Progress
in the development of a cross-legged position
and how to lift your
ankle with your hands to support it
on the upper side of
your opposite leg (4)
1 The progress described here is based on developments that you
experienced previously when you were seated in a beginner’s cross-legged
position and is continuing progress toward a completely developed cross-legged
position.
The
flexibility and strength that develop in your legs, hips and backbone from
being seated in a beginner’s cross-legged position help to support your ankle
on the upper side of your opposite leg. When
you practice simple yoga in the beginner’s cross-legged position that’s
described in the previous chapters for at least a few minutes nearly every day
for several months your legs, hips and backbone will become more flexible and
strong. In time you’ll become able to support your ankle comfortably on the
upper side of your opposite leg in the developed cross-legged position
described here.
Your legs, hips and backbone might be
flexible and strong enough already so that you can support your ankle on the
upper side of your opposite leg as described here spontaneously with needing to
learn or think about a method.
2 You need to maintain the same concerns that you maintained when you
were seated in a beginner’s cross-legged position as described in Chapters 1-3
to support your ankle on the upper side of your opposite leg as described here. Most
of the concerns to
experience a beneficial cross-legged position that are described
in the previous chapters are not repeated in this chapter.
The position that’s described in this chapter
is a transitional position. Whenever
you’re seated cross-legged in a position that’s as near to a completely developed
cross-legged position
as you can experience comfortably in your
present physical condition your position will develop naturally to become a completely developed
cross-legged position. You will naturally experience the position that’s
described in this chapter when your position is developing to become a
completely developed cross-legged position whether you follow a method or not.
3 When you’re seated in a cross-legged position that’s as near to a
completely developed cross-legged position as you can experience in your
present physical condition supporting your posterior (hips and the ends of your
thighs at your hips) and the ends of your shins as near as possible to your
knees firmly on the upper sides of your ankles and feet -
The
first aspect of progress that you experience is a series of physical events
that occur inside your body while you remain seated still. The first part of this chapter describes that
series of events.
The beneficial changes that occur inside your
body when you’re seated in a beginner’s cross-legged position need to occur
before you lift your ankle to support it on the upper side of your opposite
leg.
4 The second aspect of progress is a series of actions that you can
do to lift your ankle with your hands to support it on the upper side of your
opposite leg. The main part of this chapter describes those
actions.
Supporting your ankle on the upper side of
your opposite leg won’t help you to experience more of the benefits of a
cross-legged position nor help your cross-legged position to develop more
quickly. You
cannot make those changes occur inside your body by supporting your ankle on
the upper side of your opposite leg.
Don’t
suppose that you need to support your ankle on the upper side of your opposite
leg as soon as you can. Progress in your experience of a
cross-legged position is not measured by how high on the shin
of your opposite leg or how near to your abdomen you can support one or both of
your ankles.
Don’t support your ankle on the upper side of your opposite leg for the
purpose of accelerating progress in the development of your cross-legged
position. That will
distort the natural development of your position, you’ll experience excessive
tensions in your abdomen and the knee of your leg that’s uppermost will twist
out of joint.
5 The third aspect of progress is a series of changes that occur in
the physical position, muscular effort and rest of your body while you’re
supporting your ankle on the upper side of your opposite leg. The third part of this chapter describes
those changes.
6 The following part of this chapter is a detailed description of how
you can lift your ankle with your hands to support it on the upper side of your
opposite leg.
The description of any action that you can do
might be accompanied by a caution regarding what you should not do or what you
should not allow to happen.
7 When you’re seated in a beginner’s cross-legged position you can
support your posterior (hips and the ends of your thighs at your hips) seated at
the same level as the rug or mat beneath your body –
Or
you can support your posterior on a firm cushion or pile of folded cloth
elevated higher than the rug or mat beneath your body.
When you intend to support your ankle of the upper side of your opposite
leg and your posterior is already seated at the same level as the rug or mat beneath
your body -
First
place your ankle on the upper side of your opposite leg with your hands -
Then lift your posterior up by supporting
much of your weight on your arm, holding your arm straight to lift your body
up, until you sit back down on a firm cushion or pile of folded cloth. You will be seated with your posterior
elevated higher than the rug or mat beneath your body.
8 When you intend to support your ankle on the upper side of your
opposite leg and your posterior is already elevated higher than the rug or mat beneath
your body -
Place your ankle on the upper side of your opposite leg if you can do
that comfortably.
