Line #59 Main/LotusPosition


1	%%
2	%%
3	%% The examples have been alphabetized. Please put any new example in its proper place in the folder rather than at the end.
4	%%
5	%%
6	%% Image replaced per Image Pickin' thread: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=soih2g45sfi4s3ealexh90yp
7	%% Subsequent thread did not produce a new pic: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1560695302043852500
8	%% Please do not change or remove without starting a new thread.
9	%%
10	[[quoteright:329:[[VideoGame/MagicalAwakening https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/full_lotus_MagicalAwakening_11.jpg]]]]
11
12	The Lotus Position, also known as ''Padmasana'', is a posture used in UsefulNotes/{{Yoga}} and UsefulNotes/{{Meditation}}. It consists in sitting cross-legged with each foot placed atop the opposite thigh and the hands resting on the knees.
13
14	In fiction, this position is used as a visual shorthand for any character practicing meditation, using PsychicPowers or entering any kind of trance. In this context, the pose is used interchangeably with ''Sukhasana'', another Yoga posture known simply as "sitting cross-legged". This will be so even if in the story's context (different world, time period, dimension, etc.) said character would have absolutely no contact with yoga or Eastern meditation techniques. [[CharacterizingSittingPose Some characters tend to sit like this even in everyday circumstances,]] which usually serves to indicate that they are into meditation and Eastern spirituality, and have a meditative/spiritual mindset even in ordinary situations.
15
16	Beginners start with a Half Lotus, in which only one foot is resting on the opposing thigh. The Full Lotus is considered an intermediate or even advanced posture. The real-life purpose of the Lotus Position is to be relaxed enough to meditate but not so relaxed that you [[AsleepNotMeditating fall asleep]], and to prevent the yogi from falling either forwards or backwards during meditation. See also the [[UsefulNotes/LotusPosition Useful Note]].
17
18	See LevitatingLotusPosition for when the meditator is also [[PowerFloats floating a few feet above the ground]]. Compare with SeizaSquirm, its Japanese counterpart. A comedic subversion of the trope often involves AsleepNotMeditating. See also MysticalLotus, the motif that this position is named after.
19	----
20	!!Examples:
21
22	[[foldercontrol]]
23
24	[[folder:Advertising]]
25	* The GranolaGirl customer in the Direct Line house insurance adverts, who insists the salesman also does so.
26	-->'''Salesman:''' Is it supposed to hurt?\
27	'''Customer:''' A little bit.
28	[[/folder]]
29
30	[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
31	* In the ''Manga/SazanEyes'' manga, Yakumo Fujii uses this posture to contact the Sanjiyan through telepathy.
32	* L is shown this way in one of the early chapters of the ''Manga/DeathNote'' manga. He doesn't seem to be meditating, though; on the contrary, he's thinking consciously and hard.
33	* ''Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventure'':
34	** ''[[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventureStardustCrusaders Stardust Crusaders]]'': After ZZ is beaten by Jotaro, the team leaves him stranded out in the canyons tied to a rock and muzzled in a lotus posture, and put up a sign saying he is a monk in training and not to disturb him.
35	** ''[[Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventureStoneOcean Stone Ocean]]'': Once Jotaro receives his stolen Star Platinum, his unconscious body arose into a stance like an aesthetic monk while still being in deep sleep, as Star Platinum acts as a [[ReflexiveResponse instinctive defense]].
36	* In ''Manga/RanmaOneHalf'', Ranma and Genma have assumed this pose on occasion; though sometimes they alter it, such as doing it upside-down (head on the floor, crossed legs in the air).
37	[[/folder]]
38
39	[[folder:Audio Plays]]
40	* In "W.C. Fields Forever" by Creator/TheFiresignTheatre (off the album ''Waiting for the Electrician or Someone Like Him''), the listener is given a guided tour through a hippie commune. When you get to the athletic department, you're greeted by Mello Jello, who then says "Okay, beginners -- everybody do the ''Full Lotus Position!''" Cue agonized groans and moans, with Mello saying "Very good! Now you are going to stay there until you attain True Enlightenment!"
