Benefits of Sukhasana (Easy Pose) and How to Do it By Dr. Himani Bisht

Introduction

The desire to lead a healthy life is a simple but difficult one. Healthy life focuses on the concept of positive health. Health does not merely mean the absence of disease but the ability to cope effectively with disease.  

To make this concept come to life, yoga is being adopted by many to manage our physical and mental health. It is an all-natural, drugless concept of wellness.¹  

Various seals and fossil remnants of the Indus Valley Civilisation indicate that yoga was prevalent in ancient India, around 2700 BC. The yogic lore considers Shiva to be the founder of yoga. It contains various asanas and practices. It includes various practices such as yama and niyama (principles for conduct in personal and social life), asana (various sitting, standing, and lying postures), pranayama (breathing techniques), pratyahara (withdrawal of senses from sense organs to control mind), bandha and mudra (manipulation of semi-voluntary and involuntary muscles), shatkarma kriya (cleansing process) and dhyana (meditation).¹ 

Sukhasana is one of the easier asanas among all the postures. Keep reading to find out how to include it in your daily routine!  

What is Sukhasana?

Sukhasana is also known as the easy sitting pose. It can be performed by people of all age groups. The name sukhasana is derived from the word “sukham” which means easy, comfortable, joyful or pleasure, etc.² This is a simple pose and can be performed by beginners with ease. It is a beginner level asana. Sukhasana is the usual sitting posture in the Eastern culture. You need not necessarily be empty stomach to perform it. Even so, it might be better if you practice it in the morning as it is a meditative pose.³  

There are two types of sukhasana poses: 

• Crossed legs on floor Sukhasana: In this posture, one has to be seated on the floor. For people having back issues, sitting with the back leaning against the wall may be more comfortable. The legs must be crossed at the mid-portion of the shins (the lower half of the legs). For additional support, blankets can be kept under the hips, and blocks can be kept under the knees.⁴ 

• Seated Twist on floor Parivrtta Sukhasana: Similar to the previous pose, one has to be seated cross-legged on the floor. The upper part of the body (thoracic and cervical spine) has to be rotated to the right and left alternatively. You can put one hand on the knee and other hand on the floor for support and rotation.⁴  

Let me tell you about the magic of Sukhasana. Sukhasana is derived from Sanskrit, meaning “refreshing exercise.” It is an excellent sitting position that symbolises inner fulfilment and leisure. While admiring the beauty of Sukhasana, I read in an article that with regular practice of Sukhasana, the spine may also lengthen, and the body may experience incredible stability.

Dr. Siddharth Gupta, B.A.M.S, M.D (Ayu)

Also Read: Benefits of Gomukhasana (Cow Face Pose) and How to Do it By Dr. Himani Bisht

How to Do it?

Sukhasana is a sitting pose asana which can be easily performed by anybody. The steps to be followed are: 

• Firstly, spread a mattress, yoga mat, or durrie on the floor and sit on it.  
• Then, fold your left leg ensuring it touches the right thigh. 
• After that, fold the right leg ensuring it touches the left thigh. 
• Place your hands around the knees. 
• The palm should face upwards, and the thumb and forefinger should form a loop. 
• You have to then ensure that your head and body are straight. 
• The spine should remain erect, and the breathing should be normal.⁵ 

This asana is good for meditating, and other yoga practices like breath work (pranayama) can also be performed.^3,6  

In this 5G era, we constantly need gadgets like mobile phones and laptops to walk parallel to the fast-growing world. But with this, eye fatigue has become a common complaint. From my experience, when Sukhasana collaborates with other yoga asanas, it may do wonders for our eyes! I recently read an article which suggests sitting in the Sukhasana and doing eye exercises such as eye rotations and marching as per Trataka Karma may aid in Computer Vision Syndrome such as eye fatigue and eye muscle weakness.

Dr. Rajeev Singh, BAMS

Do You Know?

Sukhasana is a simple asana that is popular among one and all. You might have seen the pictures of your favorite celebrities performing the sukhasana as well. 

• Alia Bhatt recently shared a picture on her social media in which she is seen performing the sukhasana.  
• One might say that it is a very popular asana as you might find pictures of celebrities like Karishma Kapoor, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Shilpa Shetty, Anushka Sharma and Amitabh Bachchan performing the sukhasana on various social media platforms. It seems like they already know the benefits of this simple asana, you should try it too. 

Practising Sukhasana while doing your routine work may benefit your lungs! Yes, you read it right! I recently read an article that suggests that people who regularly practise Sukhasana may have higher lung function than others.

Dr. Smita barode, B.A.M.S, M.S.

Also Read: Benefits of Ustrasana (Camel Pose) and How to Do it By Dr. Ankit Sankhe

Benefits of Sukhasana:

In our Indian culture, sitting cross-legged is quite common. It has been a part of our culture for a long time. Many of us are habituated to sitting cross-legged on the floor while studying, praying, eating and meditating. Sitting cross-legged is basically performing the sukhasana, the advantages of which have been highlighted by yoga. The possible advantages of sukhasana are improving body stability to self-realisation. Some of the benefits of sukhasana are given below.⁷  

1. Benefits of Sukhasana for Lower Back Pain Linked to Depression

Sitting in Sukhasana might help reduce chronic lower back pain. It has been seen that chronic back pain can cause depression, again leading to increase in back pain, thus forming a vicious cycle. The authors of a study published in the American Journal of Lifestyle and Medicine think that sukhasana might help break the cycle of chronic lower back pain and depression. This might be because sitting cross-legged reduces functional disability and improves stress, depression and pain responses in patients.⁷ 

