Perfecting Your Meditation Posture

USARIEMWhen people hear the word, “meditation,” they immediately begin to conjure up images in their mind of people sitting in lotus pose — the quintessential yoga pose, whereby you sit on the floor with your legs crossed over one another and your back up straight, stiff as a board. If you’ve ever tried sitting in lotus pose, then you know just how difficult it actually is, despite how easy it looks. Popular culture has taught us that the lotus pose is an integral facet of meditation, but the truth is; it’s not.

You do not have to master the lotus pose to properly and effectively meditate. Now, if you want to master yoga, then you better master the lotus, but do not assume that yoga and meditation are a package deal. You can practice yoga without incorporating meditation, and vice versa. Honestly, the best meditation posture is whichever one you find yourself the most comfortable in. I should also mention there is no universal rule that stipulates you must sit on the floor when you meditate. You can meditate sitting in a chair, standing up, or even lying down. If you’ve been following this blog, then of course you already know about walking meditation.

Find a place where you are comfortable, and then find a comfortable seat. Again, you do not actually have to sit; you can stand, lie down, or do whatever feels natural. Once you are comfortable and positioned in a way that feels completely natural, start your meditation session. Do not think about how you are sitting while you are meditating; only focus on your meditation. As some time passes, you will notice that you unconsciously begin to shift your body into the position that is the most comfortable and effective for you while you’re meditating.

Now, I should include a few caveats… There are some practical purposes to sitting in a position like the lotus pose. You do not want to be in a position that obstructs your breathing — e.g., slouched over. You also do not want to be in a position that restricts or cuts off blood flow to any particular part of your body because this will become quite distracting as you constantly have to reposition yourself and wriggle around. You should not worry to much about these things, though, because as you practice meditating more and more, you will unconsciously correct the errors in your posture.

 

 

Note: Specifically, with regards to medical issues, always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on the Web site.

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