Everything you need to know about meditation posture and structure.

​​MEDITATION POSTURE
There is a lot of bollocks on the internet about posture, featuring attractive young men and women sitting on rocks overlooking water, or on steps (!?) as if they've been sat there for hours contemplating wise enlightened attention. Utter marketing drivel. Please don't buy it or anything you read here that make you think you're not good enough. 

The aim of this blog is to dispel that claptrap and keep it simple, concise and useful. 

HOW SHOULD I SIT IN MEDIATION?
Firstly let's get it clear - meditation is a practice of mindfulness (paying attention to the present moment without judgement). Therefore there is no 'right' as that is a judgement. The aim is to sit in a way that is comfortable for your body, and which also represents the attitude you want to carry inside as you meditate. What you 'want' not what you 'need' to do. 
This chosen attitude will dictate your posture. Interestingly there are theories that the external attitude is related to an internal attitude. One is affected by the other. That means your current posture is a reflection of your internal state AND you can affect your internal state by changing your posture. My experience is that by choosing a posture to reflect an attitude that I deeply enjoy  I have created that inside and out as an automatic pattern. :)

INTENTION + ATTITUDE + VISUALISATION + BODILY FEEDBACK = POSTURE. 
 
Intention: Why are you here? What are you hoping to feel, have or do within this meditation? You don't have to think about this every time, but for the first few it's worth considering. Generally my intention is to love myself, to be diligently focused and peaceful & loving towards what I find.
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Attitude: What attitude would I like to bring to create that intention? Again, I'll get into the swing of this and barely think about it most day, but I'll often remind myself: I'm going to choose an attitude of 'self respect' and 'alertness'. Attitude and intention are nearly the same thing, but attitude is more of a feeling and way of 'being', whereas intention is more a 'doing'. 

Visualisation: What image could help create the attitude? I like to use either, the image of wearing a cape, like superman, and tying it on creates a shoulder roll. Or the image of a string at the crown of my head getting lightly pulled up so that my spine hangs naturally. Another is to imagine a cushion of air between each vertebrae and then as you breathe in deep it inflates and as you breathe our some air is released, leaving the spine well adjusted and stacked. You can hold the visual image for 10-30 seconds to make it stick. You don't have to physically change anything, the body will do the work for you. 

Bodily Feedback: What would this look like in posture? Let's give it a go and find out as we tune into the body. I start by choosing to kneel, with a straight back, relaxed face, slightly dipped chin. I then realise my shoulders are hunched and chest is collapsed so I correct this with a rib cage lift (engage the core muscles!) and roll my shoulders behind my back. 
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Posture: Many people like to sit cross-legged. I usually like to use a stool and kneel. I can change my posture in small ways (or completely) as I meditate. Moving doesn't mean I've failed. I've gradually learned when to tune in to discomfort, to watch and wait. Now I rarely move, but that is a natural product of years of experimentation. I've been meditating a long time and I'm used to this posture. Sometimes I try a different posture once in a while to shake things up. These could include:

1.Sukhasana (Easy Pose)
Basically legs crossed sitting with feet under the knees. Some all it Burmese. 

2. The Lotus positions (seductive name!)
Quarter is basically legs crossed with feet on the calves. Half lotus would be one leg on top of the other thigh and one leg extended (awkward!) and full lotus is both feet resting on top of the opposite thighs. Pali term: Padmasana.

Tips: Structure of checks for an aligned posture

1. Allow the floor to support your weight with lots of contact

2. Allow a natural tilt of the hips and curve of the lower back

3., Use the internal muscles to raise the rib-cage and then relax it, especially the belly

4. Ease the shoulder blades back together and then relax slightly 

5. Align to centre yourself forward/back and left/right

6. Imagine a pull up from the crown of the head and thus allow the chin to naturally dip a few millimetres. 

7. Keep the alignment and allow all other unnecessary tension to soften away.

** IN ALL POSTURES TAKE CARE OF YOUR BODY AND NOTICE PAIN. ADJUST AS NECESSARY

​3. Kneeling / Stool (Seiza in Japanese Zen)
Kneel on  cushion between your legs, or use a kneeling stool. I make these and sell them for £20. Let me know if you want one. They have cool hinges. The stools have a tilt to encourage the hips to tilt, so there is a natural bend in the lower back and the spine is stacked comfortably. Geisha used to sit for hours like this, without a stool or cushion! I don't recommend it for your knees. 

