We must remind ourselves time and again — that is, if we are conscious of the need to maintain good health — that we must sit and walk erect. But too often this resolution is forgotten in everyday work and worries.

Our backbone has a big say in the condition of the body. To be always erect means to have the backbone healthy and supple and the chest broad. The spinal cord carries all the main nerves from the brain to the various parts of the body. It is like a highway or a telephone exchange with very heavy traffic. Suppose a highway or a telephone exchange is clogged and jammed, traffic comes to a grinding halt or the telephone calls reach the wrong parties, if at all.

If the spinal cord and the nerves running through it are not healthy and supple, orders from the brain do not reach the different parts of the body smoothly and quickly, and there will be confusion and worse.
Similar is the need to have a broad chest. We can live without food and water for some days. But how long can we stay alive without air? The lungs will ache and cry out for air. If the chest is not broad or if we have a permanent stoop, the lungs do not get the proper supply of the oxygen needed to keep the body healthy. The blood will get saturated with carbon dioxide if oxygen is not injected into it in plenty. This in turn will affect health.

How can we keep the spinal cord erect and the chest broad? Padmasana does it; it acts as the traffic policeman, the telephone operator and the oxygen supplier, all in one, keeping things in order in the body.
How to do : Sit on the floor and stretch out both legs. Fold the right leg and place it on the left thigh, with the heel pressing into the left of the abdomen. Similarly, place the left leg on the right thigh, the heel pressing into the right part of the abdomen.

Sit erect with the shoulders thrown back and the hands placed comfortably on the knees. Breathe deeply.
In the initial stages, naturally there will be some pain in the thighs and legs not accustomed to this kind of "rough" treatment of bending and stretching of muscles, joints and nerves. But soon you will find the pose so comfortable that you may prefer to be in this pose whenever you sit down for any purpose.
You may sit in this pose as long as you feel comfortable in it, This is also the best pose for doing Pranayama (breathing exercises)

Benefits : You may have noticed the stalk of a lotus; supple yet strong enough to hold the heavy flower above the water level. Padmasana, or the lotus pose, keeps the vertebral column erect, healthy and flexible like the lotus stalk. Maybe that is why this name for the pose. Another reason given is that the knees in the pose resemble the petals of a lotus.

The pose massages the abdominal region as the heels press against it and stretches the nerves and muscles, removing stomach ailments like acidity, gas, etc. Thus, it increases the appetite.
It also strengthens the legs, pulling the nerves, muscles and bones taut, thereby massaging them thoroughly. As we grow older, our spine loses its tone and becomes less and less flexible because of calcification. Padmasana and other poses ensure that the ligaments do not stiffen; they delay the onset of old age.

By keeping the backbone erect and the diaphragm in position and active, the lungs are filled with life-giving, oxygen-rich air. Every nook and corner of them are "aired" and the musty, polluted air is driven out. While destroying the hidden bacteria, the oxygen also freshens the blood, thus bringing all-round benefit to the body. The blood floods the lumbar region.

The pose chases away the blues and brings new energy to the practitioner as the nerves are invigorated and enlivened. The mind is kept alert and attentive.

All persons, sick and healthy, young and old, men and women, can practise this pose to their great advantage.

Note: Pregnant women may continue practice up to eight months.