoga, but at the same time it is also very difficult to achieve. Why are people who have embarked on the path of yoga so eager to master this position of their legs? Why is it difficult for a modern European person to sit in the Lotus Pose? What effect does the Lotus Pose give? How to sit in Lotus Pose? I will try to answer all these questions and understand this asana, relying on the sayings of ancient sages, experienced yogis, scientific literature and my own practice.

Why are people who have embarked on the path of yoga so eager to master this position of their legs?

In various ancient Eastern religions, the lotus flower occupied a special place and was represented as a symbol in their philosophy.

In Ancient Egypt, the lotus was associated with the Universe, and it was the throne for the Gods. The lotus flower growing along the banks of the Nile was a symbol of supreme power.
During antiquity in Greco-Roman culture, the lotus was a symbol of Aphrodite (Venus).
In Tibetan philosophy, the lotus flower signifies the highest spiritual knowledge.
In China, the lotus was treated as a sacred plant that embodies purity and innocence.
In India, since ancient times, the lotus has been of great importance and was closely connected with the faith and culture of this country. The Indian deities Vishnu, Brahma, Lakshmi are associated with this blossoming flower; also in Indian philosophy, the lotus is associated with human wisdom, and the lotus stem with the beauty and posture of the main characters of Indian literature.

Anyone who begins to practice yoga (I now mean the practice of asanas) believes that it only comes down to physical training aimed at improving health (I was no exception to this misconception), but sooner or later people begin to feel the need to understand the essence of yoga, the desire to understand it fundamental principles and come to the goal of yoga - self-development, enlightenment, overcoming mental and physical illnesses.

Patanjali says in the Yoga Sutras that “the asana should be still and comfortable.” The question arises: does this statement apply only to the Lotus Pose or to all asanas? In what other asanas can you perform the following stages of yoga comfortably and motionlessly: pranayama, pratihara, dhyana?

Reading various books and authoritative discussions on yoga, you come across the fact that they describe meditating yogis sitting in the Lotus Pose; in illustrations related to yoga, the Lotus Pose always appears; In many Eastern traditions, the optimal pose for internal practices is the Lotus Pose.

In the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, the Lotus Pose is described as the destroyer of all diseases, and only a few sages on earth can achieve this pose.

Some yoga books describe the virtues and benefits of Lotus Pose with the following sentences: “ A person sitting in the Lotus Pose for at least fifteen minutes every day with his eyes closed, focusing on God - the lotus in the heart - destroys all sins and quickly achieves moksha (freed from the cycle of birth and death (samsara), and also gets rid of all suffering through awareness of his integrity with God)».

An important rule and condition for asanas was formulated by Patanjali in the Yoga Sutra: staying in it should be motionless and comfortable. Does this mean that performing the asana will require a minimum of effort and will only be comfortable, no matter how difficult it is to perform?

Stability is characteristic of many asanas, but, of course, in the Lotus Pose the moment of exclusively internal stability predominates, in which the performance of pranayamas and meditations is much more convenient.

It is the yoga practitioner who, having overcome the initial pain in the hip joints (remember that we cannot tolerate pain in the knees), understands in the Lotus Pose all the beauty of what is happening to him, when every part is harmonized human body, and the mind and breathing become smooth and calm.

Why is it difficult for a modern European person to sit in the Lotus Pose?

The position of crossed legs for a modern European person is unusual and completely unusual for him due to the fact that he mainly uses Everyday life various pieces of furniture that relax his body, and his hip bones only become stronger. Just as shoes enslave our feet, so all these pieces of furniture do not contribute to liberation. lower section spine, pelvic area and joints. People of the Eastern and Asian type have a different situation; they have been sitting in a cross-legged position since childhood, and this helps to open hip joints. For example, in India, the Lotus Pose is a hereditary, innate position and does not cause any difficulties. Modern European man sits on a chair most of his life, and his joints are not stretched in the legs, pelvis and back, so most modern people They cannot even sit on the mat for a long time with their straight legs stretched forward without rounding their spine.

The main thing that prevents you from crossing your legs in the “lotus” is the ligamentous-muscular apparatus in the hip joint ( and karma editor's note), which is difficult to open, and this must be approached gradually, therefore it is necessary to work on opening the hip joints longer, using more of the pelvic bones, joints, ligaments and lower back. There are people for whom the Lotus Pose is given immediately and easily, while others will have to work quite a lot of time. The flexibility and softness of the ligamentous-muscular hip apparatus varies among people; for some, nature has endowed it with a rigid structure pelvic girdle, and due to anatomical nuances, they may require more time to open the hip joints. Today I have not yet sat in the Lotus Pose, although Siddhasana has already succumbed to me for a short amount of time, and please note that this does not mean that my yoga practice is inferior, I definitely have the intention.

