In short: in scale pose you sit in lotus, place the palms on the floor beside the hips and press down to lift the crossed legs and the buttocks off the floor, holding the body suspended on straight arms. It is brief and strong, depends on a comfortable lotus, and puts the whole body weight on the wrists, so it is an advanced pose.
Scale and lifted lotus are two names for the same shape, so they share this page. Which name you hear depends on the school.
The names: Tolasana, Utpluti and lifted lotus
Yoga Journal explains tolā as poising oneself, usually rendered as balance or scale, the image being a pair of scales lifted by its handle. The Iyengar Yoga (UK) syllabus lists Tolāsana at plate 108 of Light on Yoga. In the Ashtanga finishing sequence the same lift, held after lotus and just before final relaxation, is called Utpluti, which AshtangaYoga.info describes as less a posture than a lotus seat lifted by the strength of the arms. In English many classes simply say lifted lotus or scale. Swami Sivananda’s book Hatha Yoga lists an Utthita Padmasana (raised lotus) next to lotus in its contents; we have not been able to check that description, so treat that name as a likely, not confirmed, synonym.
Making the pose work
Lift with the belly as much as with the arms. Yoga Journal’s tip is to draw the inner groins up into the core along the front of the spine; Yoga International adds to lift strongly through the pelvis and legs so the arms and shoulders are not doing all the work. Exhale fully, press the hands down and lift on the effort. Blocks under the hands lengthen the arms and make a real difference for many bodies. Keep the torso fairly upright: this is what separates scale from pendant pose, where the back rounds completely.
Yoga Journal suggests holding for 10 to 15 seconds, then lowering, changing the cross of the legs and repeating for the same time. In Ashtanga, Utpluti is traditionally held for a count of breaths at the end of practice, as the teacher directs.
Precautions in plain words
Yoga Journal advises avoiding the pose with shoulder or wrist injuries, and notes that it shares lotus’s contraindications: knee and ankle injuries in particular. Never force the legs into lotus to do this pose; use crossed shins or half lotus instead. This page is general information, not individual advice.
Easier versions and props
If lotus is not comfortable, sit with the shins crossed as in easy pose and lift from there, or use half lotus: the buttocks lift but the lower leg’s outer calf and foot stay down. Yoga Journal also offers a chair version: cross the ankles, hold the sides of the seat and lift your body off it.
Preparation and what comes next
Prepare with lotus or half lotus, boat pose and an arm balance such as crow to warm the core and arms. Afterwards, release the legs and rest the wrists. Scale is a step toward rooster pose, where the arms slide through the lotus before lifting, and toward peacock.
A simple way to practise it. To build the pose, start with the shins crossed and blocks under the hands, lifting the seat for a few breaths; repeat with the other shin in front. Next, move to half lotus on each side, then to full lotus only if your knees are comfortable there. Exhale before each lift and let the belly do as much work as the arms. Keep holds short and repeat them rather than holding one long, shaky lift, and finish by stretching out the legs in staff pose.
You will meet the pose in Ashtanga (finishing sequence), Iyengar and hatha classes.
