How to perform Cross Pose
Cross your legs and sit upright, extending upward through the crown of your head.
What is Swastikasana?
One of the most basic seated poses, it is also typically used outside of yoga practice. Basically, Swastikasana is a cross-legged seated position in which your back is upright and you pay special attention to extending your spine upward through the crown of your head.
You can place your hands behind you or onto your knees, depending on which position helps facilitate the lift in your spine better.
This pose, simple as it is, can be quite beneficial: it is good for opening up your hips (thus warming up your joints), strengthening the spine, and opening up the chest.
When to use Swastikasana?
Just like most upright and compact seated poses (such as Padmasana and Siddhasana) Swastikasana is ideal for seated meditation. It is good for getting you grounded through the points of contact you have with the floor – your buttocks, feet, and knees.
Moreover, sitting upright while you are consciously extending up through your head performs two functions: on the physical side, your chest opens up, allowing more oxygen to come flowing into your body; on the mental side, your focus is drawn inward as you pay special attention to retaining a certain fixed position.
