Making Sense of the NYT Crossword Clue “Sitting Meditation Pose”

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Early on February 1, something unusual and perhaps unprecedented happened. Online searches for the phrase “sitting meditation pose” surged literally thousands of times more than is seen on a typical Thursday morning, according to Google Trends. Curiously, the majority of searchers weren’t seeking enlightenment or even how to quiet their thoughts. They were seeking a five-letter answer to the three-word clue “sitting meditation pose” from the New York Times crossword puzzle, which had been released hours earlier.

Apparently in crossword puzzle circles, the Thursday NYT crossword puzzle is known to be one of  the more confounding of the week. As a kindness to readers, answers to select clues are revealed in its Wordplay column, published daily along with the crossword puzzle. The answer to “sitting meditation pose” was among them. [Spoiler alert: You’re about to learn the answer.]

Columnist Deb Amlen wrote:

“The difference between a definition and a crossword clue is that a definition must explain something precisely, no more, no less. A crossword clue, especially one that appears in a late-week puzzle, has a bit more wiggle room, and the clue ‘Sitting meditation pose’ is a good example. The answer, ASANA, merely means “pose,” so it could be any hatha yoga pose, including but not limited to the seated ones.”

Technically, the crossword clue isn’t wrong. It’s actually quite brilliant. But the definition of “asana” in the accompanying column may prompt some questions among those familiar with yoga or Sanskrit (and Amlen’s use of “merely” may raise some eyebrows).

Arundhati Baitmangalkar, a self-described Indian immigrant, yoga teacher, host of the Let’s Talk Yoga podcast, and yoga nerd, explains “Asana essentially means ‘seat,’” she says. “And originally, that seat was intended for meditation.”

At that time, there were no yoga poses as we know them today, says Baitmangalkar (who is not a crossword person). “The only pose that existed for yogis thousands of years ago was the sitting meditation pose, whether they were asking you to sit for meditation or some other form of contemplation.”

It was only in recent centuries that various postures were introduced to the lexicon of yoga. As such, asana has become a familiar and catchall word, intended to distinguish physical yoga from the less physical aspects of yoga.

So although Amlen’s definition of asana might be ever so slightly incomplete, taking a cue from the ancient teachings of yoga reminds us to look at the intention behind both the clue and the column, which is to coax readers to contort their brains, not their bodies, so as to perceive the world slightly differently. Just as what happens in meditation.

RELATED: Even a One-Minute Meditation Can Deliver Profound Benefits, According to Research