Or
move your posterior off the cushion or pile of folded cloth and seat your
posterior on the rug or mat beneath your body -
Then
place your ankle on the upper side of your opposite leg -
Then lift your posterior up to place the
cushion or pile of folded cloth beneath your posterior again to be seated with
your posterior elevated higher than the rug or mat beneath your body.
9 Your posterior should be elevated higher than the level of the rug
or mat beneath your body when you support your ankle on the upper side of your
opposite leg. This will help your position to be firm and
comfortable and will ensure that the positions of your legs and hips will
progress minutely toward a more developed cross-legged position while you
remain seated still.
Don’t support your posterior elevated
excessively high compared to the level of the rug or mat beneath your body.
If you support your posterior elevated
excessively high that will cause the end of your shin at your knee that’s
uppermost to press down hard on your ankle and foot beneath it. That will pry the
knee of your leg that’s uppermost out of joint and your knee might separate and
sprain.
10 The height or elevation of your posterior should not be level with the
rug or mat beneath your body when you support your ankle on the upper side of
your opposite leg.
If your
posterior is level with the rug or mat beneath your body the end of your shin
at your knee that’s uppermost won’t press down hard enough on your ankle and
foot beneath it and -
You’ll experience excessive tensions in your
legs and hips and the knee of your leg that’s uppermost might separate and
sprain.
11 To support your ankle on the upper side of your opposite leg -
Place your leg that will remain supported on the rug as far away from
the front of your body and as far toward the side of your ankle as you can
maintain it comfortably.
If
you don’t place your leg that will remain supported on the rug as far away from
the front of your body and as far toward the side of your ankle as you can
maintain it comfortably -
When you support your ankle on the upper side of your opposite leg your
leg that’s supported on the rug will move inward toward your body
uncontrollably and your knee or hip of that leg will move out of joint and
sprain.
Your legs will be safe from injury when you
place your leg that will remain supported on the rug as far away from the front
of your body and as far toward the side of your ankle as you can maintain it
comfortably before you support your ankle on the upper side of it.
12 When you support your ankle on the upper side of your opposite leg
don’t support the knee of that leg on the rug or mat beneath your body.
If
you support the knee of your leg that’s uppermost on the rug or mat beneath
your body the muscles inside the fold of that leg will exert effort
uncontrollably and pull your ankle toward your body and your knee or hip of
that leg will move out of joint and sprain.
When you don’t support the knee of your leg
that’s uppermost on the rug or mat beneath your body your legs will be safe
from injury.
13 Before lift your ankle with your hands to support it on your opposite
leg you need to -
Curve or lean your body forward as far as you need to support as much of
your weight as you can on the ends of both of your shins at your knees;
You might need to curve or lean forward
far to support enough of your weight on the ends
of both of your shins at your knees to lift your ankle with your hands without
causing any harmful tensions in your knee or hip.
Then curve or lean your body toward the side as far as you need
to press the end of your shin at your knee downward more firmly on the partly
upturned foot of your opposite leg;
Then lift your ankle with your hands rotating it slightly the upper side
forward, lower side backward.
Continue to curve or lean your body forward
and toward the side as far as you need until you have placed your ankle firmly
and comfortably on the upper side of your opposite leg.
14 Don’t curve your backbone inward when you’re lifting your ankle with
your hands.
If you curve your
backbone inward when you’re lifting your ankle with your hands that might
dislocate the knee or hip of the leg that you’re lifting.
15 Maintain your legs in contact, one touching the other, during all of the
time that you’re lifting your ankle to support it on the upper side of your
opposite leg and during all of the time that you remain seated cross-legged. Maintaining your legs in contact ensures that
you won’t place your ankle too high on the shin or thigh of your opposite leg
or too near to your abdomen.
If you allow your legs to separate from
contact when you’re lifting your ankle or while you’re seated cross-legged your
knee or hip might twist out of joint. Your legs can be
clothed in any natural fiber cloth without interfering with the contact
described here. Cotton or linen clothing
does not interfere with your legs
being in contact.
16 Don’t move your legs in a way that causes a sound to occur in a joint
of your foot, ankle, knee or hip when you’re lifting your ankle with your
hands. A sound occurring in a joint of
your foot, ankle, knee or hip when you're lifting your ankle with
your hands can be a sign of harmful tension or pressure that might cause injury.
If you hear a sound
occurring in a joint of your foot, ankle, knee or hip when you’re lifting your
ankle with your hands release that part of your position from tension or pressure
and place your legs in a
easier position.
