Adding flexibility and choice to a rigid practice

Jeffrey

I found this eye opening:
http://www.tricycle.com/-practice/the-problem-with-meditation-instructions?page=0,0

BEFORE WE MEDITATE for the first time, we have ideas about what meditation is, what it does, and where it should lead. Then when we get our introductory instructions—either out of a book or magazine, or from a teacher leading a class or a retreat—we’re hopeful that the instructions will fulfill our purpose for meditating and that meditation will do for us what it has reportedly done for others. We look forward to becoming calmer, to our physical pain diminishing, and to our emotional stress and turmoil being eased; we anticipate meditation granting us the peace of mind we so earnestly seek.

We often do not even consider that we could have problems following the meditation instructions, or that the meditation instructions may not be the “right” ones for us. We assume that meditation practices are proven to work for most anyone, so when we experience frustration with the task of meditating, we often lay the blame on ourselves. We don’t see that the meditation practice itself has something to do with it.

Contemporary Buddhist teachers often instruct that the real obstacles, or hindrances, in meditation are negative emotional states or unskillful types of thinking. Unfortunately, this view only deflects our attention from what actually keeps us stuck in our practice: the way we do our meditation practice. In fact, it is not what we experience in meditation that creates the hindrance, it is how we apply the instructions. Having negative emotions and discursive thoughts are common meditation experiences, but they do not control our practice in the same way the meditation instructions do.

Over the last two decades in which I have been teaching meditation, I have observed that much of our frustration, struggle, feelings of failure and low self-esteem as meditators is linked to the way we have been applying meditation instructions. This is in part due to the way that we hold on to the correctness of the instructions and how we adopt rules that prohibit certain experiences, both of which can create impasses in our meditation practice. These are two of the most common causes for the experience of being stuck.

more in the link above^

AMH

very interesting, I admit for a long time I was hard on myself and would not say I meditated because i was not daily or a certain amount of time, and had never been on a retreat or done 4 hours. My haphazard practice (around kids, work, divorce, etc) does do something for me. I also beleived that there was something I had not dealt with that was causing me to struggle, even though we always talk about struggle,

One thing i noticed is how many peole meditate in chairs. I think if that is a strict teaching then many would not feel they were practicing or doing it right. However there are reasons to sit in a chair. I actually bring my cushion to one group and I am the only one, it just really works for me

weighted

Thanks for posting this @Jeffrey. I agree that perhaps being rigid or in full lotus isn't for everyone, and that the focus on form and the rigidity of form can actually result in a negative experience for many people. I think that how anyone decides to meditate is beneficial - whether it is on a chair or a cushion, walking meditation, sitting Burmese or tailor, or even lying down on one's back. Personally, I think the benefits can arise in whatever pose one takes, though I'm well aware of schools that feel proper form is essential to "proper" meditation.

Student

Thanks for the post. I lived a sedentary lifestyle until about six months ago. I'm not overweight or even particularly out of shape, but I spent a lot of time slouched over. Because of that, assuming a correct posture unsupported causes me substantial discomfort and pain. While I don't believe that perfect posture is necessary for meditation, I still strive for it, because it introduces an element of physical discipline in my life (constantly reminding myself to not to slouch) and the self-prescribed physical therapy I have undertaken (to eventually be able to perform the full lotus comfortably) is having very positive effects on my body.

What I'm getting at is, while I agree with you on the point that any pose for meditation is beneficial, I don't think this means people shouldn't work towards more difficult poses.