Easy pose, or sukhasana, is another pose that gets overlooked, much like the first pose in this breakdown series, mountain pose (tadasana). Just because something is simple does not mean it’s not important, useful, or helpful. If you have ever attended elementary school, and you’ve been told to sit “Indian style” or “criss-cross applesauce”, then you already know the basics of easy pose. Don’t be fooled by the name, however, easy pose can still be quite challenging for some of us.

1) Sit on the floor knees bent and bring both feet in towards the groin. One foot will be under the knee of the opposite leg and the other foot will be under the calf of the opposite leg. (If the hips or back are painful or tight, place a folded up blanket or a cushion under your bottom to raise it up a bit. This relieves pressure in hips and low back.)

2) Align the shoulders above the hips (no leaning forward or backwards) roll the shoulders back, pulling the shoulder blades down towards the ground, and straighten the spine. Slightly engaging the core muscles and tucking the pelvis upward a bit will help to keep things aligned.

3) Chin parallel to the floor: don’t look up, don’t look down. Slide the head back, keeping the chin parallel to the floor. (think of the back side of your head going further back, not the top of your head going back) Doing this helps to elongate the top of your spine in your neck.

4) Place the hands on the knees. Palms can be facing up or down. Or, if you’d like, bring the hands together at the chest, palms touching. (“praying hands”)

Sukhasana is a perfect foundational pose to get into for breathwork or meditation. It helps with strengthening the muscles used to maintain good posture and can lower stress levels drastically. It is also the foundational pose for other poses such as adept’s pose (siddhasana) and lotus pose (padmasana).

So go ahead, take a few minutes, try out easy pose, and see what this relaxing pose can do for you!