Locked Lotus Pose

Baddha Padmasana is a quite tricky pose. It falls under the advanced category of Asanas. The Baddha Padmasana is also an advanced variation of Padmasana (lotus pose) and mainly works as a chest opener. It helps in increasing vitality and energy, and provides a variety of other health and mental benefits. The name is derived from the Sanskrit words bandha, which means "binding" or "bound", padma, which means "lotus", and asana, which means "pose".

The Locked Lotus Pose activates the anahata chakra, swadhisthana chakra and mooladhara chakra. This is an excellent asana to increase your flexibility. It helps in keeping your spine, hamstrings and joints healthy.

Steps to do Locked Lotus Pose / Baddha Padmasana

• Sit in Padmasana(Lotus Pose).
• Hold the right big toe with the right hand and the left big toe with the left – from behind.
• Sit tall with normal breathing or ujjayi breathing.
• After a few breaths, relax and sit in Dandasana.

Tips for beginners

• Place a folded blanket under your seat, straps on the ankles for better grip and blocks under the thighs if it's difficult for you to sit with legs folded.  
• Practising Sukhasana(Easy Pose), Padmasana, Gomukhasana, Paschimottanasana, Ardha Baddha Padma Paschimottanasana(Half Locked Lotus Forward Bend), Upavishtakonasana(Wide Angle Seated Forward Bend), Yoga Mudrasana(Psychic Union Pose) will help you achieve the Locked Lotus Pose easily.
• Warm up your joints thoroughly for achieving the Psychic Union pose as it requires flexibility in leg joints, hip joints, arms and shoulder joints. 

Benefits

• It alleviates pain in the shoulders, arms and back.
• It encourages normal growth in children with poorly developed chest.
• Spiritually, it is used in the process of awakening kundalini.
• It opens the chest, stretches the back and spine. 
• Regular practice of this asana improves lung capacity and helps in alleviating respiratory disorders. 
• It relaxes the mind by giving good blood circulation to the brain.

Watch out for

• People with serious back or heart conditions, or with high blood pressure, hernia or hydrocele should not practice this asana.
• Those in the early postoperative or post-delivery period.

Variations

• Baddha Padmasana is an advanced level asana and it is a variation of Padmasana.