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Knee injury - sitting posture

marticcrnmarticcrn
edited September 2011 in Meditation
I am new to practice and experimenting with posture. I find with a regular bed pillow (folded) or a zafu (at sangha) my knee hurts (I have an old ligament injury). I'm looking for suggestions for other postures that don't require quite as much "bend" in one knee. I am sitting in a burmese position. I've looked at benches (my, they're costly!) and at gomden cushions (which I could probably make fairly inexpensively). I don't want to invest a ton until I've found a position that is comfortable.

I welcome your suggestions.

Comments

  • MountainsMountains Veteran
    edited September 2011
    I just bought a seiza bench and it makes a HUGE difference, both for my knees and for my back. I know a bench is an investment, but you can also get $10 worth of lumber and some wood screws and make a perfectly functional one yourself.

    Seiza position with a bench (which raises you butt up and doesn't flex your knees as much as sitting on your heels) is *much* easier on your knees than any kind of a cross-legged posture. If you have an old ligament injury I'd be very careful about doing any at all. Nothing wrong with sitting in a chair to meditate.

    I do highly recommend a bench though. It will be much easier on your knees.
  • johnathanjohnathan Canada Veteran
    Here's what the doctor ordered:

    http://www.embody.co.uk/blog/post/how_to_make_a_meditation_stool

    Looks pretty simple... Haven't made one yet but plan too.
  • personperson Don't believe everything you think The liminal space Veteran
    Just linked this site in another post but I find it very thorough on the in and outs of posture.

    http://www.wildmind.org/posture
  • MountainsMountains Veteran
    Great link there @johnathan! That's about the simplest building project I can imagine.
  • DakiniDakini Veteran
    If you've lost some range of motion in your knee, you can meditate sitting in a chair, sitting on the floor with one leg straight, or lying on your back. The important thing is maintaining a straight back, not bent knees.
  • ddrishiddrishi
    Sit on the edge of bed with a big pillow below you so that your knees bend just a little and you stay awake too.
  • buddhajunkiebuddhajunkie


    If you try using a chair, experiment with propping up the back two legs with some books so that the seat tilts forward. Then sit, not using the backrest.
  • marticcrnmarticcrn
    I sat on the edge of a (lower than your average) outdoor lounge chair today and that worked - with my legs loosely crossed and my pelvis tipped slightly forward - worked for my back and my knee. Makes me think a bench may work equally well. Any thoughts on a gomden cushion? Anyone tried it?
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