A Guide to The Various Meditation Postures
October 6, 2008
Since ages past, meditation has been practiced by countless people for its many benefits. Practicing meditation as part of your daily routine might lead to improvements in your outlook and attitude.
Almost all meditative practices teach that the spine must remain straight and slumping is not encouraged. The reason for this is that when you sit erect it promotes the circulation of your spiritual energy. This is considered to be your life force.
Even though a straight back is almost universal in the different approaches to meditation, some spiritual traditions and meditation instructors advise a variety of postures. Let’s take a look at some of them.
1. Seated posture. The individual sits upright while maintaining a straight back. Spine and head are aligned and straight. The thighs are parallel to the floor. Hands are placed comfortably on the knees or chair arms.
2. Cross legged posture. This is one of the most popular positions, and includes the lotus position.
3. Kneeling posture. The person is positioned with both knees resting on the floor. Buttocks remain resting on the heels and toes, which are close together. The hands are placed on the thighs.
4. Lying down posture. This is also called the corpse position or, in yoga, savasna. The person lies down on the floor keeping the legs unbent and at ease. This position isn’t used often because it copies the innate position of sleep. The individual can occasionally nod off. This is more useful for stress reduction rather than as a meditation method.
As well as the postures, there are a number of actions or gestures that might form part of the meditation experience. Among these are hand gestures called Mudras. There’s a theological significance behind these motions. Founded on the yogic school of thought, they might affect the consciousness. One illustration is the typical Buddhist hand placement. The right hand reposes on top of the left hand with thumbs touching.
Integrating assorted repetitive actions like chanting, deep breathing or humming also assists in bringing on a state of meditation. There are also those who use walking meditation. Typically, the eyes are closed or partially closed during meditation. Those who practice Soto Zen meditation, however, do so with their eyes open looking at a wall.
To gain the benefits of meditation, follow the training of the type of meditation you have decided to practice. Remember that acceptance and persistence are necessary in order to have success. This might help you during difficult times of meditation and will improve focus in your daily life.
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