In short: accomplished pose is a classical cross-legged meditation seat. One heel is drawn in close to the body at the perineum, the other foot rests just in front of and above it, with the toes tucked between the opposite thigh and calf, and the spine sits upright. It asks for more hip rotation than easy pose but less than lotus. Sit on a cushion and never force the feet into place.
Siddhāsana is one of the oldest named postures, and it has always been a seat rather than a stretch: its purpose is to let you sit still, upright and alert for breathing practice and meditation. Many practitioners find it steadier than easy pose because the feet lock the legs in place. Below we explain the name and its history, how to arrange the seat, the precautions and related seats.
The name and the texts
Siddha can mean accomplished or perfected, and also an adept or sage; āsana means seat. The Hatha Yoga Pradipika, a 15th-century manual, names four postures as the most important, Siddha, Padma, Simha and Bhadra, and calls Siddhasana the most comfortable and excellent of them. It describes pressing the perineum with one heel and placing the other heel above the genitals, chin toward the chest and gaze between the eyebrows, and adds that some call this seat Vajrasana, Muktasana or Guptasana. The same text promises spiritual attainments from long practice; those are traditional claims, recorded here as what the text says, not as facts.
Modern manuals keep the shape. B.K.S. Iyengar’s Light on Yoga (1966) gives the same placement of the heels, with the sole of the top foot tucked between the thigh and calf of the lower leg and the body not resting on the heels, and recommends it for pranayama and meditation. The Bihar School’s Asana Pranayama Mudra Bandha describes Siddhāsana for men and a female form, Siddha Yoni Āsana, with the heel placed against the body in the same way. Note that the name Vajrasana is used today for a different, kneeling seat, thunderbolt pose.
Arranging the seat
Raise the hips on a firm cushion or folded blanket first; both the Bihar manual and modern teachers note that a low cushion makes the pose easier to hold for long periods. Draw the first heel in toward the centre of the pelvis with the sole against the inner opposite thigh. Bring the second foot in front of it, ankle over ankle, heel close to the pubic bone, and slide the toes and outer edge of that foot into the fold between the opposite thigh and calf. The knees rest on or toward the floor. Lift the spine, let the hands rest on the knees and soften the face. Change which leg is on top each time you sit.
Precautions in plain words
All the turning should come from the hips. If a knee lifts high, aches or pinches, raise the seat or return to easy pose. The Bihar School advises against Siddhasana with sciatica or sacral problems. Come out if the legs go numb or tingle, and stretch them before standing. People with knee or hip injuries, or after joint replacement, should ask their doctor or physical therapist before sitting in crossed-leg seats for long. This page is general information, not individual advice.
Preparation and related seats
Prepare with bound angle pose, easy pose and gentle hip openers such as reclining figure four. Closely related classical seats are auspicious pose, which tucks both feet between thigh and calf without the heel against the body, half lotus and lotus.
Where it is used
Accomplished pose is a seat for breathing practices and meditation in hatha, Iyengar and Bihar School teaching. Our guide on how to meditate covers posture for sitting practice.