4. Chair
If you use a chair I recommend putting the feet flat, or if the chair is too low for that, cross them. If the chair is too high find a book or cushion to support the feet. Sit right back, but don't lean back into the back rest. Come off it. You can always use if if you get tired. A little cushion under your butt can help, and even a rolled up towel to support the lower back. 

5. Lying Down
You can lie on back or front, but try and use a posture that doesn't promote sleep, unless you want that. The hands can help with this by placing one on the chest and one on the belly, or both on the ground, palms up. Support the head and neck if you experience pain. 

Summary
These are the overall postures, but remember the attitude is more important than the specifics. Do what feels 'right' (with the context I describe above) for you.

In all of these postures the hands can relax as you wish. Some prefer palms open or fingers together as that has mental associations to energy moving or to openness. Ok, if that works for you do it. 

That is the general rule. So if you find lots of pain,  give it a little time, breathe with it and see if it shifts. Only you know the difference between a little pain of muscles stretching and adapting vs damage occurring. Listen closely and adjust as necessary. 

So what do I do in a meditation?
It's really simple, but it's not easy. The point it to BE WITH YOURSELF in non judgement and non reaction. That means sit relatively still and allow yourself to NOTICE, OBSERVE and WELCOME things (NOW). Be in the now. If your thoughts come, acknowledge them, thank the  mind and bring your focus back to here and now. This could be:

• ​Sensations in your body - like the tingling of your lips or the pulse of the heart
• Feelings and emotions - notice how they move and track them
• Pain and pleasure - try and move between them and explore them both as OK
• Urges - surf the urge, notice how long it lasts and compassionately challenge yourself to sit with it for another two breaths. 

We are gradually becoming more aware, more sensitive. Moving away from reaction and towards responsiveness by observing what is happening. You may choose to observe the breath in your belly for 20 minutes and that's it. You may choose to scan the body. Here is my go to plan:

1. Set a timer! So helpful it can be 5 mins or one hour... I like 15 mins. BONG! 
2. Stretch and move first
3. Find a posture that is healthy and sit relatively still
4. Breathe deeply in the belly and out through the mouth. Focus on long, slow outbreaths to regulate the nervous system. Then breathe naturally, through the nose. 
5. Observe the sounds and then the sight behind the eyes, then listen for the silence behind the sounds.
6. Relax and come into the body. Concentrate on the belly breathing for a while. Perhaps use a mantra. 
7. Perhaps scan the body, perhaps not. Either way thank the mind if you notice thinking. Label the thoughts and keep returning
8. BONG! Once the timer goes give yourself time to meet the physical needs of the body. Get up and do something now. 

Mantra?
A mantra is a repeated phrase used to concentrate the mind. Some people love to chant or think in meditation. I love an internal mantra and sometimes use it. Here are a few nice ones:

• Innnnn.... Ouuuuut.... (follow breath)
• It's OK  I'm OK.
• Here, This
• All is welcome
• You are enough, You are loved
• May I have peace, May I have health, May I have success, May I have love
• Yes, Thank You

As you can see you can make up whatever you want. In TM (Transcendental Meditation) they made a whole industry from this - charging people thousands to learn a made up (secret and magical) mantra. They believe its helpful to not have words, but more like 'sounds' - an idea of a sound. Oooooommmm.... Raaaiiiiii........ for example. Try it. 

The key thing to remember:  Compassionate Curiosity
With meditation posture and stillness are HELPFUL but the key thing is to practice COMPASSIONATE CURIOSTY. Meet whatever you find with this attitude and you'll begin to train the mind to do this all the time. Your body will relax and cooperate. It take time and repetition, as with any skill, but more than that is takes the quality of compassionate  curiosity. 

If you nee to move, adjust or do something in meditation take a moment and get curious first, then, if you wish, do it, and enjoy it - do it fully and deliberately. Notice how it is. Then, choose to come back to stillness and introspection. It is a wonderful journey and if you are just beginning I am envious! So many riches to open up to and discover. You'll grow in sensitivity and awareness as well as love for yourself and the world. Of course, you'll probably first discover IT GETS HARDER BEFORE IT GET'S EASIER. Because we become more aware of patterns of shame, guilt, anger and fear.... jucy! If you need help let me know.

​Good luck and enjoy  the ride x

Notice the postures indicate internal states. What would you like to feel inside?