The essence of Yoga can be found in the wonderful verses of the Bhagavad Gita. The passages from the 10th to 15th of the sixth chapter on Dhyana Yoga (Topic on Meditation) are dedicated on giving a concise yet satisfying explanation on the purpose of Yoga and on how to meditate.
Might the meditator, freed from all material possessions and desires and with quiet mind constantly unite his mind with the Absolute Self. (6:10)
The yogi should find a comfortable sit and to concentrate his mind to a fix point so to purify his mind. This is Yoga. (6:11-12)
After these preliminary instruction comes the most important fact, probably the only description of Asana (posture) mentioned in the whole book: holding oneself firm without moving, keeping the body, head and neck in one straight line as looking to one’s tip of the nose but yet not looking in any directions. Being one’s mind tranquil and quiet, free from fear and engaged in pure devotion might the meditator lose himself into me withdrawing the mind from everything else. (6:13-14) Always connecting the mind in this manner, the meditator, the one whose mind is mastered, gains the peace, which is centered into Me, which is the ultimate liberation. (6:15)
Interestingly it came obvious that the only Asana mentioned in the whole Bhagavad Gita is Padmasana or basically to be sitting in the lotus pose. Another interesting coincidence is the parallel between the 15th passage we just mentioned and the second Yoga Sutra of Patanjali: Yogash chitta vritti nirodha (1:2). Yoga, says Patanjali, is the cessation of the fluctuation of the mind. And even Patanjali considered that the right Asana is the one that can be done effortlessly and that leads us to meditate towards infinity.
The whole sequences of Ashtanga Yoga or of Hata Yoga are developed with the core aim of preparing the body to stay in the posture of the lotus, undisturbed, for hours and meditate. That’s why Padmasana is considered the perfect asana.
Many people, especially in the west, cannot achieve this basic posture not even after years of practice. How to reach the lotus posture?
Starting from the premise that even though we all share a body that looks similar, this wonderful machine is unique and customized for us and by us, therefore not all the bodies have the exact same capacities.
During practice you will notice that some of us might be more flexible on the shoulders when really stiff on their hips joint, or vice-versa. Others are really stiff in general when other people might be flexible and that can achieve difficult postures effortlessly. With a constant practice we will realize that Asana are not only to gain flexibility and strength but they also are tools to demarcate our limits, to recognize and accept our physical capacities and to surrender to them. If the practice is regular and dedicate improvements will suddenly open even the stiffest of the bodies. What necessary is to remove from our practice is all signs of expectations. Practice for the fun of practicing as you enjoy a song for its beautiful melody rather than because it is fast to end.
Another important aspect to keep in mind is that if we start practicing at 20-30 or more year-old, many of our joints might be calcified therefore improvements will result much more slow and hard. In the west we have a tradition of sitting on chairs while working and even while eating when in India people traditionally sit on the floor to eat, to watch television and to rest. This connection with mother earth implies people sitting crossed-legs to find a comfortable posture and therefore training their hip joints to remain open.
So if we want to improve our Padmasana we need to start with sitting cross-legs more time during the day. We can remove the shoes while working, bringing up our legs to cross legs starting from a few minutes and stretching it even to hours. Try to make an habit out of it and to sit as long as possible with crossed-legs. When you are at home watching a movie or working on the laptop try to sit on a carpet on the floor and slowly go into Bhadda Konasana (the butterfly). Surely in the beginning this position will not be comfortable at all, so you can arrange some pillow below your buttock to lift it up and allow the hips to be less contracted. You cannot expect to un-do the process of stiffening your body you did and you keep doing in your daily life in a few hours spent weekly on the mat. Yoga heals but to allow the miracle to happen we need to put devotion into it. Let the practice of Yoga become part of your life and embrace every posture in the movements you normally do, play with it and spice your daily routine with some funny and challenging posture. So brush your teeth and stay in Vrikshasana (tree posture), tide your shoes and go down in Parsvottanasana and switch off the lights with your feet as you do in the end of Uttita Hasta Padangusthasana. And do not forget the most important thing…the smile!
Om
I normally reefer to the translation offered by Swami Dayananda Saraswati, “Srimad Bhagavad Gita” and to the translation of Patanjani Yoga Sutras by Gregor Maehle.
Satya Yoga 
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