In the gentle world of yoga, some poses are not about intense stretching or building strength, but about quiet reflection and connecting with your inner self.
The Smelling Flowers Pose is one such beautiful and enchanting position. It’s a simple, seated posture designed to open your heart, calm your mind, and encourage a moment of pure, mindful presence.
Imagine sitting peacefully, as if you were in a serene garden, holding a delicate, imaginary blossom in your hands.
This pose invites you to slow down, breathe deeply, and connect with a sense of gratitude and wonder. It’s less of a physical challenge and more of an emotional and mental reset button, accessible to everyone, regardless of their yoga experience.
This guide will walk you through everything you need to know about the Smelling Flowers Pose. We’ll explore its origins, its profound benefits for mindfulness, and provide a detailed step-by-step tutorial on how to practice it correctly.
Let’s begin this journey to discover how this simple yoga position can bring a touch of enchantment and tranquility to your day.
What is the Smelling Flowers Pose?
The Smelling Flowers Pose is a gentle, seated yoga posture that combines elements of Baddha Konasana (Bound Angle Pose) with a unique, mindful hand gesture.
In this pose, you sit with the soles of your feet together and your knees out to the sides. Your hands are cupped together and brought towards your face, as if you are holding and smelling a beautiful, fragrant flower.
It’s a restorative and meditative pose, often practiced in Yin Yoga, children’s yoga, or as part of a gentle flow sequence.
The name itself evokes a sense of peace and delight, encouraging you to use your imagination to enhance the experience. The physical posture helps to open the hips and groin, while the hand gesture and focused breathing promote relaxation and mental clarity.
This pose isn’t about pushing your body to its limits. Instead, it’s an invitation to be still, to breathe, and to cultivate a moment of joy.
It’s a wonderful practice for anyone looking to reduce stress, connect with their senses, and find a little pocket of peace in a busy day. It’s a pose that reminds us that yoga is not just about the body, but about nurturing the mind and spirit as well.
The Beautiful Benefits of the Smelling Flowers Pose
Practicing the Smelling Flowers Pose offers a garden of benefits that nurture both the body and the mind. It’s a simple posture with a surprisingly deep impact on your overall well-being.
Physical Benefits:
- Gentle Hip Opening: The seated position with the soles of the feet together provides a gentle stretch for the inner thighs, groin, and hips. This can help release tension that often accumulates in this area from prolonged sitting.
- Improves Posture: To perform the pose correctly, you need to sit up tall, which helps to lengthen the spine and engage the core muscles. This encourages better posture and can alleviate mild back pain.
- Stimulates Abdominal Organs: The forward-leaning aspect of the pose can gently compress and stimulate the abdominal organs, aiding in digestion.
Mental and Emotional Benefits:
- Promotes Mindfulness: The core of the Smelling Flowers Pose is mindfulness. The act of imagining a flower and focusing on your breath anchors you in the present moment, quieting mental chatter.
- Reduces Stress and Anxiety: The deep, focused breathing combined with the calming imagery has a powerful effect on the nervous system. It helps to lower cortisol levels, reducing feelings of stress and anxiety.
- Cultivates Joy and Gratitude: By focusing on something beautiful, even if it’s imaginary, you actively cultivate positive emotions. It’s a practice in finding joy and gratitude in the small, simple things.
- Sparks Imagination and Creativity: This pose is playful and encourages the use of imagination. This can be a wonderful way to unlock creativity and approach challenges with a fresh, more open perspective.
Setting Up for Your Smelling Flowers Pose Practice
Before you begin, creating a comfortable and peaceful environment can greatly enhance your experience. You don’t need much, but a few thoughtful touches can make all the difference.
First, find a quiet space where you won’t be disturbed. A soft surface is essential for this seated pose. A high-quality yoga mat, like the {Gaiam Essentials Thick Yoga Mat}, provides excellent cushioning for your sit bones and ankles, making the posture more comfortable to hold.
Consider the ambiance of your space. You might dim the lights or practice near a window with natural light. Some people find that playing soft, instrumental music can help them relax and go deeper into the meditative state of the pose.
For extra support, especially if you have tight hips, have a couple of yoga blocks or firm cushions handy. A set like the {Gaiam Yoga Block + Strap Combo Set} is perfect. You can place the blocks under your knees to reduce the intensity of the hip stretch, allowing your body to relax more fully. Remember, the goal is ease and mindfulness, not strain.
