Vajrasana (yoga)

Kneeling asana in modern yoga, a meditation asana in hatha yoga

This article is about the asana. For Vajrasana monastery, see Bodh Gaya. For the throne, see Diamond throne.

Vajrasana

Vajrasana (Sanskrit: वज्रासन, romanized: vajrāsana), Thunderbolt Pose, or Diamond Pose,[1][2] is a kneeling asana in hatha yoga and modern yoga as exercise. Ancient texts describe a variety of poses under this name.

## Etymology and origins[edit]

A Tibetan vajra

The name comes from the Sanskrit words vajra, a weapon whose name means "thunderbolt" or "diamond",[1] and asana (आसन, āsana) meaning "posture" or "seat".[3]

The name Vajrasana denotes a medieval meditation seat, but its usage varied. The 15th century Hatha Yoga Pradipika called it a synonym of Siddhasana, where one of the heels presses the root of the penis; according to Yoga-Mimamsa III.2 p. 135, this explains the reference to the vajra weapon.[4]

The 17th century Gheranda Samhita 2.12 describes what Light on Yoga calls Virasana, with the feet beside the buttocks, while in other texts Vajrasana appears to mean the modern kneeling-down position, with the buttocks resting on the feet.[4] The yoga scholar Norman Sjoman notes that Light on Yoga is unclear here, as its account of Laghuvajrasana[5] has the knees and feet together, but it does not describe the basic Vajrasana.[4]

## Description[edit]

Side view, showing the heels and feet

The practitioner sits on the heels with the calves beneath the thighs. There is a four finger gap between the kneecaps, and the first toe of both the feet touch each other and sit erect.

## Variations[edit]

The reclining form of the pose, used in Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga,[6] is Supta Vajrasana.[7]

Laghuvajrasana, an advanced pose in Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga and Iyengar Yoga, has the thighs raised halfway from the sitting position, the crown of the head on the floor and the hands grasping the ankles.[8]

## Possible contraindications[edit]

Some orthopaedic surgeons claim Vajrasana may be harmful to knees.[9]

The pose has been linked to damage to the common fibular nerve resulting in foot drop, where dorsiflexion of the foot is compromised and the foot drags (the toe points) during walking; and in sensory loss to the surface of the foot and portions of the anterior, lower-lateral leg. In this context, one doctor has called it "yoga foot drop".[10][11]

## See also[edit]

* List of asanas
* Seiza – Japanese traditional formal sitting posture
* Virasana – another kneeling asana, the name once also used for a cross-legged meditation asana

## References[edit]

1. ^ a b Budilovsky, Joan; Adamson, Eve (2000). The complete idiot's guide to yoga (2 ed.). Penguin. p. 203\. ISBN 978-0-02-863970-3.
2. ^ Rountree, Sage (12 April 2017) [2012]. "Find Comfort in Sitting". Yoga Journal.
3. ^ Sinha, S. C. (1 June 1996). Dictionary of Philosophy. Anmol Publications. p. 18\. ISBN 978-81-7041-293-9.
4. ^ a b c Sjoman, Norman E. (1999) [1996]. The Yoga Tradition of the Mysore Palace. Abhinav Publications. p. 79\. ISBN 978-81-7017-389-2.
5. ^ Iyengar, B. K. S. (1979) [1966]. Light on Yoga: Yoga Dipika. Thorsons. pp. 372–373. ISBN 978-1855381667.
6. ^ "Supta Vajrasana". Ashtanga Yoga. Retrieved 5 July 2019.
7. ^ "Rocket's Taking Off". The Washington Post. Retrieved 10 March 2020.
8. ^ "Laghu-Vajrasana". Ashtanga Yoga. Retrieved 5 July 2019.
9. ^ Nelson, Dean (23 December 2010). "Yoga bad for your knees, Indian doctor warns". Telegraph. Retrieved 11 April 2011. "Many yoga gurus had suffered knee and joint problems from performing the 'vajrasana' posture [...]"
10. ^ Chusid, Joseph (9 August 1971). "Yoga Foot Drop". Journal of the American Medical Association. 271 (6): 827–828. doi:10.1001/jama.1971.03190060065025.
11. ^ Broad, William J. (5 January 2012). "How Yoga Can Wreck Your Body". The New York Times Magazine. Retrieved 29 August 2012.

* v
* t
* e

Asanas

Asana • Kriya • Mudra • Drishti • Pranayama • Sun Salutation • Vinyasa • Yoga as exercise • Yoga as therapy • Hatha yoga • Yoga

Backbends|

* Anjaneyasana (crescent moon)
* Bidalasana (cat)/Bitilasana (cow)
* Bhujangasana (cobra)
* Chakrasana (wheel) or Urdhva Dhanurasana (upward bow)
* Viparita Dandasana (inverted staff)
* Kapotasana (pigeon)
* Eka Pada Rajakapotasana (king pigeon)
* Ushtrasana (camel)

Arm balances|

* Ashtavakrasana (8-angled)
* Bakasana (crane) or Kakasana (crow)
* Koundinyasana (the sage Kaundinya)
* Kukkutasana (cockerel)
* Mayurasana (peacock)
* Tittibhasana (firefly)

