Easy Seat, aka Sukasana, is not always easy

Easy seat is a frequently used position to start a yoga class or for a sitting meditation. Despite its name it is not necessarily easy, particularly if you're just starting either of these practices or returning to them after an absence. As with any yoga pose there are a few things to keep in mind as you get familiar with it.

In easy seat, the idea is to create a strong foundation that is stable and rooted into the floor, mat or cushion beneath you, allowing you to be light and lifted through the torso. The rooted base is a triangle whose three points of contact are your butt and each of your knees. To form the base, sit with your legs making the shape of a 'V’ then bending one knee to bring the sole of the foot almost to the knee of the extended leg. Next bend the other leg similarly so that one shin is in front of the other. Notice if your knees are hanging in air or are touching the ground. If they are up and this feels uncomfortable, switch which shin is in front and notice again.

It may help to sit on a blanket to raise the pelvis slightly higher than the knees. Besides helping to get the knees closer to the floor, the reason to lift the pelvis is to facilitate sitting with a straight back which is easier when resting on the sit bones rather than on the tailbone. Resting on the tailbone not only can be painful but also causes rounding in the back and can lead to slouching. This can be a really uncomfortable position for being still for any length of time. Ultimately we want to have a dignified posture that promotes being awake and aware in the present moment.

Once you've found a relatively comfortable position for your base and you feel rooted, it's time to work on the upper body. On an inhale, lift your torso off the pelvis and reach the crown of your head skyward. Check that your shoulders are stacked over your hips. Have a sense of your head being stacked over the sternum so that your neck is in a neutral position and aligns with the spine. So many of us have our head jutting forward or leaning down from looking at our monitors and devices all the time. One way to check is to think about the rounded outer edge of your ears and imagine them drawing back just slightly- maybe just a quarter of an inch.

If easy seat isn't working for you, one of these alternatives may come in handy but also don't give up on easy seat all together -- keep practicing and over time it might get easier as you gain flexibility and endurance to sit longer.

• Criss-cross applesauce: take a seat on the floor, mat or cushion folding your legs under you and crossing them at the ankles the way we did as kids playing duck-duck goose.

• Kneeling with hips resting on heels (aka, Hero's pose); a variation is kneeling with your butt resting on blocks or on a meditation bench

• In a chair: when seated in a chair, plant both feet firmly on the floor about hip distance apart. Be aware of sitting up on the sits bones rather than the tailbone to support a straight spine. Finally, adjust your neck and head. You may want to place a pillow or bolster behind you to fill any gap between you and the back of the chair.

Easy seat may be the biggest misnomer of any yoga pose. If you find it challenging, that’s perfectly normal so don’t be discouraged. Work on it for a few minutes a few times a week whenever you have time and otherwise choose one of the other options that is comfortable for you! Use the photos above and short video below to review easy seat, along with the variations and alternatives.