The lotus pose (Padmasana) is a yoga position that promotes meditation, helps to calm the mind, and reduces several physical ailments. However, knees pain in the meditation posture is very typical among yoga practitioners.

Lotus Pose is a classic asana quite challenging to do, but we can start slowly. The key is to do other poses that help to make the hip and legs more flexible. For correct execution, it is crucial to prepare the body with adequate sequences that extend and bend the knees to exercise all their ligaments and tendons.

Additionally, knee pain in the meditation posture often indicates a lack of flexibility in the hips. Therefore it is also necessary to gain rotational capacity in the hips and extension in the thighs, as well as strength in the outer faces of the calves and ankles.

Keep in mind that preheated muscles are more flexible than cold muscles. Before doing the lotus posture, start with low-intensity cardio and leg warm-up exercises, such as a pleasant walk or yoga poses that elongate the muscles involved in the lotus pose.

Hip opening exercises, such as Baddha Konasana, Virasana or Janu Shirshasana are great to do before the lotus pose, this way the pelvis will gain the ability to turn the thighs from the inside out, which will allow a more appropriate placement of the knees for Padmasana.

My recommendation is always that you better go slowly. Start by sitting in the cross-legged position, with both legs on the floor, then go through the half-lotus and, only when you feel comfortable, start with the lotus position. Generally, we know that it is time to make the lotus position after we have acquired sufficient practice with the half-lotus.

Finally, if you want to meditate it is not essential to sit in the lotus pose, you can look for a modification that you find comfortable to avoid pain and compression in the knees at all costs. You can start by using a pillow so that when you are in the posture, your hips are higher than your knees. Also, you can do brief meditation “sits” (10 minutes or less) and, as your knees don’t bother you, extend the duration of the posture.

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