41	[[/folder]]
42
43	[[folder:Card Games]]
44	* Featured on the ''TabletopGame/MagicTheGathering'' card [[http://gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Card/Details.aspx?multiverseid=122362 Harmonize]].
45	[[/folder]]
46
47	[[folder:Comic Books]]
48	* ''ComicBook/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'': Oz is reintroduced sitting like this, on the porch of a Buddhist monastery in Tibet.
49	* ''ComicBook/HybridForce'': When Octo and Lizard Lady are locked up for [[HeelFaceTurn turning against Testify]], Lizard Lady is seen sitting in this position. She's doing so to try and recover more repressed memories.
50	* ''ComicBook/TheLegendOfZeldaALinkToThePast1992'': Sahasrahla is seen meditating in this position when Link first meets him.
51	* In ''ComicBook/RichardDragonKungFuFighter'', the main character meditates sitting this way about once an issue.
52	* ''ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehogArchieComics'': Meditation is an integral part of a Guardian's training. It pops regularly, most of the time in Knuckles-centric stories. [[LevitatingLotusPosition Levitation]] comes into play only when Chaos Forces are involved. Besides Knuckles, Locke and other Guardians, other characters that are shown meditating are Espio (comes with being a Ninja) and Guru Emu (more like a tripped-out trance. It's sill his default sitting pose, though).
53	* ''Franchise/{{Superman}}'':
54	** In ''ComicBook/{{Supergirl}}'' storyline ''ComicBook/{{Crucible}}'', [[ComicBook/{{Superboy}} Kon-El]] is seen meditating in Lotus position during his stay in a Tibetan monastery.
55	** ''ComicBook/DCRetroactiveSuperman'': In "The 70s" issue, Van-Zee uses a similar pose as practicing Torquasm Vo, an ancient Kryptonian type of meditation similar to Yoga: he is sitting cross-legged, but lifting his knees and crossing his arms over his chest.
56	[[/folder]]
57
58	[[folder:Fan Works]]
59	* In ''Fanfic/ThousandShinji'', Shinji often uses this position when he meditates.
60	[[/folder]]
61
62	[[folder:Films -- Animation]]
63	* ''Franchise/TheLionKing'': Rafiki has been known to meditate in this position now and again.
64	** [[WesternAnimation/TheLionKing1994 The first instance]] occurs before the appearance of Mufasa's ghost.
65	** Next, we see it in ''WesternAnimation/TheLionKingOneAndAHalf'', when he explains to Timon that he must "look beyond what he sees" to find ''Hakuna Matata''.
66	** In the spin-off TV series ''WesternAnimation/TheLionGuard'', he shows his apprentice Makini how to meditate in this position in order to calm herself down.
67	* In [[WhatCouldHaveBeen an earlier version]] of ''WesternAnimation/TurningRed'', Mei and Ming would have attempted to meditate in this position.
68	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Zootopia}}'': The Yak at the Mystic Spring Oasis is first seen at the reception desk in this pose, humming the "ommm" mantra.
69	[[/folder]]
70
71	[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
72	* ''Film/GodOfCookery'' has a partial subversion, as a shaolin master sits down like this in the middle of a cookery contest and appears to be levitating -- until the camera moves and reveals that he's being carried out by security officers.
73	* In ''Film/MapsToTheStars,'' actress Havana Segrand is attempting to meditate when her agent calls with bad news: a movie role she'd been campaigning to get went to another actress. Havana remains calm until the agent hangs up -- then smashes her cell phone and lets out a SkywardScream.
74	%% Needs context * The introduction of Seraph in ''Film/TheMatrixReloaded''.
