Meditation Posture

[Quark]

Im just wondering about my meditation posture.   From what I have read you are supposed to keep your back relatively straight.  Now the problem Im finding is that in order to do this you must use your stomach and back muscles constantly to hold you in this position.  Now Im wondering how does this effect the idea of trying to be totally relaxed?  HOw can my body become totally relaxed when my stomach and back are trying to keep my back fairly straight.?  In order to feel totally relaxed I end up being hunched over like Mr. Burns.

Also,  when going into the Lotus position the first leg you cross in, is that leg supposed to be the resting on the ground?  When I cross the 1st leg in then cross the second leg on top, that first leg is flat on the ground while the top leg is above the ground.  Is this correct?  Im also having a hard time keeping that second leg from not slipping out of itss position.

Any help would be appreciated

[Tom]

It takes some time to get the legs to sit properly in the full lotus. It even takes some time to get them this way in the half lotus. It is the effort which matters more than the results, which will come later. You might find it useful to use the half-lotus until your legs adjust to it and then work toward the full lotus. As for which leg to have on top, you will probably find that one way is easier than the other. You should use the one which is easier for you. I keep my right leg on top because I read it was traditional, but it also happens to be easier.

Keeping your back straight starts with your sitting bones and you work your way up from there. Proper alignment allows gravity to help keep you in place. It will feel uncomfortable at first because your muscles are trained to feel comfortable in a different position. When I'm sitting up straight it always feels like I am about to fall backward, but anyone looking at me will see proper alignment. Keeping your eyes open during the adjustment period will help you to correct your feel for what is right until proper alignment no longer makes you feel like you are going to fall over. It is a meditation by itself just to develop your lotus posture by working on relaxation and your alignment. It will slow the internal dialogue by taking energy away from it.

[Ybom]

Quark,
Don't think you have to be in the Lotus to meditate. Some people even meditate during a brisk walk.

Also in no way am I traying to imply that you don't already know this stuff, but I'm just making sure.

[Quark]

awesome, thanks for the tips.  I will work at it slowly to get comfortable with it.  

Thanks!

[The AlphaOmega]

I too have pondered on this issue.  It was during meditation that I thought about the meaning of the posture necissary for meditation itself.  The answer that I recieved was that the posture was important, but not one specific posture is necissary.  Meditation is a process of devotion.  More specifically, a devotion to the act itself.  When one prays you can have many forms of praying.  There is the general on the knees hands embraced form, but others pray standing up facing a certain wall, or swaying, or even looking towards the sky.  What must be remembered is that when you pray you devote your body to a certain form to get into the mind set.  It's similar to sleeping.  When you lie down your body thinks "ok, I'm in this posture, it's time to fall asleep".  Praying and meditation are the same way.  It's not the actual posture that creates meditation, it's the conditioning of putting yourself in s specific posture that triggers the mind to get ready to meditate, or pray, or sleep, etc.  If you have to be sitting at a 90 degree angle to make your body relax and get ready for meditation, then that is what you should be doing.  But if you are standing at a certain angle facing a certain direction, and that triggers your mind into devoting itself into meditation, then that is just as good.  Whatever devotes yourself to the act in itself is what you should be doing.

[paint1]

If the lotus position isn't comfortable, sit in an upright position on a straight back kitchen chair.

[Quark]

thanks for the tips!  

AlphaOmega: what you have said makes perfect sense!  Thanks!

[GorillaBait]

I feel strongly that good posture is very, very important to overall well-being:  body and mind are both equally important.  Proper spinal alignment allows for proper blood and energy flow, and promotes relaxation.  Proper posture requires certain muscles to become developed which normally are under-used, so in adjusting to a better posture, you're forcing some level of muscular development.  By doing this, your overall physical health will be benefited, so I would recommend posture training as part of a meditation discipline.