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So when you begin to meditate it is really important that you find
the most comfortable sitting position.
Now you might assume that that's on the armchair, the sofa or some people even try
it on their bed.
But when we think about the
kind of mindset
that we're we're trying to cultivate here, we're looking to get a balance of
focus on the one hand and relaxation on the other.
So if your sat on your your armchair or your sofa
and you in this position
,then although you might feel very relaxed
you're not going to have the necessary focus or alertness in the mind.
Equally if you're sat right
on the edge of the chair,
bolt upright like this,
you're going to feel very alert and focused
but you're not going to have relaxation element.
So we want to set the body up in a way
that the mind is then going to reflect.
I think the best way,
by the way for you
if you already sit cross-legged on the floor and you've grown up that way
that's fine and you're welcome to meditate in that way of course.
But if you haven't then I would recommend that you do it on a chair
something like this, an upright chair.
Now the way that is usually recommended is to sit in the middle of the chair
with your legs uncrossed and feet flat on the floor
and you're arms and your hands either resting on the legs
or just in the lab, so that's the one hand just on top of the other.
The important thing is that you set the body up in a way
that the muscles are able to switch off and you're not sitting there thinking about
trying to sit in a certain position.
You're able to just position the body in such a way that it remains
seated like that
and you can then just
allow
the body to sort of unwind,
allow any tension to let go.
So it all begins
really with the position of the hips and the pelvis.
Now if I position myself in the middle of the chair
and just let myself relax
This is what happens, I slump forward.
And when I'm slumped I can't really breath properly.
So it's not a very effective way to meditate.
Instead when I sit down, if I push
my backside back and tilt the pelvis
then than that sets the back up
in a very straight position. I'm not using the muscles
to hold the back in place, simply because the hips and the pelvis
are in the right position
the backs naturally straight.
So if you can set yourself up in that position then that's great.
If you still find yourself hunching a little bit then you might like to just put a
cushion or rolled up towel under here
just so that you tilt the pelvis a little bit more.
Now with the head you would think that it just sits there very naturally but very
often
the head can do this
as you fall asleep
or it can sometimes do this as well.
If you do find yourself halfway through the meditation with your head right down
here or up here
just remember to very consciously
bring it back to that sitting
, that straight position, on top there.
So that's about it for sitting but remember to check back as there's a lot more
useful tips on how to get the very best
from your meditation.