75	* In ''Film/ShaolinSoccer'', [[BruceLeeClone Empty Hand]] the goalkeeper is seen in this position above the ground when the Shaolin monks [[LetsGetDangerous start getting serious]]. He's not levitating, though, but holding himself up effortlessly with just one hand on the goal post.
76	* In ''Film/TronLegacy'', Kevin Flynn resembles a stereotypical Far Eastern sage in many, many ways. Living a secluded life, reading classic Buddhist and Taoist texts and meditating in a Lotus Position certainly helps.
77	[[/folder]]
78
79	[[folder:Literature]]
80	* In ''Literature/ArtemisFowl: The Eternity Code'', after agreeing to be fully mind-wiped after dealing with Jon Spiro, Artemis meditates for hours to come up with a plan to beat Spiro and find a way to keep the memories of Haven City from being completely lost.
81	* In the ''[[Literature/DeptfordMice Deptford Histories]]'' book ''Thomas'', the Holy One (or sadhu) of the City of Hara sits in this position to meditate.
82	* ''Literature/{{Safehold}}'': About halfway through the series, Merlin has taken to sitting in lotus position whenever he's officially "meditating". Though in his case it's camouflage for what he's really doing (monitoring a network of spy satellites or holding comm conversations). It works as camouflage because everyone expects a ''seijin'' to meditate regularly.
83	* ''Literature/{{Swellhead}}'' has Literature/DiogenesClub hero of TheSeventies, psychic detective Richard Jeperson, [[RetiredBadass come of retirement]] in the modern era to take on a reality-warping supervillain. In their final confrontation Jeperson gets into this position for a battle of willpower, but not without some assistance from his pretty female sidekick as he's not as flexible as he used to be. The position [[LevitatingLotusPosition comes in handy though]] when the supervillain tries opening a trapdoor to his [[SharkPool pit of alligators]] beneath our hero.
84	* ''Literature/TheThreeInvestigators'': In ''The Mystery of the Invisible Dog'', a young man called Sonny Elmquist is into meditation and Hindu spirituality, and tends to sit in the lotus position even in everyday situations.
85	* ''Literature/TheWitchOfKnightcharm'': Starlyght, a new student at an evil WizardingSchool, meditates in this position while readying herself for a race. However, since the race is life-or-death and the students are even allowed to kill each other in order to ensure they don't finish last and get [[ReleasedToElsewhere eliminated]], Starlyght's calm meditation appears more unnerving than peaceful.
86	[[/folder]]
87
88	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
89	* ''Series/BlakesSeven''. The episode "Voice from the Past" opens with our crew of dangerous rebels doing relaxation exercises at Cally's behest. Cally is in a Lotus Position, Avon is in a Child's Pose, Blake in a Bow Pose, while Jenna just reclines on her couch in a [[MsFanservice tight leather bodysuit]] enjoying the sight of them looking very silly.
90	* ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'':
91	** Tara sits in this position when doing a location spell in "Bargaining".
92	--->'''Tara:''' Willow and I always know how to find each other.\
93	'''Anya:''' With yoga?
94	** Buffy is sitting on a picnic table this way in "The Wish", causing Xander to address her as "Wise One".
95	** Xander himself does it in "I Only Have Eyes For You" when doing his part of a HollywoodExorcism, albeit for practical reasons -- the room he's in is crawling with snakes, so he has to sit on a small dining table.
96	** In the last scene of "Same Time, Same Place", Willow is sitting on her bed in lotus, using magic to heal herself after her ordeal with Gnarl. Buffy then sits in lotus facing Willow, offering her own strength to help Willow heal.
97	* ''Series/DoctorWho''. "Listen" opens with the Doctor meditating on top of the TARDIS InSpace He's protected by the TARDIS forcefield, of course.
98	* ''Series/GetSmart'': In "The Groovy Guru", Max and 99 infiltrate a hippy cult and are shown sitting in this position while they ContemplateOurNavels.