17 When you’re lifting your ankle with your hands to support it on the upper
side of your opposite leg -
Your breathing needs to be already free and you need to be already -
Straightening your backbone as well as you can with a small muscular
effort and -
Seated cross-legged with the ends of both of your shins as near as
possible to your knees supported firmly on the ankle and foot of your opposite
leg beneath them and -
Standing your backbone upright and curved or leaned forward far enough
to press the ends of your thighs at your knees downward.
All of these events need to be happening when
you lift your ankle with your hands to support it on the upper side of your
opposite leg.
18 Your ankle should be easy to lift with your hands to support it on
your opposite leg.
Don’t lift your ankle if your ankle is not
easy to lift.
19 Rotate your ankle slightly the upper side forward, lower side backward,
turning the bottom of your foot upward as far as you can without discomfort
when you’re lifting your ankle with your hands. The
bottom of your foot that's rotated will turn partly upward and your toes will
point more toward the side after
you have rotated your ankle slightly the upper side forward, lower side backward.
Don’t cause or tolerate pain or discomfort
when you’re lifting your ankle and rotating it slightly with your hands.
20 Don’t pull your ankle upward onto your opposite leg or inward toward
your abdomen forcefully stretching muscles or ligaments of your leg or hip when
you lift your ankle with your hands.
If you forcefully stretch muscles or ligaments
of your leg or hip when you lift your ankle with your hands the knee of your
leg that’s uppermost will twist out of joint.
21 Don’t lean on your arm or a backrest nor lean backward when you lift
your ankle with your hands.
If you lean on your arm or
a backrest or lean backward when you lift your ankle with your hands the knee
of your leg that’s uppermost will twist out of joint.
22 Don’t push the knee of your leg that’s uppermost down with one hand
when you lift your ankle with your other hand.
If you push the knee of your leg that’s
uppermost down with your hand when you lift your ankle with your other hand
your knee might twist out of joint.
23 You can support either your right or left ankle on the upper side
of your opposite leg, whatever position is more comfortable.
Supporting your right ankle on the upper side of your left leg, causes
the muscles of your left leg and hip, and the back and left side of your body
to exert effort, and progressively integrates and vitalizes both of your legs
and the back and both sides of your body while you remain seated still.
Supporting your left ankle on the upper side of your right leg, causes
the muscles of your right leg and hip, and the back and right side of your body
to exert effort, and progressively integrates and vitalizes both of your legs
and the back and both sides of your body while you remain seated still.
You
don’t need to support both of your ankles in alternation for the positions of
both of your legs to progress toward a more developed cross-legged position.
Supporting your right ankle on the upper side
of your left leg is sufficient for your position to progress toward a more
developed cross-legged position while you remain seated still.
24 You can support your heel on the shin of your opposite leg, if
supporting your heel is more comfortable than supporting your ankle. You might not be able to support your ankle
but you might be able to support your heel on the upper side of your opposite
leg.
You can support your heel on the front of
your opposite shin, and support your toes on the rug or mat, until you can
support your ankle comfortably on that shin.
25 Your ankle should bend sideways only a little, when you support your
heel or ankle on your opposite leg. Your
foot can curve inward toward
the sole as much as your foot is comfortable.
Don’t place any part of your foot inside the
fold of your knee of your opposite leg. That will interfere
with the natural rotation, the upper side forward, lower
side backward, of the end of your shin at your ankle that’s uppermost and will cause
uncomfortable tensions in your leg.
26 Support your heel or ankle as high on the shin or thigh of your
opposite leg and as near to your abdomen as you can support it firmly and
comfortably with only small downward pressure.
If
you support your heel or ankle too high on your opposite leg or too near to your
abdomen, your knee that’s uppermost will twist and sprain.
You
won’t accidentally place your heel or ankle too high on your opposite leg or
too near to your abdomen because the position would be difficult and would not be
comfortable.
You
might be able to support your heel or ankle only low on your opposite leg, and
only a little near to your abdomen, when you’re learning how to be seated in a
developed cross-legged position, and whenever you begin to be seated
cross-legged if you recently rushed or felt hurried, because muscular tensions
in your abdomen might persist and might cause your legs to be tense.
Supporting your heel or ankle as high on the shin
or thigh of your opposite leg and as near to your abdomen as you can support it
with only small downward pressure is sufficient for your position to be firm
and comfortable and to progress toward a more developed cross-legged position.
