Note: For the complete lessons, see the AYP Books.

Lesson 33 - Meditation Q&A – A new way to sit in meditation

From: Yogani
Date: Fri Dec 5, 2003 5:03pm

New Members: It is recommended you read from the beginning of the
archive, as previous lessons are prerequisite to this one. The first
lesson is, "Why This Discussion?"

Q: In a yoga class I went to, the instructor said one should always
sit vertically without back support on a floor mat or pillow when
meditating. I have been trying this and getting pretty sore in the
process. Is this necessary for successful meditation?

A: In a word, no. Meditation works just fine while sitting on a soft
surface with back support. An easy chair is good. Being on a bed with
a couple of pillows behind us is better, for reasons that will become
clear shortly. Don't meditate in a reclined position, as this can
result in sleep rather than meditation. The idea is to be sitting
upright comfortably. We don't want unnecessary discomfort in the body
competing with the simple procedure of meditation. If it is natural
for you to sit on a hard surface without back support for twenty
minutes or more, this is okay for meditation. But few will be able to
do this, and it is not necessary. Less comfort is synonymous with
unnecessary distraction in meditation. So keep it comfortable.

Having said all that, here comes a curve ball.

Once you are steady in your daily meditation routine and feel you are
ready for the next step in your yoga practice, it is a good idea to
put your legs in a crossed position while you are meditating. This is
where the bed comes in handy. If you can get one leg in so the sole
of your foot is against the inside of your thigh with your heel near
your crotch, this is good. The other leg can come in with its sole
resting on the shin of the first leg. It doesn't matter which leg
goes inside first to the thigh. It is your choice. Over time, you can
develop the ability to switch legs, so that either one can be the
inside leg during meditation. Comfort will be the determining factor
on which leg to use on the inside.

If you are new at this, it may seem difficult. For most it will take
some doing, but we will not be approaching it in an extreme way. We
will take a very gentle, gradual approach. There are important long-
term reasons why we are tackling this now, so give it the necessary
consideration, as long as it does not jeopardize your regular
meditation routine.

Making first attempts, you may find that you are not able to get your
inside foot to your thigh. You may find your knees sticking up in the
air, not wanting to lie flat on the bed. Go as far as you comfortably
can, and use pillows to prop up your knees if necessary, so you can
be as comfortable as possible while meditating. Don't torture
yourself, or your meditation, by forcing yourself into an
uncomfortable position. What we want is to gently coax our legs into
a cross-legged position over a period of time. It might happen
immediately for some. For others it might take weeks or months of
gentle coaxing. It is the direction we gradually want to go in. Rome
was not built in a day.

As you become familiar with the physics of your legs, you will find
that your knees will more easily come down and lie comfortably on the
bed when the soles of your feet are turned up a bit. The toes of the
inside foot can then tuck under the thigh with the heel remaining
near the crotch, and the toes of the outside foot can then tuck under
the shin. A bed is very good for this, as the soles of the feet can
easily turn up while the tops of the feet sink into the mattress a
bit. Having turned the soles of the feet up, if the knees still have
not come down, feel free to use pillows to fill in the void under
them. But if you are turning the soles up, the knees should come
down, just as though you are heading toward kneeling on the bed with
your knees spread wide apart. Use back support while meditating and
developing this new way of sitting in meditation. You will find that
you can get comfortable in this position after a gentle coaxing
period of several weeks or months. If your legs get uncomfortable
during meditation it is okay to extend one or both of them out on the
bed as needed and continue meditating. Or you can switch the inside
leg from one to the other from time to time, and continue that way.
Do whatever it takes to keep comfortable during meditation, while
gently favoring the cross-legged way of sitting at the same time. In
time, sitting this way will become second nature, and you will be
able to meditate easily and not even notice how you are sitting.

If there is a disability or other limiting factor you can't overcome,
and sitting cross-legged is not going to be possible for you, it is
okay. You can still meditate and derive all the benefits. Nothing is
lost. As we take on new advanced yoga practices down the road, there
are ways we can get around the lack of crossed legs. Crossed legs are
preferable, but not mandatory.

Obviously, when we find ourselves in situations where we will be
meditating in planes, offices, waiting rooms, etc., we just sit
normally on our chair without any special position for the legs. But
when we are meditating at home, we always favor (with comfort) the
cross-legged way of sitting just described. It is an important
preparation that will form the foundation for a dramatic stage of our
spiritual transformation as we add additional advanced yoga
practices.

The guru is in you.

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