Finally, wear comfortable, non-restrictive clothing that allows you to move and breathe freely. With your space prepared, you are ready to begin the enchanting journey of the Smelling Flowers Pose.
How to Do the Smelling Flowers Pose: A Step-by-Step Guide
Follow these simple steps to enter, hold, and release the Smelling Flowers Pose. Move slowly and intentionally, paying close attention to your body and breath.
Step 1: Find Your Seated Position
Begin by sitting on your yoga mat. Bring the soles of your feet together and let your knees fall out to the sides, coming into Baddha Konasana (Bound Angle Pose). Your feet can be as close to or as far from your body as feels comfortable for your hips.
If your knees are high off the ground or you feel any strain, slide a yoga block or a folded blanket under each knee for support.
Sit up tall, lengthening your spine from your tailbone to the crown of your head. You can gently hold onto your ankles or feet to help maintain this upright posture. Take a few deep breaths here to settle in.
Step 2: Create Your Imaginary Flower
Now, release your grip on your feet. Bring your hands together in front of your chest. Gently cup your hands, touching the outer edges of your pinky fingers and thumbs together, while allowing your palms and other fingers to open, forming the shape of a lotus flower or a cup. This is your Anjali Mudra, often called a lotus mudra when opened.
Take a moment to connect with this hand gesture. Imagine you are holding the most beautiful, fragrant flower you can think of. What color is it? What does it smell like? Engage your senses and your imagination. This is a key element of the Smelling Flowers Pose.
This mental focus is what transforms a simple stretch into a mindful practice. You could enhance this by dabbing a tiny amount of a floral essential oil, like rose or jasmine, onto a tissue placed nearby.
An oil like {Handcraft Blends Rose Essential Oil} is perfect for creating a realistic sensory experience.
Step 3: Bring the Flower to Your Nose
Maintaining your tall spine, slowly lift your cupped hands up towards your face. Your hands should come to rest a few inches in front of your nose and mouth. Keep your elbows relaxed and your shoulders down, away from your ears.
Your gaze should be soft, directed towards the “flower” in your hands. This is the moment where you begin to “smell the flowers.” The physical act of bringing your hands to your face draws your awareness inward, away from external distractions. This posture naturally encourages a state of introspection and calm.
Step 4: Inhale the Fragrance (Breathe)
This is the heart of the Smelling Flowers Pose. Close your eyes or keep a soft gaze on your hands. Take a long, slow, deep breath in through your nose, as if you are inhaling the beautiful scent of your imaginary flower. Imagine the fragrance filling your lungs and spreading throughout your entire body.
As you breathe, notice the physical sensations. Feel the air entering your nostrils, the expansion of your chest and belly. Feel the gentle stretch in your inner thighs.
On your exhale, breathe out slowly through your mouth, releasing any tension, stress, or worries. Continue this deep, mindful breathing for at least 5-10 breaths, or for as long as feels good. Let each inhale be an act of receiving joy and peace, and each exhale an act of letting go.
Step 5: Holding the Smelling Flowers Pose
As you hold the pose and continue your deep breathing, allow your body to soften. You might notice a slight, natural forward fold from your hips as your body relaxes. This is perfectly fine, as long as you maintain a long spine and don’t round your back excessively.
Stay connected to the imagery of the flower. Let its beauty and fragrance fill your awareness. If your mind starts to wander—and it will—gently guide it back to the sensation of your breath and the image of the flower. The Smelling Flowers Pose is a practice in gentle focus, not forced concentration. It’s about being present with whatever arises, without judgment.
For an even more restorative experience, you can create a calming atmosphere with a scent diffuser. Using a device like the {VIVITEST Ceramic Diffuser} with a few drops of lavender oil can deepen the relaxation and make the imaginary flower feel wonderfully real.
Step 6: Gently Release the Pose
When you are ready to come out of the pose, do so with the same mindfulness you brought into it. On an inhale, slowly lower your hands back down to your lap. Open your eyes if they were closed. Take a moment here to notice how you feel.
Bring your hands to the outside of your knees and gently guide them back together. Extend your legs out in front of you and give them a little shake to release any lingering tension.
You can finish with a moment of quiet reflection, sitting tall and simply observing your breath, carrying the peace of the Smelling Flowers Pose with you.