2. Benefits of Sukhasana for Stress

Some researchers claim that sitting in the cross-legged position i.e., in sukhasana may reduce functional disability and stress. It was further stated that it might also help against depression and pain response in patients. Through this research, we get a sneak peek into the extent of yoga’s potentiality, which extends beyond the physical realm.⁷ 

3. Benefits of Sukhasana for the Heart

According to studies, sukhasana may have the potential to help improve cardio-metabolic (metabolic and heart diseases). It was seen that sitting in the cross-legged meditative pose may help improve the heart rate and might help against lifestyle-related heart diseases (cardiovascular diseases).⁷  

4. Benefits of Sukhasana for Blood Pressure

A study was done on people with high blood pressure, where the effects of performing sukhasana and simple breathing exercises regularly was seen. From this study, it may be said that sukhasana combined with a few simple breathing exercises may help lower blood pressure.⁶ 

5. Benefits of Sukhasana for Cholesterol

One study in the Orthopaedic Journal of Sciences stated that practising the sukhasana regularly might help improve the lipid profile. It claims to potentially improve the LDL and HDL (low-density lipoproteins and high-density lipoproteins) cholesterol levels. Another study potentially believed to lower the triglyceride level as well.⁷ 

6. Benefits of Sukhasana for Weight Management

Sukhasana might be beneficial in weight management as it might help improve the body mass index (ratio of body fat according to height and weight). A study published in the International Journal of Cardiology showed that sitting cross-legged might also help improve waist circumference.⁷ 

7. Benefits of Sukhasana for Pregnancy

Sukhasana is a simple pose that can be performed by pregnant women. It might help calm the mind, broaden the shoulders, improve digestion, straighten the spine, improve breathing, reduce fatigue, and may uplift mood. It might have positive effects like making one feel more confident, and energised and rekindle the will to be more productive.³ 

8. Benefits of Sukhasana for Muscles

Several studies claim that sukhasana helps strengthen the pelvic and core muscles. The possible benefits might extend further into helping with proper breathing, oxygenation, and blood circulation (both central and peripheral). This shows how the effects of sukhasana might be interlinked.⁷  

9. Benefits of Sukhasana for the Mind

Studies conducted in recent times show that sukhasana might be beneficial for the overall body, including the mind. It was seen that sitting cross-legged might improve mental integration. Getting up from the cross-legged position may also prove to improve the balance and sense of touch, which might be beneficial for our health in the long run.⁷ 

Yoga practice may help develop the mind and body; however, it is still not an alternative to modern medicine. You must not rely on yoga alone to treat any condition. Please consult a qualified doctor who will be able to assess your condition correctly and advise accordingly. Moreover, it is necessary to practice and learn yoga under the supervision of a trained yoga teacher to avoid any injuries.  

Also Read: Benefits of Bhastrika Pranayama and How to Do it By Dr. Ankit Sankhe

Risks of Sukhasana

 Sukhasana should be avoided with the following conditions: 

• Knee injuries 
• Spinal disc problems 
• Hip injuries ⁵ 

With the guidance of a qualified and experienced yoga teacher/yoga expert, we can assess and analyze the risk factors and continue to practice exercise with precautions. 

Conclusion

Sukhasana is a simple asana that can be easily performed by people of all ages. It is as simple as sitting down on a flat surface. It is simply sitting cross-legged with a straight back and neck. This is the normal way of sitting in most Eastern cultures. This pose is believed to be beneficial for tasks requiring a lot of concentration like studying, meditation, self-realization, etc. This deceptively simple asana might have a lot of benefits to offer. It might be helpful with chronic lower back pain, stress, heart disease cholesterol, etc. However, if you are starting yoga asanas, you should consult a qualified doctor to begin your yoga journey with this simple pose. 

Also Read: Benefits of Sudarshan Kriya and How to Do it By Dr. Ankit Sankhe

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

References:

1. National Council of Educational Research and Training. Yoga, A Healthy Way of Living, Upper Primary Stage [Internet]. Uppal S, Bijnan S, editors. Vol. 15. New Delhi: National Council of Educational Research and Training; 2016. 1–23 p. Available from: https://ncert.nic.in/pdf/publication/otherpublications/tiyhwlups1.pdf 

2. Greendale GA, Kazadi L, Mazdyasni S, Ramirez E, Wang MY, Yu SSY, et al. Yoga Empowers Seniors Study (YESS): Design and Asana Series. J Yoga Phys Ther [Internet]. 2012 Feb 27;2(1):1–2. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3639444/table/T2/ 

3. Lindasari N, Suhariyanti E, Margowati S. Yoga Pranayama Dhiirga Swasam with Sukhasana Position on Reducing Blood Pressure in the Elderly. In: Proceedings of the 1st Borobudur International Symposium on Humanities, Economics and Social Sciences (BIS-HESS 2019) [Internet]. Paris, France: Atlantis Press; 2020. p. 333–8. Available from: https://www.atlantis-press.com/article/125939425 

4. Kohli DP, Patel DP, Waybase DH, Gore DS, Nadkarni DS. The value of cross legged sitting: Virtue or vice for health.A review from sports medicine, physiology and yoga.Implications in joint arthroplasty. Int J Orthop Sci [Internet]. 2019 Jul 1;5(3):607–10. Available from: http://www.orthopaper.com/archives/?year=2019&vol=5&issue=3&ArticleId=1596 

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