27 Your heel or ankle should be supported with only small downward
pressure on the upper side of your opposite leg. If
your heel or ankle presses
down hard on the shin of
your opposite leg beneath it that will pry
your knee out of joint and your knee
will separate
and sprain.
If your heel or ankle presses
down hard on the shin or thigh of your opposite leg when you begin to be seated
cross-legged, your heel or ankle won’t press down less after some time has
passed. It’s not beneficial
that your heel or ankle presses down hard on the upper side of your opposite
leg for even a short time.
If
your heel or ankle presses down hard on the shin or thigh of your opposite leg,
support your heel or ankle lower on your opposite leg, or support that ankle and
foot on the rug or mat in a beginner’s cross-legged position.
Don’t support your ankle on the upper side of
your opposite leg, in conditions when you might be surprised by an external
event, because your leg that’s uppermost might become tense impulsively if you
experience intense emotion and your knee might sprain.
28 Maintain the positions of your legs as even or similar as you can during
all of the time that you remain seated still to benefit from the position of
your body. The positions of your legs and both sides of your body
should be as even or similar as possible, the position of each part of one side
of your body resembling the position of the
corresponding part of the other side of your body, as
well as you can maintain those factors of your position comfortably.
Support your ankle that’s
uppermost only a small distance nearer to your abdomen than your ankle that
remains supported on the rug. If you place one
ankle much nearer to your
abdomen than your other ankle when you're seated cross-legged your shin that's much nearer to your
abdomen
will fold inward uncontrollably and
your knee will twist out of joint.
You’ll become able to place your ankle slightly
higher on the upper side of your opposite leg and slightly nearer to your
abdomen as your position progresses toward a completely developed cross-legged
position. The ends
of both of your shins at your ankles rotate minutely, the upper side forward,
lower side backward, and move progressively higher and nearer to your abdomen,
your ankle that’s lower slightly less than your ankle that’s higher, as your
cross-legged position progresses toward a completely developed cross-legged
position.
29 When your legs are crossed in the position that you intend to
maintain still, to ensure that you did not place your ankle too high on your
opposite leg or too near to your abdomen -
Tighten
the muscles inside the fold of your crossed legs for a few seconds to pull your
knees closer together slightly so that your ankle moves slightly higher on the
upper side of your opposite leg; Tighten the muscles inside the fold of
both of your legs at the same time.
Then tighten the muscles
at the outer sides of your legs for a few seconds to move your knees farther
apart slightly, and to rotate the end of your shin at your ankle that’s
uppermost slightly, the upper side forward, lower side backward. Tightening the muscles of
your legs in these ways for a few seconds is sufficient. Don't tighten
the muscles of your legs in these ways for longer than a few seconds each time.
If you did not place the
end of your shin at your ankle too high on your opposite leg or too near to your
abdomen, when you tighten the muscles inside the fold of your crossed legs to
pull your knees closer together, your knees will move closer together slightly
and your ankle will move slightly higher on your opposite leg;
And
when you tighten the muscles at the outer sides of your legs to move your knees
farther apart, your knees will move farther apart slightly and your ankle
that’s supported on your opposite leg will rotate slightly, the upper side
forward, lower side backward. You’ll easily
feel that the positions of your legs are flexible enough to move closer together slightly, even
though your knees might not actually move closer together, when you tighten the muscles
inside the fold of your legs. And you’ll easily feel that the position of your ankle is flexible
enough to move slightly higher on the upper side of your opposite leg, even
though your ankle might not actually
move
higher on your opposite leg when you tighten the muscles
inside the fold of your legs.
If you placed your ankle
too high on your opposite leg or too near to your abdomen, when you tighten the
muscles inside the fold of your crossed legs to pull your knees closer
together, your knees won’t move closer together and your ankle won’t move
higher on the upper side of your opposite leg;
And
when you tighten the muscles at the outer sides of your legs to move your knees
farther apart, your knees won’t move farther apart, and the end of your shin at
your ankle that’s supported on your opposite leg won’t rotate, the upper side
forward, lower side backward.
Then you need to place your ankle slightly
lower on your opposite leg, or farther from your abdomen, or release your legs
from a crossed position and allow your legs to rest for a while.
