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Finding a balance between being a perfectionist and decent posture.
Woah93
Veteran
It's pretty much in the title! What is the importance you place on posture? What is your favourite one? How do you find that balance? This has been and still is one of my main obstacles in meditation!
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I don't place much importance on posture, most Buddhists do. If the body is relaxed and the meditation around an hour, then for me, relaxation is more important than poker up the nether regions meditation. I have also been assured that full lotus is essential for extended meditation. Further propaganda from yogic masochists.
I would suggest that formal practice in tailor pose or on a chair with a straight back and the head positioned correctly over torso, not stressing the neck is fine.
what the bodies posture is is not important as long as there is awareness of it. The posture of the mind is important.
Simply.
When your cultivation posture is the same as your everyday posture then you are there.
Honestly @Woah93, I'll be blunt: it doesn't matter.
There is, strictly speaking, no 'perfect' posture. The posture that rings your bells and puts everything in line, is your own perfect posture.
Some like to lie down; some propped up against a wall; some sit in a chair, others have special stools, or Zafu cushions. (I think at the last count, lobster had around 6,000 give or take the odd hundred!)
What works for you, is what works for you.
Relax. It's not an ordeal, or a competition. It is what you make it, so make it for yourself.
Meditation is about allowing phenomena to arise and pass by without us habitually trying to manipulate it.
While a good posture is one that minimizes physical distractions while not encouraging doziness, folks with innumerable physical deformities that limit "such" postures seem perfectly able to meditate magnificently.
What do you think makes your posture a meditative obstacle???
It changes based on how I feel. Sometimes, my knee is crabby or my back or my hip, and so I can't sit crosslegged. Some days, I can sit full lotus, but not often. Sometimes, I am most comfortable in a chair or kneeling. I just go based on what my body needs. It serves me pretty well.
Being attached to an idea of there being a perfect posture is just as undesirable as being attached to anything else.
I'm going to school in physical rehab, so posture is very important to me
But I don't beat myself up over not having perfect posture for an entire meditation session.
If you can keep your back straight and chest open that's good, otherwise it doesn't really matter.
On a daily basis I do walking meditation...sitting is once a week and when I'm at the monastery. How I sit depends on how my body feels at the time. If my knee is angry....no way I'm folding them. I'll sit with my feet touching each other...or in a chair. Don't get caught up in how you see other people doing it. Do what works for you. If you get attached to or can only do it in a certain way.....what will happen if if that is forced to change without your consent or control. Something to think about.....People in a wheelchair might have used to sit lotus or in the 'standard' way.
Well it seems like I'm naturally inclined to not sit straight and that shines through when practicing sitting meditation. Lying down meditation has always proofed way more successful for me, but I constantly hear that this is ineffective as it promotes too much relaxation or sleepiness. It doesn't make me sleepy, but I do feel very relaxed, which might be a hindrance or distraction. Anyway that's what I'm on the fence about : / Should I just practice lying down meditation then?
Providing you can remain in a state of Relaxed Alertness, or Alert Relaxation (as my teacher use to put it) that's ok. If you drift too far into relaxation, therein the problems begin.
Should I just practice lying down meditation then?
I don't see why not. What kind of meditation are you actually doing?
I find I can do Metta meditation lying down in the lions pose but Samtaha is out of the question, need to be sat up for that. However @Woah93 experiment a bit and find what works for you.
Different strokes...
Shoot. If you get too relaxed then motivate yourself with inspiration.
Maybe do walking meditation or standing meditation then? Doubt can be a serious hindrance too.
Sitting on a chair works too...
lion pose?
iz u sure you have the right pussy? 
I usually start with Samtaha (One pointed meditation IE the breath right?), when I feel centered on that I focus on each bodypart and try to actually feel those parts excactly how they are in that moment.
This includes no sensations as well. Inspired by the bodyscan featured in Jon Kabat Zinn's work really. After that I really let go of focus of any kind and just let phenomena come and go, but don't try to attach or avoid any particular sensation.
Walking meditation suits me well sometimes too.