Lotus position: benefits

The lotus position can affect us in different ways, and also have both restorative functions and carry negative nuances, in fact, like everything in our world. The main thing is to approach this asana with caution, so that the practice brings only good, and not strive to perform the Lotus Pose at all costs and put health on the altar of your own egoism.

According to B. K. S. Iyengar, if a yoga practitioner overcomes the initial pain in the knees, he will realize that it is one of the most relaxing poses. You sit, and therefore rest, but at the same time remain stable.

He talks about overcoming knee pain. Definitely endure pain in the knee and ankle joints not worth it (felt from my own experience), but in stiff-moving pelvic bones It is possible to endure a little pain, even necessary.

In the book “Physiology of Yoga,” Dietrich Ebert describes and gives a physiological assessment of the human body when performing the Lotus Pose. He states that by performing the Lotus Pose correctly, tension in the leg muscles does not occur, and according to the results of the studies, no effect on the muscles was even found. quadriceps muscle hips. When constructing such an asana, where the support is on the seat-knee-knee, the pose is a stable triangular support. Therefore, when performing the Lotus Pose, the expenditure of force to maintain the straight position of the body will be energetically minimal.

I can’t help but agree with him, because with what other asana can you sit for quite a long time with a straight back and not react to discomfort in the muscles, of course, taking into account the fact that your joints are already quite well stretched.

I experienced it first hand and the sensations in my body. Even poses that only lead up to the Lotus Pose undoubtedly benefit the body and help better stretch the periarticular muscles. soft tissues and muscles lower limbs, and also increases the mobility of the joints themselves.

If we turn to books on anatomy and carefully consider the topic of the hip joints, we will understand how important and necessary liberation in this area is. Tightness and rigidity in the hip area can lead to spasms muscle fibers, and ligaments and tendons that are in a tense state can cause tension, while the bones in the human body, ligaments, muscles and tendons form a dynamic unity.

Strengthening muscular system very important when mastering the "lotus", since the main job for them is to move the bones and give them comfortable position. Also, the Lotus Pose helps restore not only the functions of the hip joints, but also the lower part of the spine. Correctly performed pose helps to relax the spine. In such a stable position, when the pelvis and legs provide support to the spine, much less muscle effort will be expended, and the energy that would be wasted on maintaining balance can be used to practice pranayamas and meditation.

To open up tight hip joints, there are many asanas that prepare us for the Lotus Pose. I will try to reveal which of them are the most effective and efficient in the next section.

How to sit in Lotus Pose?

In the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, the Lotus Pose is described by the following sentence: “Place the right heel on the left thigh, the left heel on the right thigh.”

When you see how some people easily braid their legs into a “lotus”, it seems that this asana is not so difficult, but believe me, this is an illusion. If you do not have sufficiently stretched muscles, ligaments and joint mobility, it is unlikely to be repeated. Some yoga practitioners have the idea that the Lotus Pose is too complex and difficult to perform, and only naturally flexible people, advanced in yoga practice, or hermit monks can braid their legs into it. But I assure you that these are definitely wrong thoughts! Approaching the Lotus Pose and acting correctly and consistently, following common sense and relying on the experience of wise teachers, you can achieve success in mastering it.

In the book “Gheranda Samhita” there is a statement: “neither sitting in the lotus position, nor standing on the head, nor squinting the eyes at the tip of the nose is yoga.”

Yoga practitioners who are just approaching mastering the “lotus” strive for immediate success, forget, or maybe at first they simply do not know the basic principles of the structure of the human body (and I was no exception), that in order to sit in the “lotus” In no case should you pull your knees, but you must make an effort and be patient in stretching and opening the stiff hip joints. Nature very cleverly approached the anatomical structure of man and arranged it so that our knees only bend and unbend. Movements such as rotation, abduction or adduction to the right and left are unacceptable for the knee joints, and if this norm is not observed, this can lead to pain in the knee joints. knee joint or even to irreversible knee injuries that can only be solved surgically.

The pose that will lead to mastering the Lotus Pose is Sukhasana, or it is also called the Turkish Sitting Pose; you can also try to master it, where only one leg lies on the opposite thigh, but the closest to the “lotus” is Siddhasana. To change the quality of these preparatory poses happened faster, preferably at every opportunity, sitting in front of a computer or musical instrument, reading a book, with legs crossed.

It is important to remain still in these asanas for some time and not apply force or pressure to the knees. While in an asana, you need to focus your attention, relax your muscles as much as possible and direct your breathing to relax the muscles.

