Meditation & Posture (Asana)

Have you been to a meditation class and struggled with relaxing or had difficulty stilling your mind?

There are many different meditation traditions and each of them have their own ideas about the most suitable posture. I've come to the conclusion that there is no universal correct posture for all beginners.

One of the first things I recommend to anybody learning meditation is to experiment with the best posture for you. It doesn't matter what everybody else says they do. By all means pay attention to their advice and suggestions and then make sure you adopt the posture that works for you. This may mean trying a few different ones for a while.

You may be familiar with the lotus position, which can be a great posture for meditation. However it is not great for everybody. There are many alternative postures for sitting on the floor, e.g. the simple crossed leg position. There are also a variety of props to help you. You can use blocks or cushions. Or you can lean against the wall to keep your back straight.

You don't even need to adopt a seated posture on the floor at all. Why not try one of the kneeling postures. These can be very comfortable, especially to start with. Just make sure you don't kneel if you have any knee injuries.

While you are on the floor you can even try shivasana (corpse pose), lying on your back, arms beside you, palms facing upwards, legs slightly apart. It is best to do this without any cushion under the head, unless you have neck problems. (You can also use a cushion under the knees if you have knee problems in this posture.)

Some people like to sit in a chair when first learning meditation. This can be great for getting the basics of meditation. Just make sure you find a comfortable chair with adequate support for your body.

Many of my students particularly enjoy standing in meditation. This is a terrific way of getting the body fully aligned, enjoying visualisations of the chakras and focusing on the flow of prana (chi, mana, energy) through the energy channels in the body. It is also an interesting way to develop a connection between the earth and the heavens through your body. You might be surprised by how long you can stand in meditation and how deeply you go. This is a very good posture for people who have tended to sleep during their first attempts at meditating. It is much easier to stay awake when you are standing, isn't it.

Have fun experimenting. Feel free to post your comments and questions on this blog or contact me for further advice and information.

Author: Andy Lucas, Spring to Mind Meditation Brighton and Hove