Sthiram Sukham Asanam, also known as the Sthira Sukham Aasan, literally translates as the still or unmoving, happy or contented position. Many yoga experts and practitioners interpret the Sthiram Sukham Asanam to denote the physical position most conducive to meditation or dhyaan. Not only is this position the ideal one for meditation, over time it improves one’s posture and could help in strengthening the back muscles while improving one’s ability to sit comfortably on the ground for longer periods.
What is Sthira Sukham Asanam?
We can say that there is no one specific yoga position that constitutes Sthira Sukham Asanam. This is any position that makes the body steady and comfortable; any position that centres the body and facilitates concentration of the mind and hence meditation. Since meditation aims at freeing the mind of petty preoccupations and the centering of the conscious mind, you want to be able to sit in a position that is both steady and comfortable. So it becomes important that you remove physical stress and tension.
You want that there should be no physical discomforts distracting you and no pain or uneasiness impinging upon the process of meditation which ultimately aims at helping you merge your attention with the infinite. And that is why it is recommended that you find your own Sthiram Sukham Asanam; any position that permits you to sit in a comfortable and motionless manner; a position where you are comfortable enough that you will not fidget or move to reposition your limbs while still letting you remain steady and motionless. In other words the aasan should be any that will cause you the least amount of distractions; it is effortlessness that you need to aim for.
Suggested positions for the Sthira Sukham Asanam
The idea is that you find your own Sthiram Sukham Asanam. To the extent possible, sit on the ground to maintain contact with the earth and then find the position that works best to help you calm and concentrate your mind. There should be no pain or discomfort. Your spine should be in an erect and elongated position, your shoulders relaxed and your hands resting comfortably.
While the Lotus Pose or Padmasana is the seated pose that many would and do recommend, I find that some of my students are not fully comfortable in this position. Many people are unable to remain in this position for long periods without pain or discomfort, and the desire to change positions and to stretch or re-cross the legs could be very distracting. So while Padmasana may be the recommended Sthiram Sukham Asanam for many, it may not be so for others.
A simple seated pose may work as well for many – what we call ‘aalti-paalti’ or Sukhasana; in fact this is the pose most recommended for beginners. For aged people or those with reduced mobility, a chair or a thick cushion can also be used to sit on.
Virasana or the hero pose is another suggested pose where the practitioner can create a nice stretch for the leg muscles while also concentrating the mind in meditation. Bhadrasan is another wonderful pose that helps stretch not only your leg muscles but also your pelvic muscles and which can help tone the muscles in that area. The pose requires you to sit with your knees pointing out and the soles of your feet joined together; stretching the ligaments in the pelvic area.
Other recommended poses for Sthira Sukham Asanam are the Dandasan (legs stretched out with ankles together) or something more advanced such as the Paryanka aasan that requires the legs to be folded below or at the side of the buttocks while arching the spine along the ground with the arms outstretched.
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