lotus, right leg first

[Linda]

Hi David. I met you in August of 2003 in Allentown, PA at the Lehigh Yoga Center. I was the one with 100's of questions......
Anyway, recently a student of mine asked why we always put the right leg under the left when getting into lotus, instead of balancing and switching each time. I know you stress "Balance" so I was wondering your opinion. I figure it had to do with the right heel putting pressure on the kidneys or some internal organ or something like that..... I appreciate your opinion.
Thanks
Linda Seelig

[Linda]

I got an answer. My old notes from a David Swenson workshop said that Guruji would say something like "Liver, spleen...." as an answer to why the right foot always goes first in lotus.  Recently I saw Annie Pace and got the same type anwer, that it has to do with the internal organs, and pressure on them. Just thought I'd write this in for others that were also curious....
Linda

[Aarzi]

So what's the difference between right foot first and left foot first? How does one affect differently to the kidneys and the spleen than the other?

[Linda]

The only thing I can say to that is that when we sit in lotus, right foot first, then the left heel is higher on the body, pressing in on the organs at a higher location than the right heel. The body is assymetrical inside just as the heels are in placement.  I haven't heard any explanation further than this. I wish I had more technical answers to a lot of yoga questions, but I finally let that do, knowing that there's always going to be unknowns.  This lotus postition just comes natural for me now, and I put faith in the system! Hope that helps a little.....

[susanne]

I just came home from a workshop with David. David said that you have to switch between legs, so that your body remains symmetric. So if you have your right leg under, then next lotus you sit with your left leg under and so forth.

[carrapeta00]

Just today during my practice I had the same thought. My life as an ashtangi yogini is divided: before and after David Willians  Only after practicing with him I started to bring the balance to my practice, including switching legs when in lotus. What I know is that the "right foot first" when we fold forward the pressure of the left heel is right on the liver area. Moreover, the right foot "sleeps" first, which physiologically talking implies that the blood circulation for the leg is diminished, putting more pressure on the arteries of the right legs, which to me (with my medical background) can only assume that also more blood pressure is further realeased to the liver.