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🧘 Seated

Ardha Padmasana

Half Lotus

Difficulty★★★☆☆

TierIntermediate

SEGA Tariff5.0

Hold Time20s

SEGA AI Scoring Specification

Reference IDASANA-STD-166

Difficulty Tier3 of 5

SEGA Tariff Score5.0

Required Hold20 seconds

CategorySeated

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Properties

What kind of pose this is

A grounded floor posture. Seated work is the traditional base for pranayama and meditation, and trains the spine to hold itself without a chair back.

Hold: Hold for about 20 seconds. Beginners should build up to this rather than starting there; come out early if the breath becomes ragged.

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Preparation

How to do Half Lotus

Sit on the front edge of a folded blanket or block so the hips are above the knees.
Find the sitting bones and let the weight settle evenly onto both.
Stack the ribcage over the pelvis and the head over the ribcage.
Let the shoulders release down the back; the chin stays level.
Set the legs into the shape without forcing the knees toward the floor.
Hold with easy breathing; change sides or come out before the legs go numb.
An intermediate shape. Do not attempt it cold, and do not attempt it on a day the body is already fatigued.

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Musculature

Which part of the body works

Primary musclesSpinal erectors, deep core, hip external rotators, adductors

Supporting musclesHamstrings, gluteals, neck stabilisers

Joints loadedHip, knee and ankle in sustained position; spine in neutral

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Health benefits

What this pose is for

Builds the postural endurance needed to sit upright without support
Prepares the body for pranayama and meditation
Improves hip and ankle mobility over time
Lowers arousal — seated grounded postures are reliably calming
Siddha / Varma note: Traditional Siddha-Varma links stable seated postures with the spinal and pelvic energy lines; traditional context only, not medical guidance.

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Contraindications

Who should not practise this

Do not practise Half Lotus if:

you have a knee meniscus or ligament injury — never force cross-legged or kneeling positions
you have had a hip or knee replacement without clearance; deep flexion is commonly restricted
you have acute sciatica that sitting makes worse — practise standing or lying instead
your feet go numb — that is a signal to stop, not something to sit through

Clinical contraindications

Knee injury or meniscus damage in cross-legged positions
Recent hip or knee replacement
Acute sciatica aggravated by sitting
Ankle injury for kneeling variants

Side effects & what people commonly feel

Pins and needles or numbness in the feet — come out and move
Knee strain if the hips are tight and the knees take the rotation
Low-back fatigue in the early weeks, which resolves with practice

Applies to every pose on this site. Never practise into sharp, shooting or joint-line pain — muscular stretch is acceptable, joint pain is not. If you are pregnant, recovering from surgery or illness, or managing any diagnosed condition, get clearance from your doctor or physiotherapist before beginning, and tell your teacher. Post-surgical timelines given here are typical guidance only — your own surgeon's instruction always overrides them.

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Functional Biomechanics

The mechanics of the pose

One-foot lotus seat with balanced hip rotation and neutral spine.

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SEGA AI Judge System

How the AI scores this pose

The SEGA AI Judge System uses a movement-responsive scanning engine — the scoring window opens the moment the system detects the athlete entering the posture, not on an arbitrary countdown. For Half Lotus, the scanning trigger works as follows:

▸ AI Scanning Trigger — Reference ASANA-STD-166

Scoring initialises in the settled seat; the AI tracks spinal verticality, pelvic neutrality and symmetry.

Once the trigger fires, the AI evaluates Execution (form geometry), Stability (centre-of-gravity control across the 20-second hold) and Difficulty (multiplied by the SEGA Tariff of 5.0) to produce the final score. The full tamper-evident record is written to the SEGA World Ranking archive.

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Heritage Medicine · Siddha & Varma

Which vital points this pose activates

Master Segar’s Siddha lineage teaches that every asana affects specific vital points and energy pathways in the body. This is the traditional understanding of Half Lotus according to Varma Kalai and Siddha medicine.

Vital Point Stimulation

Traditional Siddha-Varma links stable seated postures with the spinal and pelvic energy lines; traditional context only, not medical guidance.

This is a wellness description drawn from the Siddha tradition. It is not a medical claim. For clinical guidance please consult a registered healthcare professional or Prof. Master Segar Guru — a registered Siddha practitioner.

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Safety Protocol

Practise safely

Critical Safety Note

Sit tall on the sit bones; use a lift under the hips if the low back rounds. Ease knee-loading postures with any knee injury.

All asanas should be practised with breath awareness, gradual progression, and — where possible — under the guidance of a qualified teacher. If you have any injury, medical condition, are pregnant, or are new to yoga, please consult a qualified instructor before attempting this pose.

Master this asana with expert guidance

Learn Ardha Padmasana under Master Segar’s direct instruction at the Sentul studio in Kuala Lumpur, or with our state partners in Perak and Negeri Sembilan.

See class schedules → ← Back to Asana Index

Important note. The SEGA Asana Index is an educational reference for the SEGA AI Judge System scoring criteria and traditional Siddha-Varma understanding. It is not a substitute for in-person instruction. All asana descriptions are educational; consult a qualified yoga teacher and, for medical guidance, a registered healthcare professional or Prof. Master Segar Guru — a registered Siddha practitioner.