Inverted|

* Adho Mukha Svanasana (downward dog)
* Adho Mukha Vrkshasana (handstand)
* Halasana (plough)
* Sarvangasana (shoulderstand)
* Setu Bandha Sarvangasana (bridge)
* Shirshasana (headstand)
* Viparita Karani (legs up the wall)
* Vrischikasana (scorpion)

Reclining|

* Anantasana (Vishnu's couch)
* Ashtanga Namaskara (eight-limbed)
* Bhekasana (frog)
* Chaturanga Dandasana (low plank)
* Dhanurasana (bow)
* Jathara Parivartanasana (belly twist)
* Makarasana (crocodile)
* Matsyasana (fish)
* Shalabhasana (locust)
* Shavasana (corpse)
* Vasishtasana (side plank)
* Yoganidrasana (yogic sleep)

Sitting|

| Meditation|

* Baddha Konasana (cobbler)
* Gomukhasana (cow face)
* Gorakshasana (cowherd)
* Padmasana (lotus)
* Siddhasana (accomplished)
* Simhasana (lion)
* Vajrasana (thunderbolt)

|

Twists|

* Bharadvajasana (the sage Bharadvaja)
* Marichyasana (the sage Marichi)
* Matsyendrasana (the sage Matsyendra, lord of the fishes)
* Pashasana (noose)

Other|

* Akarna Dhanurasana (shooting bow)
* Balasana (child)
* Garbha Pindasana (embryo in womb)
* Hanumanasana (monkey)
* Kraunchasana (heron)
* Kurmasana (tortoise)
* Malasana (garland)
* Mandukasana (frog)
* Mulabandhasana (root lock)
* Navasana (boat)
* Paschimottanasana (seated forward bend)
* Samakonasana (split)
* Virasana (hero)

Standing|

| Both legs|

* Parighasana (gate)
* Parshvottanasana (intense side stretch)
* Prasarita Padottanasana (wide stance forward bend)
* Tadasana (mountain)
* Trikonasana (triangle)
* Utkatasana (powerful)
* Uttanasana (standing forward bend)
* Utthita Parshvakonasana (sideways)
* Virabhadrasana (warrior)

|

One leg|

* Ardha Chandrasana (half moon)
* Durvasasana (the sage Durvasa)
* Garudasana (eagle)
* Natarajasana (lord of the dance)
* Utthita Padangusthasana (standing big toe hold)
* Vrikshasana (tree)

* v
* t
* e

Yoga as exercise

Topics|

| Asanas|

* List of asanas
* Standing asanas
* Downward dog
* Lotus position
* Meditation seats
* Sun Salutation
* Tree pose
* Warrior
* Accompaniments
* Drishti
* Pranayama
* Vinyāsa
* Hasta Vinyasas

|

Teacher training|

* Standards
* British Wheel of Yoga
* European Union of Yoga
* André Van Lysebeth
* Yoga Alliance

Therapy|

* Yoga using props
* 1979 Accessible yoga
* 2002 Trauma-sensitive yoga
* 2007 Restorative Yoga
* 2008 Yoga nidra
* International Association of Yoga Therapists • Richard Miller
* Janice Gates

Events|

* Competitive yoga
* International Day of Yoga

Journals|

* Asana Journal
* Yoga Journal

Props|

* Yoga brick
* Yoga mat
* Angela Farmer
* Hugger Mugger
* Yoga pants
* Lululemon

History|

| Early|

* Early modern yoga
* Vivekananda
* 1896 Raja Yoga
* Pierre Bernard
* Harmonial gymnastics/yoga
* Marguerite Agniel
* Mary Bagot Stack
* Genevieve Stebbins
* Physical culture
* B. C. Ghosh
* K. V. Iyer
* Seetharaman Sundaram
* Paramahansa Yogananda
* Autobiography of a Yogi

|

Aspects|

* Hot yoga
* Science of yoga
* Sexual abuse by yoga gurus
* Matthew Remski
* Yoga and cultural appropriation
* In advertising
* For children
* For women
* Geeta Iyengar
* Yoga tourism

Hybrids|

* 1938 Naked yoga
* 1990 Mindful Yoga
* Frank Jude Boccio
* Anne Cushman
* Janice Gates
* Jon Kabat-Zinn
* Cyndi Lee
* Phillip Moffitt
* 2003 Acroyoga
* Doga
* 2013 Paddleboard Yoga
* 2014 Aerial yoga
* Beer yoga

By country|

* America
* 1961 Yoga for Health
* 1970 Lilias, Yoga and You
* Britain
* 1976 Lyn Marshall
* France
* Germany
* India
* Italy
* Russia
* Sweden
* 2015 Rachel Brathen
* Switzerland
* 1941 Selvarajan Yesudian

Books|

* 1996 Yoga Tradition of the Mysore Palace
* 2004 Yoga in Modern India
* A History of Modern Yoga
* 2005 Positioning Yoga
* 2010 Yoga Body
* The Subtle Body
* 2015 Selling Yoga
* 2016 The Path of Modern Yoga
* 2017 Roots of Yoga
* 2019 Yoga in Britain
* 2020 The Story of Yoga

