1 If you try to do meditation or self hypnosis exercises and you are too comfortable you can fall asleep
2A It is better for your flexibility then doing the meditation or self flexibility in what is called easy pose.
2B The hip abductor muscles that connect to the IT band can be stretched through either externally or internally rotating the hip since on the muscle charts they either are listed as having an action of internally or externally rotating the hip plus hip abduction
The story is that a lot of people would spend so much of their time staying still meditating that people developed exercises to prevent health problems from the meditation
Sitting prolonged in lotus is better for the health than sitting for prolonged time in regular sitting in what is called easy pose