Using a wall to prop up your back while you meditate

rivercane

Hi, I was wondering if it was ok to do this and if anyone else here used this technique? I find it extremely difficult to sit for meditation without back support due to lower back pain but I've been meditating this way for awhile.

I basically sit in easy or half lotus posture and can meditate anywhere from 20 to 60 minutes, at which point my legs fall asleep and I find it necessary to take a break. I don't think I could meditate for long without a wall to support and help me find my proper posture. I also like using hero pose but would definitely need to buy one of those blocks to meditate that way.

I would love to get either a meditation chair or a zafu with a mat but the prices are too high. I've tried using a folded up towel and even a phone book - I read that you're supposed to keep your pelvis above your knees - but nothing has really worked. I imagine the ultimate solution for me will be to continue using a wall but work my way into full lotus posture. I've also recently started working out at a gym and I think that should help strengthen my core muscles for meditation.

riverflow

@rivercane - do you have sciatica? I have to use a seiza bench otherwise I have a terrible price to pay with my lower back afterward. I don't imagine a seiza bench would be any cheaper than a zafu though....

You could make your own seiza bench though (HERE).

rivercane

No, I have scoliosis. It runs in our family. I clicked your link because I've been wondering if there was anything I could build myself.

I'm not very good with building things but my Dad is and he loves having a project. Thanks, I'm going to look into this some more.

lobster

A solution might also entail combining sitting and walking meditation. I find hero pose hard and it is therefore unsuitable for me. The Egyptian pose is fine and yes have used a wall and the floor (though this tends to result in sleep) as support, using the corpse pose. It is also possible to do standing meditation. This is done in Tai Chi. :wave:

ThailandTom

I think for a very very new beginner this may be ok, but the whole point of propping your back up is to having the perfect spinal posture for the energy to flow and concentration to be developed. If you prop it up, you can easily relax and not focus, not the desire result. If you have back issues you can use a chair or lay down, try searching the net for postures with back problems if you have one

how

Some schools are very detail oriented about sitting postures and some are very casual.
Some consider the meridian flows, while others focus on positions that provide physical ease.
Leaning against a wall is fine but the warning is to guard against torpor just like one would if leaning against the back of a chair.

We used to sew our own zafu's and stuff them with the kapoc from old life jackets.
Zeiza benches are just a couple of dollars worth of wood.

Personally I think the most important aspect of any meditation position will always be your willingness to remain open & present to what ever arises.

pineblossom

I use a chair.

Trying to copy others is not meditation.

fivebells

Just sit in a chair. It works great.

karasti

It is more important to keep the alignment than it is to sit in full lotus. If you use a chair, cross your legs under you at the ankles. How much any of this matters I suppose depends how much you believe in energy flow. Because several of my friends teach yoga and speak of it, and I've experienced different things with the right posture, I tend to believe in it. We are, after all, all made of energy and when it flows cleanly then all the better. It calms and focuses the mind.

I can sit in half lotus or just cross legged for a while. But eventually my bad knee gets too sore and stiff and I have to stretch. For longer periods, I meditate in a chair even though it is not my preferred position. Legs crossed at the ankles, spine straight, shoulders relaxed, chin tucked slightly towards the throat to straighten the neck, eyes forward about 6 feet (or whatever you do with your eyes), hands relaxed, tongue against the palate behind the top front teeth (helps keep you from having to swallow spit all the time, lol) It works for me. But something else might work for you, and when it comes down to it, that is what is important. If I had to meditate in full lotus, I couldn't do it. My knee won't allow me to. But I meditate how is comfortable to me while trying to maintain a good position and it works.

Cinorjer

Use whatever makes you feel comfortable and helps you meditate. Sitting and gritting your teeth because of the pain is not meditation, no matter how perfect the posture. Once you reach that stage of enduring pain, you should get up and walk around a bit.

I don't get on the cushion too much anymore because of bad knees. I have to be helped back to my feet or end up crawling on hands and knees to something I can grab onto. So I use a chair.

Sabre

Please use a wall. I do it often as well.

If money is a problem, you can consider trying to make your own cushion, or finding somebody who can help you. You can make them for just a few bucks using buckwheat shells for example, or something like that.

Dakini

When at a meditation ctr., I use a wall, or sit in a chair. At home, I lie down for meditation, unless I'm meditating outside. The main thing is to maintain the proper alignment. It doesn't matter how you do that.