The definitely wrong way to perform the Lotus Pose is to make physical efforts, trying to twist your legs into a “lotus”. There is no need to injure your knees to achieve Lotus Pose. In addition, by reading authoritative treatises on yoga, the practitioner should already know that one of the main principles in yoga is not to harm, including one’s own health! A yoga practitioner should not set the goal in itself to perform the Lotus Pose and turn into a destructive robot who is set on self-destruction and will not be capable of normal contact with the world and himself.

The treatise “Bhagavad-gita” says: “For those who are moderate in food and abstinence, moderate in activity and deeds, moderate in sleep and wakefulness, there is yoga that removes grief.” For example, the Nath texts state the following: “A yogi freed from all diseases develops a body flexible and soft, like inner part lotus stem, and thus enjoys youth and longevity.”

Saint Anthony in his writing (although not at all about yoga) said (his words can also be attributed directly to the very essence of yoga): “There are people who exhausted their body with asceticism, and, however, moved away from God because they did not have prudence "

From the above quotes we can conclude that the only correct thing to do is not to do anything with the body to which it will respond with pain or unwanted sensations. B. K. S. Iyengar said: “Yoga is a donkey’s work, but the result is magnificent!”

An important source on yoga philosophy, the Bhagavad Gita, states: “Only be directed towards action, but turn away from its fruit; Let the fruits not distract you, but do not be shackled by inaction. Free from attachments, steadfast in yoga, performing deeds, balancing failure with success: this evenness is called yoga.”.

You need to approach mastering the Lotus Pose gradually: if your hip joints are not open enough and there is no innate flexibility in your legs, then you will not be able to braid your legs in this asana right away. However, do not despair, create the intention and zeal with constant awareness and willingness to carry out the practice for a long time, and sooner or later you will conquer this peak.

If you decide to start the practice of meditation, then you may have encountered a common problem - discomfort in the back when trying to sit still for a long time. Naturally, for a comfortable stay in a sitting position, with a straight back, it is advisable to master padmasana or siddhasana. However, there is a simple way by which you can sit for quite a long time in the first stages of yoga without experiencing discomfort.

Since meditation is one of the highest stages of yoga, performing asanas is, by and large, intended to prepare the body for the ability to sit for a long time in a motionless position, with a straight back. But this opportunity appears only with a good opening of the hip joints, in which your knees practically lie on the floor. It is common among Asians to “live on the floor,” that is, eat, read, and simply spend time socializing, sitting on the floor, without using a chair. In this case, the hip joints are not strengthened. For residents of “civilized” countries, the use of such achievements of civilization as chairs, armchairs, sofas leads to the fact that adolescence The hip joints become quite stiff. There is an opinion that Indians have a different constitution, but babies of all nationalities have the same flexibility, but most Asians retain the ability to sit for a long time and comfortably with a straight back precisely because of the above-mentioned points. When traveling to India, I noted that those Indians who try to live according to new standards, actively using furniture for sitting, just like us, cannot sit for a long time with a straight back in the absence of a chair or armchair. When an adult begins to practice yoga, he is faced with unpleasant sensations in the back and numbness in the legs when trying to practice pranayama, as well as meditative and contemplative techniques. Achieving the lotus position from scratch takes a long time, from a year or more. You should strive for this, but you should not put off the practice of meditation “for later”, because there is a very simple way to accept correct posture even physically enslaved people.

First, you should understand the kinematics of adjusting the position of the pelvis. The spine rests on the sacrum.

The sacrum itself is an integral part of the pelvis.

When we stand, the pelvis is positioned in such a way that the sacrum is almost perpendicular to the horizon, so the spine naturally extends vertically upward from the sacrum. However, if a person with unopened hip joints tries to sit cross-legged, the pelvis will tilt back, the sacrum will tilt the vertebrae that are attached to it, resulting in a rounded back.

An external indicator that a person has positioned the pelvis correctly is the relative position of the iliac bones of the pelvis and knees. In most cases, if a person can get their knees below their iliac bones, they will be able to straighten their spine naturally.

But if the degree of opening of the hip joints does not allow you to lower your knees, you can use a very simple method - just sit on a raised platform, for example from pillows. The height of the pillows should be selected so that, when sitting on them, you can lower your knees below the iliacus bones of the pelvis.

Don’t be shy about the height of your “throne”; working through your inner feelings during meditation is of paramount importance, and the fear of looking like a “not a cool yogi” is just a stupid manifestation of the ego. However, on group classes I often see how some people ignore this method, saying, “I can do it without pillows,” and after a few minutes they begin to fidget, trying to avoid discomfort, while “yogis with pillows” meditate quite successfully. You can learn more clearly about this method by watching the attached video.