99	-->'''Max:''' We'll just have to keep up with this foolishness, until we have a chance to see the Guru.\
100	'''99:''' Max, I don't think it's foolishness. I'm feeling a tingling all over.\
101	'''Max:''' Me too. My feet are asleep.
102	* ''Series/{{Kung Fu\|1972}}'':
103	** Kwai Chang Caine routinely adopts the position (sometimes barechested) when he has nothing to do at the moment, being a Shaolin monk and a MartialPacifist. Often, he'll sit quietly after being captured, to conserve his strength. Too late, his captors learn it was part of an ISurrenderSuckers gambit, and that they've brought a OneManArmy into their midst.
104	** So does Kwai Chang Caine the second in ''Series/KungFuTheLegendContinues'', naturally.
105	* When Bonnie Franklin (''Series/{{One Day at a Time\|1975}}'') appeared as a celebrity guest on ''Series/MatchGame'', she always liked sitting in her chair in a lotus position.
106	* In ''Series/SheHulkAttorneyAtLaw'', Blonsky's Deep Haikus poetry book has a cover depicting him sitting with his feet in the lotus position, but with his palms together.
107	* Franchise/StargateVerse: Interestingly, it is implied in ''Series/StargateSG1'' that Earth Buddhism is somehow connected with the ascended Ancients. It is likely that meditation practices (including the Lotus Position) were brought by them when they returned to Earth. Thus the following examples are found:
108	** Jaffas like Teal'c use this position to achieve the Kelno'reem state, a deep meditation akin to sleep, allowing their Goa'uld symbiote to heal diseases and other ailments the Jaffa may suffer from.
109	** The Lotus Position was apparently introduced in the Pegasus galaxy too. It is adopted by the Ancients trying to AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence -- and by the Humanoid Replicators copycatting them.
110	** Teyla Emmagan from ''Series/StargateAtlantis'' use this posture when practicing meditation, or trying to contact the Wraith {{Hivemind}}. Her efforts to teach meditation to her teammates don't go well, though. Ronon manages to fall asleep while keeping the posture, and [=McKay=] (in "The Tao of Rodney") favors more lying on the floor.
111	* ''Franchise/StarTrek'':
112	** ''Series/StarTrekDeepSpaceNine'': An early episode opens with Bashir walking in on Jadzia Dax sitting in this position while doing an alien brain teaser involving a translucent floating ball. Given that Dax has the [[OlderThanTheyLook memories of a 350-year old despite her youthful beauty]], it was probably meant to invoke the wise guru trope (at this stage her personality was still being hashed out by the writers).
113	** ''Series/StarTrekVoyager''. The episode "Initiations" opens with Native-American officer Chakotay performing the ''pakra'' ritual on the floor of his shuttle. Good thing it's not a LevitatingLotusPosition, because he's hit by a ScreenShake as his shuttle comes under attack.
114	* In ''Series/ThreesCompany'', Jack and Chrissy are meditating in the lotus position when the doorbell rings. Chrissy runs right over Jack to answer the door, causing Jack to somersault while maintaining the position. (Crowning Moment of Physical Comedy?)
115	[[/folder]]
116
117	[[folder:Music]]
118	* The cover of TechnicalDeathMetal band Gorguts' ''Obscura'' depicts an old man seated in the lotus position, although it is difficult to tell this on the CD cover. On the vinyl cover it's obvious.
119	[[/folder]]
120
121	[[folder:Myths & Religion]]
122	* This is a standard way of depicting [[UsefulNotes/{{Buddhism}} the Buddha]], of course, making this OlderThanFeudalism.
123	[[/folder]]
124
125	[[folder:Pro Wrestling]]
126	* Japanese pro wrestler Konaka Pale One can work entire matches while in the Lotus Position, even performing complex moves like arm drags and kip-ups without breaking posture.
