Within the Shiva Samhita, the teaching on postures is strikingly concise. Although the tradition speaks of many āsanas, this text singles out four as especially significant for practice. These are Siddhāsana, Padmāsana, Ugrāsana, and Svastikāsana. Rather than offering a vast catalogue, the scripture highlights a small set of seated forms that support meditation, inner steadiness, and the awakening of spiritual energy.

Siddhāsana, often rendered as the Accomplished or Perfect Pose, is presented as the foremost of these. Its defining feature is the placement of one heel at the perineum and the other at the base of the generative organ, with the hands arranged in a meditative gesture. This configuration is not merely physical; it is portrayed as especially conducive to inner concentration and the subtle processes of yoga. The text thus elevates Siddhāsana as a kind of royal road among postures, the seat from which deeper practices unfold.

Padmāsana, the well-known Lotus Pose, is described as the classic cross-legged meditation posture, with each foot resting on the opposite thigh and the hands held in mudrā. Here, too, the emphasis falls less on physical detail and more on its suitability as a stable base for contemplation. Ugrāsana, the Fierce or intense posture, is depicted as a seated forward bend: the practitioner sits with the legs extended and folds forward to grasp the toes. This posture is portrayed as powerful, channeling energy through a firm yet inwardly directed effort.

Svastikāsana, the Auspicious Pose, completes the quartet. It is a comfortable cross-legged seat in which the feet are placed between the thighs and calves, creating a simple but steady arrangement of the lower body. By selecting these four—two cross-legged meditation seats and two more structurally distinctive forms—the Shiva Samhita suggests that the heart of āsana practice lies not in endless variety, but in a few well-chosen postures that harmonize body, breath, and awareness. The text’s focus on these essential forms reflects a vision of yoga in which physical alignment serves as a gateway to subtle realization rather than an end in itself.