This is a great time to jot down any feelings or thoughts in a journal, perhaps using a lovely pen like the {Scriveiner London Luxury Pen} to make the experience feel even more special.
Modifications and Variations of the Smelling Flowers Pose
The beauty of the Smelling Flowers Pose lies in its accessibility. Here are some modifications to make it work for your body and some variations to deepen your practice.
For Tighter Hips:
- Elevate Your Seat: Sit on a folded blanket, cushion, or a yoga bolster like the {Gaiam Yoga Bolster}. Elevating your hips allows them to tilt forward more easily and can significantly reduce strain on your hips and lower back.
- Support Your Knees: As mentioned in the steps, placing yoga blocks or cushions under your knees is the best way to support tight hips. This allows the inner thighs to relax and release gradually, without forcing the stretch.
For a More Active Pose:
- Engage Your Core: While holding the pose, actively press the outer edges of your feet together and engage your core muscles. This will create more stability and turn the pose into a gentle strength-builder for your core and pelvic floor.
- Add a Forward Fold: From the main pose, you can introduce a gentle forward fold on an exhale, hinging at your hips and keeping your spine long. Only go as far as you can without rounding your back. This will deepen the stretch in the hips and groin.
For a Deeper Meditative Experience:
- Use a Real Flower: If you have one available, practice the pose with a real flower! Holding and smelling a fresh bloom can make the experience incredibly vivid and powerful.
- Incorporate a Mantra: As you breathe, you can silently repeat a mantra. On the inhale, you might say “I breathe in peace,” and on the exhale, “I breathe out stress.” This can help to focus the mind even more. A set of {Mindful Messages Co. Affirmation Cards} can provide beautiful inspiration for your practice.
Integrating the Smelling Flowers Pose into Your Routine
You don’t need a full hour of yoga to enjoy the benefits of this pose. Here are a few simple ways to weave the Smelling Fowers Pose into your daily life:
- As a Morning Ritual: Start your day with a few minutes in the Smelling Flowers Pose to set a calm and positive tone for the hours ahead.
- As a Mid-day Break: Feeling overwhelmed at work? Step away from your desk and find a quiet corner to practice the pose. It’s a perfect mental reset that can boost your focus and reduce stress.
- In Your Evening Wind-Down: Practice the pose before bed to calm your nervous system and prepare your mind for a restful night’s sleep.
- With Children: This pose is a favorite in kids’ yoga classes. Its playful nature makes it a fun and engaging way to introduce children to the concepts of mindfulness and self-soothing.
Recommended Products for Your Mindfulness Practice
To help you create the perfect atmosphere for your Smelling Flowers Pose and other mindful moments, here are some products we love.
| Product Name | Brand | Why We Recommend It |
|---|---|---|
| {Gaiam Essentials Thick Yoga Mat} | Gaiam | Provides excellent cushioning and support for any seated yoga pose. |
| {Gaiam Yoga Block + Strap Combo Set} | Gaiam | Essential props for supporting the knees and making the pose accessible for all hip flexibility levels. |
| {Handcraft Blends Rose Essential Oil} | Handcraft Blends | Enhances the sensory experience of the pose by adding a real, beautiful floral scent. |
| {VIVITEST Ceramic Diffuser} | VIVITEST | Creates a calming, fragrant atmosphere in your practice space for deeper relaxation. |
| {Scriveiner London Luxury Pen} | Scriveiner | A beautiful pen that makes journaling after your practice a luxurious and mindful ritual. |
| {Gaiam Yoga Bolster} | Gaiam | Perfect for elevating the hips, reducing strain, and allowing for a more restorative posture. |
| {Mindful Messages Co. Affirmation Cards} | Mindful Messages Co. | Offers beautiful mantras and affirmations to deepen your meditative experience. |
Conclusion
The Smelling Flowers Pose is more than just a physical posture; it is a heartfelt invitation to pause, breathe, and connect with the beauty within and around you.
In its simplicity lies its power. It teaches us that we can find moments of peace, joy, and mindfulness anytime we choose, simply by using our bodies, our breath, and our imagination.
We encourage you to try this enchanting yoga position. Let the Smelling Flowers Pose be your personal reminder to slow down and appreciate the present moment.
Whether you practice it for two minutes or twenty, you are giving yourself a precious gift of tranquility. Unroll your mat, find your seat, and take a deep, fragrant breath. The garden of mindfulness is waiting for you.
