So, what about posture? Posture is important when meditating. We are aiming for a dignified and upright, yet comfortable position. Sit with your back in an upright position, not too rigid but not too lax. You should feel comfortable, yet sense that your spinal column is straight. After you sit, it helps to reach under […]]]>
So, what about posture?
Posture is important when meditating. We are aiming for a dignified and upright, yet comfortable position.
Sit with your back in an upright position, not too rigid but not too lax. You should feel comfortable, yet sense that your spinal column is straight.
After you sit, it helps to reach under each side of your derrière and pull back the fleshy parts on each side, in order to feel your two sitting bones (sitz bone, ischial tuberosity). Or you can lean forward from the waist and then raise your torso back up again. This should set you on your sitz bones. This relieves much tension in your back and is where your weight should primarily fall.
Once you have your weight properly placed, imagine that there is a string at the very top of your head pulling you upward. Your chin drops slightly to create that straight line from your head to your lumbar area.
Then relax any excess tension, so as not to be rigid or force a straight posture.
So, what do you do with your hands? The easiest thing to do is to just place your hands on your thighs. If you want to experiment with mudras, you can put your fingers in any one of the many combinations. A mudra is a position normally touching two fingers together, for example your thumb and first finger (like making the “ok” sign) and resting your hands on your lap in this position.
Each mudra has different meanings but one practical use of the mudra is to keep enough tension in your hands so that you don’t fall asleep, yet without straining. Again, just like your back, you neither want too much tension nor too much relaxation in your hands, so that you maintain both comfort and attention.
Do not hold your hands up in the air in the mudra formation like you sometimes see when people are making a caricature of meditation. That will just make you hate meditation, albeit, give you some nice shoulder muscles.
Sitting on a cushion
Some people prefer to use a cushion and sit with their legs crossed. This is the classic meditation position. There are many types of meditation cushions (called a “zafu”) on the market and it is worth investing in one, since they are made for this activity. You do not need to be in a lotus position or even cross one leg onto the other if your knees cannot take it, it is enough to just place one leg inside towards your body and bend the other right in front of that leg or slightly on top of it, however it is most comfortable for you.
Make sure that your cushion raises you up high enough so as not to feel like you are straining your back, and low enough so that your legs can rest comfortably on the floor. If you feel discomfort or your knees do not reach the ground when sitting, don’t hold them up in the air. Either adjust your height or place a cushion below one or both knees so that they are at the same height and can rest completely and comfortably.
Sitting on a meditation bench
There are special benches made for meditation which are quite comfortable, since there is less strain on the legs and knees. These are placed on a flat cushion or “zafutón” to make it more comfortable. You end up in a kneeling position but the weight is carried by your backside, like in a chair. I personally prefer this method.
Sitting in a chair
This is perhaps the best choice for people with serious knee problems or any other physical limitations that do not allow you to be in the other positions. You may also just prefer it. If you decide to sit in a chair, it helps to keep both feet on the floor, and perhaps place a cushion under them, to raise your feet a bit. You want your knees to be at the same height as your hips.
Either sit towards the edge of the chair, or towards the back, yet without resting fully on the back of the chair. It also might help to place a cushion under you to raise you up and create a good angle. Try different options and choose the most comfortable one.
Lying down
You can also meditate lying down on a mat. In this case, do not cross your legs. You can either bend your knees (as if you were going to do push-ups) or stretch them out. If you bend your legs, some like to use a band or something to loosely tie your knees together so that you don’t have to strain to keep them from falling to each side. There is a greater chance of falling asleep when lying down, but this is a great position for doing a body scan meditation.
Other possibilities
If you have any type of physical difficulty, injury or impediment, adjust your posture to one that suits you.
Breathing Meditation This is a very simple and most profound practice. You can start with 5 or 10 minutes and work your way up to 30 or 45 minutes. This is a great daily practice! Preparation: Find a quiet space to do this mediation, where there will be no interruptions. It is a good idea […]]]>
Breathing Meditation
This is a very simple and most profound practice. You can start with 5 or 10 minutes and work your way up to 30 or 45 minutes. This is a great daily practice!
- Preparation:
- Find a quiet space to do this mediation, where there will be no interruptions.
- It is a good idea to have a timer set with a pleasant bell or tone to mark the end of the meditation. This way you don’t have to think about that.
- Set up your chair, meditation cushions or bench and have a blanket or cover nearby in case you get cold.
