Vajrāsana, the thunderbolt pose

Sanskrit

वज्रासनVajrāsana

Meaning of the name

Thunderbolt pose: vajra, Indra's thunderbolt, also diamond, and āsana, posture

Level

Beginner

Family

Seated

In the texts

Gheranda Samhita 2.12 (Vasu, 1914-1915)

Walk past a temple courtyard or a family home in India after lunch and you will see people sitting on their heels, back straight, hands on the thighs. Vajrāsana is one of the simplest classical seats and one of the few that needs no hip flexibility at all, which is why it suits beginners, people who cannot sit cross-legged, and meditation for those whose knees tolerate kneeling.

Steps

1. Kneel on the mat, knees together, the tops of the feet flat on the floor.
2. Separate the heels slightly and let the big toes touch, so the feet form a small cradle.
3. Sit back slowly until the buttocks rest between or on the heels.
4. Place the hands on the thighs, palms down. Lengthen the spine from the pelvis to the crown of the head.
5. Relax the shoulders, keep the chin level, close the eyes or lower the gaze.
6. Breathe naturally through the nose. Stay one to five minutes.
7. To come out, lean forward onto the hands, lift the hips and stretch the legs back one at a time, or sit to one side.

Alignment

• The shins and the tops of the feet point straight back; the ankles do not collapse outward.
• The weight sits evenly on both sitting bones, the pelvis upright rather than tipped back.
• The knees stay together or a fist apart, never forced wide.

Variations

• Gentle version: a folded blanket under the knees and shins, and a cushion or yoga block between the heels to sit on. This takes most of the pressure off knees and ankles.
• Rolled towel under the ankles if the fronts of the ankles complain.
• Supta vajrāsana, the reclining thunderbolt: an intermediate backbend, leaning back onto the forearms. Learn it with a teacher; it loads the knees and lower back.
• On a meditation bench: a low kneeling bench gives the same posture with almost no weight on the legs.

Contraindications

• Knee injury, meniscus or ligament problem, recent knee surgery: avoid, or sit on a high block with no pain at all.
• Ankle injury or very stiff ankles: use the towel or block variation, or choose another seat such as sitting on a chair.
• Varicose veins or poor circulation in the legs: keep the stay short.
• Tingling or numbness in the feet: come out; the nerves at the front of the ankle and behind the knee do not like long compression.

In the texts

Vajrāsana is classical. The Gheranda Samhita lists it among its thirty-two postures and gives it one verse:

जङ्घयोर्वज्रवत्कृत्वा गुदपार्श्वे पदावुभौ । वज्रासनं भवेदेतद्योगिनां सिद्धिदायकम् ॥

jaṅghayor vajravat kṛtvā guda-pārśve padāv ubhau | vajrāsanaṃ bhaved etad yogināṃ siddhi-dāyakam ||

Making the shanks firm like a thunderbolt and placing both feet beside the anus: this is vajrāsana, which grants accomplishment to yogis.

Srisa Chandra Vasu's 1914-1915 translation renders the first words "Make the thighs tight like adamant", and promises the yogi "psychic powers". The Hatha Yoga Pradipika uses the name differently: for its author, vajrāsana is simply another name some teachers give to siddhāsana, the accomplished pose (1.39). Two texts, one name, two postures: a good reminder to read every name in its source.

Related postures

Vajrāsana is the starting point of the cobra and child's pose, a good place for alternate nostril breathing, and one of the seats explained in how to meditate. For cross-legged seats, see the lotus and half lotus; for all the cards, the asanas chapter.

Questions people ask

Sources

1. The Gheranda Samhita, translated by Srisa Chandra Vasu (Sacred Books of the Hindus, vol. XV, Panini Office, 1914-1915), Internet Archive checked October 16, 2026
2. Gheraṇḍasaṃhitā, Sanskrit text, chapter 2 (GRETIL, University of Göttingen) checked October 16, 2026
3. Svātmārāma, Haṭhayogapradīpikā, Sanskrit text (GRETIL, University of Göttingen) checked October 16, 2026

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