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 that’s described here is founded on being seated in a
beginner’s cross-legged position as described in Chapter 1. The
flexibility and strength that you develop in your legs, hips and backbone while
you’re seated in a beginner’s cross-legged position prepare you to support your
ankle on the upper side of your opposite leg beneath it. When you practice
simple yoga in a beginner’s cross-legged position for at least a few minutes
nearly every day for several weeks or months 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 that’s described 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.
A completely developed cross-legged position
is being seated with your posterior (hips and the ends of your thighs at your
hips) supported firmly, your legs are crossed and supported firmly beneath your
knees and your feet are supported on the upper side of the shin or thigh of
your opposite leg as near to your abdomen as you can support them comfortably.
Your hips might be flexible and strong enough
already so that you can support your ankle on the upper side of your opposite
leg as described in this chapter with needing to learn or think about a method. You will experience the stages of
development of your physical position that are described in this chapter as
your position develops naturally to become a completely developed cross-legged
position whether you follow a method or not.
Progress in being seated in a cross-legged position is not measured by
how high on the shin or thigh of your opposite leg or how near to your abdomen
you can support one or both of your ankles.
Don’t imagine that you need to support
your ankle on the upper side of the shin or thigh of your opposite leg as soon
as you can.
You
cannot be seated in a beneficial cross-legged position by supporting your ankle
on the upper side of your opposite leg. Supporting
your ankle on the upper side of the shin or thigh of your opposite leg won’t
help you to experience more of the benefits of a cross-legged position nor help
your position to develop more quickly.
Don’t support your ankle on the upper side of
the shin or thigh 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.
2 When you were seated in a beginner’s cross-legged position you
supported your posterior (hips and the ends of your thighs at your hips) seated
at the same level as your knees –
Or you supported your posterior on a firm
cushion or pile of folded cloth elevated higher than your knees.
To
be seated in a cross-legged position supporting your ankle on the upper side of
your opposite leg you need to support your posterior elevated higher than your
knees.
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.
If your posterior is not elevated higher than your knees the
end of your shin at your knee of your leg that’s uppermost won’t press down
firmly on your ankle and foot beneath it -
And the knee of your leg that’s uppermost
might separate and sprain.
3 When your posterior is supported at the same level as your knees, to
support your ankle of the upper side of your opposite leg -
First place your ankle on the upper side of your opposite leg with your
hands -
Then support most of your weight on your arm
to raise your body up far enough to place a firm cushion or a low pile of
folded cloth beneath your posterior, holding your arm straight to support your
body until you can sit back down on the firm cushion or pile of folded cloth
with your posterior elevated higher than your knees.
4 When your posterior is already elevated higher than the rug or mat
beneath your body, to support your ankle on the upper side of your opposite leg
-
Place your ankle on the upper side of your opposite leg with your hands
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 support most of your weight on your arm to
raise your body up far enough to place the cushion or pile of folded cloth
beneath your posterior again, holding your arm straight to support your body -
Then sit back down on the firm cushion or
pile of folded cloth with your posterior elevated higher than your knees.
5 Don’t support your posterior elevated excessively high compared to
the level of your knees. If you support your posterior elevated
excessively high compared to the level of your knees 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.
Don’t curve your backbone inward while you’re lifting your ankle with
your hands. If you curve your backbone inward while
you’re lifting your ankle with your hands that might dislocate the joint of the
knee or hip of the leg that you’re lifting.
6 While you’re actually 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 you need to
be already -
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 you need to be already -
Standing your backbone upright and curved or leaned forward far enough
to press the ends of your thighs at your knees downward firmly on the upper
side of your ankles and feet beneath them.
All of these events need to be happening at
the same time that you’re lifting your ankle with your hands to support it on
the upper side of the ankle and foot of your opposite leg beneath it.
7 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.
When you support your ankle on the upper side of your opposite leg, 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 -
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.
8 When you’re supporting 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.
When you’re supporting your ankle on the upper
side of your opposite leg 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.