- Get into your preferred position and wiggle or move around a bit until you feel that your weight is properly placed, there are no unnecessary tensions in your body and you are quite comfortable. See my post on meditation posture and positions for more detailed information.
- It helps to take a couple of slow deep belly breaths before starting, just to relax your body. You can also just quickly scan your body to see if there is any unnecessary tensions, and relax them, once you think you have found your position.
- Lastly, Before I truly begin, I like to set an intention in my head. I say to myself that I am going to meditate for 30 minutes (or however many minutes you choose) and that I don’t need to do anything else for that time except focus on my breath (or other object of meditation). This helps calm any nervous energy that may surface in relation to my responsibilities or things I think I have to do that day, or if there are any distractions during my meditation. It reminds me that I have nothing else to do at this moment. I have reserved this time for meditation, and it protects me from the mind’s tricks to distract me into stopping my meditation.
- Begin:
- Start by just breathing in and out in a natural way. Notice the sensations that arise in relation to your breath. Notice the cooler air coming in through your nostrils and entering your chest or belly, depending on how you are breathing. Feel the expansion of the chest or belly. You don’t need to change or adjust your breathing in any way. We are just observing, with curiosity and without judging.
- Notice the space after we breathe out. We don’t normally inhale and exhale without a pause unless we are panting. What happens to your body when this pause arises? Notice how it feels and how your body begins to breathe in again.
- Now notice the temperature, texture and sensations as the breath leaves your body. Notice how your chest falls or your belly pulls inward without effort.
- This whole meditation is focused on the breath. It might seem boring, but as you progress, you will see that there are slight differences between each inhale and exhale. Every day that you do this exercise you also feel different and breathe differently.
3. It’s not that easy…
- As you are focusing on the breath, inevitably thoughts will arise in your head (planning, worrying, regretting, daydreaming, conversing, etc.). Remember that the aim of meditation is NOT to leave your mind blank. This is not only a myth, it is impossible until you have developed your practice for about ten thousand years. Just kidding. Everyone experiences mental chatter. The name of the game here is to become aware each time this is happening, name it, and then gently return your focus to the breath. The breath is always there for us to return to. You may realize in the moment or after a few minutes that your mind has wandered off. This is all normal, and can be received with non-judging and an open, observing nature. Just say to yourself – “thinking” and gently return to your breath. Sometimes you hear the timer go off and you realize that you just spent 90% of the meditation ruminating about some problem. This happens to everyone.
- You might also notice physical sensations or emotions. You can handle them in the same way. Just label it for what it is and return to the breath. Perhaps you feel angry or anxious. Just say to yourself, “feeling angry” and then go back to the breath. You can always go back later and think about this anger and where it comes from, but now remain in the breath. It is quite common at the beginning to feel bored. This is another emotion, and trick your mind is playing on you to get you to stop meditating. Just observe your boredom and return to the breath.
- If the emotion or physical sensation is too much, then shift your attention and focus to that sensation or emotion and stay with it for a while. Try breathing into it. This will often calm the sensation and create space. Try to adopt an air of curiosity about the discomfort and observe it as if it were a discovery. What are you feeling? Where is it in your body? Don’t get into the why, just observe the sensations as the arise. The why of it would mean thinking, and that’s not where we want to go. When you can, gently return to the breath.
**Note: Know the difference between discomfort and real pain. If you are experiencing any real physical pain (for example, perhaps you have too much pressure on your knee due to your posture, or you feel truly ill) tend to this by either adjusting your posture (this can be a mini-meditation within your meditation, as you observe the movement you make to find comfort) or stopping the meditation completely.
Some final thoughts…
The repetition of becoming aware of thoughts, emotions or physical sensations, and then returning to the breath will hone your conscious awareness. Little by little, without effort, there will be less mental activity and it will be easier to concentrate on your breath. This comes again, without effort.
Keep in mind that there is no final goal here. In other words, it is not a contest, or something you are training to achieve. The very nature of meditation is non-judgmental and effortless. You don’t “try” to meditate, or push out thoughts. You let it all happen and remain an observer, yet with the gentle intention of focusing on the object of your meditation, in this case, the breath.
When the bell sounds at the end of your meditation, slowly exit the posture and move your body as you need to. Stretch or wiggle your hands, arms, legs and feet, stretch your back or just sit back and mentally come out of the meditation at your own pace.
Feel gratitude for this experience!