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Is posture important?

betaboybetaboy Veteran
edited June 2012 in Meditation
Namaste,

Is posture important at all? I can 'endure' the half-lotus posture for twenty minutes, but lying down and meditating (not sleeping!) is something I can do for a longer duration - hence the question.

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Comments

  • TheswingisyellowTheswingisyellow Trying to be open to existence Samsara Veteran

    @betaboy-"Is posture important at all"?
    No.
    If you can meditate better lying down, go for it!
  • ZenBadgerZenBadger Derbyshire, UK Veteran
    Posture IS important in that if your posture is wrong for you then you can make yourself very uncomfortable and acheive little. Have you tried sitting on a dining chair, no aching knees, back held properly erect and no danger of drifting away like there is lying down.
  • ZeroZero Veteran
    It is important in the sense that meditating is easier when you're comfortable - its not essential as it is possible to meditate when uncomfortable - some traditions hold that your inner energy is directed by your posture so in that sense, in those traditions, it's part of the whole
  • driedleafdriedleaf Veteran
    edited June 2012
    I believe posture is important. When we are sluggish, we slouch and that constricts air flow. I try not to meditate while laying down because one of my six senses is being lured, my sense of touch.
  • TheswingisyellowTheswingisyellow Trying to be open to existence Samsara Veteran
    Your posture should be conducive to the task at hand, which is meditation.
  • JeffreyJeffrey Veteran
    Posture is important to the mind. Slumped shoulders result in a certain kind of mind. Open mudra versus closed affect the meditation also, from what I have understood.

    But the most important is the mind not the body.
  • howhow Veteran Veteran
    Posture has an effect on meditation but meditation can also be done in any posture. Body and mind are one, is the usual Zen refrain. Corpse pose meditation works well for people with back pain but lends itself to drowsiness. Chairs are useful provided they are not so high that they put pressure on the underside of your thighs. Not leaning against the back of the chair aids in maintaining ones attention to the job at hand.
    Full, half, Burmese & saza leg positions all have there pro's & conns. Different hand mudras bring different effects. Harmonizing, openness and earth witness are the most common hand positions.
    I think the important thing to remember with meditation postures is that
    a moment of sincere meditation in any posture, trumps hours of a perfectly postured imitation of meditation.
    If that makes any sense.
  • personperson Don't believe everything you think The liminal space Veteran
    To me the only really important part is a straight back and neck. The position of the legs only helps improve or lessen the meditation in as much as it helps keep the back straight with ease, IOW no need to kill your knees with lotus if you can easily keep your back erect without it.

    This is a good place to have all your posture questions answered

    http://www.wildmind.org/posture
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