Yeah that's an awesome picture man. My wife and I tried the easier version of the planche counter-balance today but she was unsure her back was strong enough so we'll probably wait til we have a spotter.

As far as lotus pose goes...I spent a few years where several days a week I'd just sit in lotus or half lotus just to get used to it and get more flexible. Incorporating it into other poses has been a lot of fun for me. But yeah you gotta be careful with the knees especially!