30 When you have placed your legs and hips in a cross-legged position
that’s as near to a completely developed cross-legged position as you can
experience comfortably in your present physical condition -
Stand your backbone
upright and curved or leaned forward far enough to press the ends of your
thighs at your knees downward firmly; This causes the muscles beneath
your posterior and hips and at the back and sides of your body to exert effort or stretch more
than they exert effort ordinarily to support your position upright, and allows
the muscles at the front of your body to rest more
than they rest ordinarily when you’re supporting your position upright.
Then curve or lean your
backbone toward the side far enough, to press the end of your shin at your knee
downward on the upper side of your opposite leg –between your ankle and heel; Standing your
backbone upright and curved forward slightly and curving your backbone toward
the side where the end of your shin at your
knee is supported on your foot and ankle –between your ankle and heel, balance the positions, muscular
effort and rest of your legs, hips and backbone,
and cause the ends of both of your shins at your ankles
to rotate minutely -the upper side forward, lower side backward,
and ensure that the positions of your
legs will
progress toward a more developed cross-legged position while you remain seated still.
Then align your
shoulders, arms, hands and head with the position of your backbone as well as
you can. Chapter 1 describes how to align your
shoulders, arms, hands and head with the position of
your backbone in the context of the main concerns of simple yoga and Chapter 9 describes how
to align those parts of your position in detail.
31 Maintain the position of your body still within one or two minutes from
the time that you begin to place your body in a position to remain seated
still. Your sincere intention
to be seated in a beneficial position does not overrule the warning that you
should not take longer than one or two minutes to place your body in the
position that you intend to hold still.
If you take a longer than
one or two minutes to place your body in the position that you intend to hold
still your breathing won’t be free and you won’t be able to straighten your
backbone with a small muscular effort and the position that you hold still won’t
be beneficial.
32 The third sense of progress described here is a series of
beneficial changes that can occur in the position, muscular effort and rest of
your body when you’re seated in a cross-legged position that’s as near to a
completely developed cross-legged position as you can experience comfortably in
your present physical condition and supporting your ankle on the upper side of
your opposite leg as described previously. The developments that are described in the
preceding sections of this chapter accumulate and develop further in the
experiences that are described here.
33 Standing your backbone upright and curved or leaned forward slightly -
Causes the muscles beneath your thighs and hips and at the back of all
the levels of your backbone to exert more effort or stretch to support your
body upright than they exert ordinarily and -
Causes the ends of your thighs at your knees to press downward so that
more of your weight is supported beneath the ends of your shins at your knees
and -
Allows the muscles at the front of your body and at the upper sides of
your thighs and shins to rest.
The
ends of both of your shins at your ankles rotate minutely, the upper side
forward, lower side backward –
And
move upward slightly toward your abdomen.
The muscles of your abdomen and chest rest
more than they rest ordinarily when you’re supporting your body upright and
your breathing is more free and thorough than your breathing can be when you’re
standing, walking or seated on a chair.
34 Additionally curving or leaning toward the side where the end of your shin
at your knee is supported on the partly upturned foot of your opposite leg -
Causes the end of your shin at that knee to press downward more firmly
on the partly upturned foot of your opposite leg.
The
end of your shin at your ankle presses downward less on the upper side of your opposite
leg, and rotates more the upper side forward, lower side backward -
And
folds inward farther and upward nearer to your abdomen.
In time
you’ll be able to lift the end of your shin at your ankle with your hands and
place it comfortably higher on the upper side of your opposite leg and nearer
to your abdomen.
35
Maintaining a beneficial cross-legged position, supporting your ankle on
the upper side of your opposite leg, distributes the effort and rest in the muscles
that support your body and induces your legs and hips to progress toward a more
developed cross-legged position while you remain seated still. You experience these
motions of your legs and hips naturally when you support the ends of your shins at your
knees on the upper side of the ankle and foot of
your opposite leg beneath them in a beginner’s cross-legged position.
And you can induce these motions of your legs and hips to progress to a more developed
cross-legged position when you support your ankle on the upper
side of your opposite leg as described in this chapter.
When
you practice a series of sessions of remaining seated still, supporting your
ankle slightly higher on the upper side of your opposite leg and slightly
nearer to your abdomen, you can experience a progression of more integrated
positions. When you practice simple yoga as described in
this chapter for at least several minutes nearly every day for several months
you can experience this progression of developments of your cross-legged
position.
In time you’ll become
able to support both of your partly upturned feet comfortably on the upper side
of your opposite leg beneath them in a completely developed cross-legged
position. You can remain still and alert nearly
effortlessly and for a relatively long time when you’re seated in a completely
developed cross-legged position.