127	* The rarely seen lotus hold involves sitting on the opponent's back and putting your legs in a lotus position to suspend his arms. It's rare because applying it can be convoluted and the lotus position is actually uncomfortable to sit in for long periods of time. A more common variation also called a lotus hold is to wrap your legs around someone's arms while sitting before them, though it really doesn't look the part (Wrestling/{{Melina}} in particular made it look more like a leg full nelson). Another variation is to force your opponent to sit in a lotus position, though its more preferable to have his back on the mat while you press his legs so he can't just push you away and you can maybe get a three count.
128	[[/folder]]
129
130	[[folder:Puppet Shows]]
131	* ''Series/LandOHands'': In the episode "Old Land Sign", Grandma is seen listening to the land with her arms in this position (the puppet's feet were too big to be positioned in the usual way).
132	[[/folder]]
133
134	[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
135	* ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'': In the 2nd Edition supplement ''The Complete Psionics Handbook'', the symbol for the Metapsionics discipline is a character in the Lotus Position.
136	* ''TabletopGame/{{Pathfinder}}'': The [[CelestialParagonsAndArchangels empyreal lord]] Korada's official art depicts him meditating cross-legged, with each foot on the opposite knee and his hands in the air above them, on top of a giant lotus bloom.
137	[[/folder]]
138
139	[[folder:Video Games]]
140	* ''VideoGame/ANNOMutationem'': One of the denizens in the UndergroundCity manages to do a lotus position while standing due to having multiple robotic legs.
141	* Jade is introduced in this pose in ''VideoGame/BeyondGoodAndEvil''.
142	* ''VideoGame/CloudMaster'' have ''Buddha'' as one of the bosses. Just like in the myths, he's depicted as sitting cross-legged on a lotus while he throw attacks at you.
143	* In ''VideoGame/DarkSoulsIII'', the Path of the Dragon gesture has the player sitting in the Lotus Position. Using the gesture next to the Dragon Discipline in Irithyll Dungeon will teleport the player to the Archdragon Peak. Within the Peak, there are two different shrines in which using the gesture in front of them will grant the player the Calamity Ring and the Twinkling Dragon Torso Stone respectively.
144	* Poo from ''VideoGame/{{EarthBound\|1994}}'' does this during his Mu training.
145	* ''VideoGame/TheGladiator'' have the Evil Monk, Fa Ming, who's meditating in a cross-legged pose and spends the entire boss battle in a lotus-styled position, where he can summon projectile attacks and DoppelgangerSpin himself while ''praying''.
146	* Shy-Ann from ''VideoGame/GirlDetectiveSweetSixties'' meditates in this position.
147	* Your character in single-player ''VideoGame/JediAcademy'' uses this while regaining health.
148	* Samara in ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'' can be found meditating in her Normandy chambers this way. She is also [[PowerGlows radiating a powerful Biotic aura]].
149	* In ''VideoGame/TheMatrixPathOfNeo'', Neo does a full Lotus Position after beating an OldMaster in the first training simulation, as a FadeToWhite transition into the sword-fighting simulation.
150	* ''VideoGame/OrientalLegend 2'', a game based on ''Literature/JourneyToTheWest'', gives Tang Sanzhang an AdaptationalBadass where he's given the ability to summon projectile attacks while meditating in a cross-legged, Buddhist-style lotus posture.
151	* The second ''VideoGame/{{PAGUI}}'' begins with Huo summoning spirits by meditating using the lotus position. Complete with drawing Taoist symbols in the air with both hands while chanting away.
152	* In ''VideoGame/TheSimpsonsGame'', Lisa does this posture after gaining the freezing, lightning, and flick abilities.
153	* Yoshimitsu of ''VideoGame/SoulCalibur'' heal himself by sitting in the Lotus Position.
154	* The Arilou in ''VideoGame/StarControlII'' are depicted sitting in a Lotus Position.