9 Before you lift your ankle with your hands to support it on your
opposite leg -
Curve or lean forward as far as you need to press the ends of your shins
at your knees downward firmly -
Then curve or lean toward the side as far as you need to press
the end of your shin at your knee downward 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.
You might need to curve or lean forward far to press
the end of your shin at your knee downward firmly enough to lift your ankle with your hands without
causing any harmful tensions in the knee or hip of your leg that will be
uppermost.
10 Maintain your legs in contact, one touching the other, during all of the
time that you’re lifting your ankle with your hands 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 helps to
ensure 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 while you’re lifting your ankle or while you’re seated cross-legged the
joint of your knee or hip of the leg that you’re lifting might twist out of
joint.
11 While you’re lifting your ankle with your hands don’t move your legs
in any way that causes a sound to occur in the joint of your foot, ankle, knee
or hip of the leg that you’re lifting. A sound occurring in the joint
of your foot, ankle, knee or hip of the leg that you’re lifting with your
hands might be a sign of harmful tension or pressure that might cause injury.
If you hear a sound
occurring in the joint of your foot, ankle, knee or hip while you’re lifting
your ankle with your hands release that part of your position from tension or
pressure and place your legs in an easier position.
12 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.
13 While you’re lifting your ankle with your hands 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. 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 with your hands.
Don’t cause or tolerate pain or discomfort
while you’re lifting your ankle and rotating it slightly with your hands.
14 Don’t pull your ankle upward excessively high onto your opposite
thigh, or excessively far inward toward your abdomen, forcing the joint or
stretching the ligaments of your leg or hip while you’re lifting your ankle
with your hands.
If you force the joint or stretch the
ligaments of your leg or hip while you’re lifting your ankle with your hands
the knee or hip of that leg might twist out of joint.
15 Don’t lean on your arm nor a backrest nor lean backward while you’re
lifting your ankle with your hands.
If you lean on your arm
or lean on a backrest or lean backward while you’re lifting your ankle with
your hands the knee or hip of the leg that you’re lifting might twist out of
joint.
Don’t push the knee of your leg that’s uppermost downward with your hand
while you’re lifting your ankle with your other hand.
If you push the knee of your leg that’s
uppermost downward with your hand while you’re lifting your ankle with your
other hand the knee or hip of the leg that you’re lifting might twist out of
joint.
16 You can support either your right or left ankle on the upper side
of the shin or thigh of your opposite leg, whatever position is more
comfortable.
Supporting your right ankle on the upper side of the shin or thigh 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 the shin or thigh 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 the shin or thigh of your left leg is sufficient for your position to
progress toward a more developed cross-legged position while you remain seated
still.
17 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.
18 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 curving your foot inward is comfortable.
Don’t place any part of your foot that’s
uppermost inside the fold of the 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 that leg.
19 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
the shin or thigh of your opposite leg or too near your abdomen the knee or hip
of that leg might twist out of joint.
You
won’t accidentally place your heel or ankle too high on the shin or thigh of
your opposite leg or too near your abdomen because that extreme not be compatible
with simple yoga and would immediately cause excessive tensions in your abdomen
and legs.
You
might be able to support your heel or ankle only low on the shin or thigh of
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.
20 Your heel or ankle should be supported with only small downward
pressure on the shin or thigh of your opposite leg. If
your heel or ankle presses
down hard on the shin or thigh of
your opposite leg beneath it that might pry
the knee or hip of your uppermost leg out of
joint.
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
then 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 when you
experience a sudden emotion and the knee of that leg might sprain.
21 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
might fold inward uncontrollably and
your knee might 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 will rotate minutely, the upper side
forward, lower side backward, the ankle that’s lower slightly less than the
ankle that higher, and you’ll become able to place your ankle progressively
higher on the shin or thigh of your opposite leg, and progressively nearer to
your abdomen as your cross-legged position progresses toward a completely
developed cross-legged position.
22 When you have placed your legs in the position that you intend to
maintain still, to ensure that your ankle is not too high on your opposite leg
or too near to your abdomen -
Tighten the muscles inside the fold of both of your legs for a few
seconds to pull your knees closer together far enough so that your ankle moves
slightly higher on the upper side of your opposite leg -
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 minutely, 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.