Films|

* 2006 Guru
* 2009 Enlighten Up!
* 2012 Breath of the Gods

Schools
(Gurus)|

* 1918 The Yoga Institute
* Shri Yogendra
* Hansa Yogendra
* 1924 Kaivalyadhama
* Swami Kuvalayananda
* 1934 Viniyoga
* Tirumalai Krishnamacharya
* Yoga Makaranda
* T. K. V. Desikachar
* A. G. Mohan
* Indra Devi
* Srivatsa Ramaswami
* Vanda Scaravelli
* c. 1948 Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga
* K. Pattabhi Jois
* Mysore style
* Tim Miller
* Kino MacGregor
* Larry Schultz
* 1959 Sivananda Yoga
* Vishnudevananda Saraswati
* Complete Illustrated Book of Yoga
* 1963 Bihar School of Yoga
* Satyananda Saraswati
* 1965 Ananda Yoga
* Kriyananda
* 1966 Integral Yoga
* Satchidananda Saraswati
* 1966 Kripalu Yoga
* Amrit Desai
* Stephen Cope
* 1971 Himalayan Institute
* Swami Rama
* 1973 Bikram Yoga
* Bikram Choudhury
* 1975 Iyengar Yoga
* B. K. S. Iyengar
* Light on Yoga
* Yoga the Iyengar Way
* 1975 Dharma Mittra
* c. 1975 Yin Yoga
* Paulie Zink
* Paul Grilley
* Sarah Powers
* 1982 Forrest Yoga
* 1984 Jivamukti Yoga
* Sharon Gannon
* 1995 Power Yoga
* Beryl Bender Birch
* Bryan Kest
* 1997 Anusara Yoga
* John Friend
* 2006 Core Strength Vinyasa Yoga (Sadie Nardini)

Related|

* Yoga
* Hatha yoga
* Modern yoga
* Post-lineage yoga
* Asanas (template)
* List of yoga schools
* Yoga scholars (template)
* Yoga teachers (category)
* Modern Yoginis (template)

* v
* t
* e

Hatha yoga

Subtle body|

* Three bodies
* Five sheaths
* Chakra
* Nadi
* Sushumna
* Prana

Texts
(Asanas)|

* Ancient meditation seats Darshana Upanishad, Pātañjalayogaśāstravivaraṇa, Goraksha Sataka
* Gomukhasana
* Muktasana
* Padmasana
* Siddhasana
* Simhasana
* Sopasrayasana
* Sukhasana
* Svastikasana
* Virasana

* Ancient non-meditation Ahirbudhnya Saṃhitā, Pātañjalayogaśāstravivaraṇa
* Dandasana
* Kurmasana

* c. 7th C. Ahirbudhnya Samhita
* Kukkutasana

* c. 10th C. Vimanarcanakalpa
* Mayurasana

* c. 11th C. Amritasiddhi, Hemachandra's Yogashastra
* Muktasana
* Shirshasana

* 12th C. Amaraugha Prabodha

* 13th C. Dattatreya Yoga Shastra, Goraksha Shataka, Vasishtha Samhita, Vivekamārtaṇḍa
* Viparita Karani

* 14th C. Khecarīvidyā, Shiva Samhita, Sharngadhara-paddhati, Yogabīja, Yogatārāvalī
* Gorakshasana
* Paschimottanasana

* 15th C. Hatha Yoga Pradipika
* Baddha Konasana
* Dhanurasana
* Matsyendrasana
* Utkatasana

* 17th C. Gheranda Samhita, Hatha Ratnavali, Yogacintamani, Bahr al-Hayāt
* Bakasana
* Bhujangasana
* Kakasana
* Kraunchasana
* Makarasana
* Mandukasana
* Matsyasana
* Vajrasana
* Vrikshasana

* 18th C. Hathabhyasa-paddhati, Joga Pradipika
* Adho Mukha Vrikshasana

* 19th C. Sritattvanidhi
* Akarna Dhanurasana
* Bhairavasana
* Durvasasana
* Garudasana
* Halasana
* Navasana
* Pashasana
* Setu Bandha Sarvangasana
* Tittibhasana
* Urdhva Dhanurasana

* Late
* 1905 Yogasopana Purvacatuska
* 1943 Hatha Yoga: The Report of A Personal Experience

Mudras|

* Mahamudra
* Maha Bandha
* Jalandhara Bandha
* Mula Bandha
* Uddiyana Bandha
* Viparita Karani
* Khechari mudra
* Vajroli mudra

Shatkarmas|

* Dhauti
* Basti
* Kapalabhati
* Nauli
* Neti
* Trataka

Pranayama|

* Anuloma
* Bhastrika
* Bhramari
* Kumbhaka
* Ujjayi

Related|

* Modern yoga
* Nath
* Roots of Yoga
* Yoga
* Yoga as exercise
* Category:Medieval Hatha Yoga asanas

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template