155	* One of the training games in ''VideoGame/WiiFit'', "Lotus Focus", requires you to sit on the Wii Balace Board in the lotus position and stay as still as possible.
156	* ''VideoGame/TheWindRoad'' (a {{wuxia}} game set in the Ming Dynasty) allows you to access certain checkpoints to meditate. You then sit down in this particular position as a glowing energy aura refills your health.
157	[[/folder]]
158
159	[[folder:Web Animation]]
160	* ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'': In Volume 3, Yatsuhashi meditates like this before beginning a fight, albeit with hands clasped to the opposite forearm than on his knees.
161	[[/folder]]
162
163	[[folder:Webcomics]]
164	* Justin has been seen sitting like this in ''Webcomic/ElGoonishShive''. [[http://egscomics.com/?date=2002-04-14 Sarah tries to imitate him and fails.]]
165	* Jacqui of ''Webcomic/WapsiSquare'' is [[http://wapsisquare.com/comic/caughtyoualone/ seen in this position]] [[http://wapsisquare.com/comic/whatisyourproblem/ when teaching a meditation class.]]
166	[[/folder]]
167
168	[[folder:Web Videos]]
169	* Music/DoctorSteel assumes this position (complete with saffron robes) in his short film, "The Singularity".
170	[[/folder]]
171
172	[[folder:Western Animation]]
173	* ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'' has several people sitting lotus. Oddly enough, despite all the air and waterbending abilities -- nobody [[LevitatingLotusPosition actually floats]]. At least, not until ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'', where [[spoiler:Zaheer]] is shown meditating in the LevitatingLotusPosition after [[spoiler:he develops the ancient Airbending power of {{Flight}}]].
174	* Aelita from ''WesternAnimation/CodeLyoko'' [[https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/AelitaLotus.jpg sits in the Lotus Position]] when listening for "XANA's pulsations" for most of Season 1, and once in Season 4.
175	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Kaeloo}}'': In "Let's Play Catch the Mailman", Kaeloo meditates in this position to keep herself from getting angry about a fan letter she received that called her annoying.
176	* ''WesternAnimation/TheLoudHouse'': In "Lincoln Loud: Girl Guru", Lincoln does this when he's the 'Girl Guru'.
177	* ''WesternAnimation/LoveDeathAndRobots''. In "Sonnie's Edge", Sonnie adopts this position while [[RemoteBody remote-piloting]] her [[BeastlyBloodSports Khanivore]], while her opponent across the ring is more expressive. [[spoiler:However this is misdirection. Turns out Sonnie's brain is in the Khanivore and her human body is what's being remote-piloted -- it's in this position not to concentrate but because it's switched off while she's fighting.]]
178	* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'': In episode "[[Recap/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicS8E21ARockhoofAndAHardPlace A Rockhoof and a Hard Place]]", Somnambula and the rest of her motivational speaker class do a close approximation of the Lotus Position. "Close approximation" because, well, pony legs just don't work that way.
179	* Suki from ''WesternAnimation/PikwikPack'' does this when she relaxes.
180	* Lucky does this in the first episode ("The Yipper Caper") of ''WesternAnimation/{{Pound Puppies\|2010}}''.
181	* Used by Junko in ''WesternAnimation/StormHawks'', as he recalled his attempt at meditating.
182	* ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans2003'': Raven is frequently seen meditating, mostly to keep her emotions in check, and usually adopts the lotus position to do so.
183	[[/folder]]
184
185	[[folder:Real Life]]
186	* In the United Kingdom, the Natural Law Party, a political party who field candidates at general elections, practice "yogic flying"... which while it sounds really cool, consists, disappointingly, of bouncing around a soft mat in the lotus position. Same thing in France with "le parti de la lévitation transcendentale"; largely considered a laughing stock.
187	* Ring-tailed Lemurs do something a lot like this in the mornings, as the sun rises, to soak up sunlight and warm themselves.
188	[[/folder]]

Context Main / LotusPosition