If your ankle is not too
high on your opposite leg or too near to your abdomen then 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 the shin or thigh 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 will move farther apart slightly and your ankle that’s
supported on the shin or thigh of your opposite leg will rotate minutely, the
upper side forward, lower side backward.
You can 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 can easily feel that the position of your ankle is
flexible enough to move slightly higher on the shin or thigh of your opposite
leg even though your ankle might not actually
move
higher on the shin or thigh of 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
shin or thigh 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 the shin or thigh of your opposite leg won’t
rotate minutely, 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 remove your ankle
from being supported on the upper side of the shin or thigh of your opposite
leg and place your legs in a beginner’s cross-legged position with the ends of
your shins as near as possible to your knees supported firmly on the upper side
of your ankles and feet beneath them.
23 When you have placed your legs and hips in the best cross-legged
position that you can -
Stand your backbone upright
and curved or leaned forward far enough to press the ends of your thighs at
your knees downward firmly -
Then curve or lean your
backbone toward the side far enough to press the end of your shin as near as
possible to your knee downward firmly on the upper side of your opposite leg
–between your ankle and heel -
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. Chapter 9 is a detailed
description of a beneficial position
of your shoulders, arms, hands and head.
24 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 should not
overrule the caution 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.
25 The following describes a series of beneficial changes that can
occur in the position, muscular effort and rest of your legs, hips and backbone
while you remain seated still in a beneficial cross-legged position supporting
your heel or ankle on the shin or thigh of your opposite leg as described
previously. The developments that were described in the
preceding parts of this chapter develop further in the following experiences.
Standing your backbone upright and curved or leaned forward far enough
to press the ends of your thighs at your knees downward firmly -
Causes the muscles beneath your thighs and posterior and at the sides
and back of your body to exert more effort or stretch to support your position
upright than they exert ordinarily and -
Allows the muscles of your abdomen and chest
to rest more than they rest when you support your position upright ordinarily
and -
Your breathing is more free and thorough than
your breathing can be when you’re standing, walking or seated on a chair.
26 Standing your backbone upright and curved or leaned forward far enough
to press the ends of your thighs at your knees downward firmly also -
Causes more of your weight to be supported beneath the ends of your
shins at your knees and -
Allows the muscles 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.
27 Additionally curving or leaning toward the side where the end of your shin
as near as possible to your knee is supported on the partly upturned foot
–between the ankle and heel- of your opposite leg -
Causes the end of your shin at that knee to press downward more firmly
on the ankle and heel of your opposite leg beneath it.
The
end of your shin at your ankle presses downward less on your ankle and foot and
rotates more, the upper side forward, lower side backward -
And folds inward slightly farther and moves
upward slightly nearer to your abdomen.
28 The combined positions, muscular effort and rest of your legs, hips
and backbone balance the uneven condition of one of your ankles being supported
on the shin or thigh of your opposite leg beneath it and curving or leaning
toward one side and ensure that the position of your legs will progress toward
a more developed cross-legged position while you remain seated still.
In time you’ll become able to lift your ankle
with your hands and place it comfortably slightly higher on the upper side of
your opposite leg and slightly nearer to your abdomen.
29 Maintaining a beneficial cross-legged position, supporting your ankle on the
shin or thigh of your opposite leg beneath it, distributes the effort and rest
in the muscles that support your body as beneficially as when you were seated
in a beginner’s cross-legged position 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 as near as
possible to 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 shin or thigh of your opposite leg
beneath it and slightly nearer to your abdomen you can experience a progression
of more integrated positions that you can perceive and control as easily as the
preceding positions. When you practice simple yoga as described in
this chapter for at least several minutes nearly every day for several weeks or
months you will 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. When you’re seated in a completely developed
cross-legged position you can remain still and alert nearly
effortlessly for a relatively long time.
Because the main concerns of simple yoga are inherent and
mutually supporting you can experience improvements in the positions of your legs,
hips and backbone sooner than physical improvements occur ordinarily.