Meditation to cold... And positions.
Rhodian
Loser Veteran
I want to use vipassana but do a mindfulnes meditation now where I focus on breath and try to feel sensations in my body and observe.
Every morning, I wake up and my dad happily plays the radio.
Sadly I meditate downstairs on a nice small table that you would put drinks on, however I put a cushion on it and sit on the cushion! So my problem is upstairs I do not have such an table, I am practicing yoga, but I doubt I ever will be able to do a half lotus. My hips are really locked rheumatoid/arthritis, I can try to open them, and have been doing so. But when I sid down my hip and knees seem so locked I cannot get a knee on the ground.
I have been looking at how to fix the problems.
To cold = get an alectrict heater, I do have a radiator upstairs but it is still to cold for the radiator to heat it.
No room= in my room: Also it is cramped and I do not have a table on the right height. My room is very small so I could try meditation lying down on my bed, with a blanket this would also solve the cold.
Or I could learn a position with which I need less room, the lotus will be a no go. What positions could I try that are rather easy? I know of one where you have a bench called Seiza which is used in zen a lot. I used one with yoga but I don't think this one had the right height because it did not support me nor my ass and hurt immensly.
Or I have to stop doing it in the morning and do it in the afternoon when my dad is cooking. Because upstairs I can only meditate 16 minutes and am not focused at all, downstairs I can focus and meditate 30 minutes, even if someone is walking around or reading a newspaper or a clock is ticking I can still do well.
What do you guys think get an electrict heater, and make my room nice? Take a yoga mat and try meditation in which I lay down on the mat or should I aim for a certain pose? Sorry if this topic is very long, I got quite confused myself...
Sorry and thanks!
Comments
Your position matters less than your meditation. You don't need to sit on a table or anything else. Laying down doesn't work for me because I get sleepy, but if it works for you, that is ok too. You don't have to be in full or half or any lotus at all to sit and meditate. Sit in a chair if that is more comfortable for you. Also, you might try simply a blanket around/over your shoulders or head, or a shawl of some sort. In the winter I have a knitted blanket that I put over my shoulders if it is cold in the house. It works quite well.
Keep at the yoga, don't assume you'll never be able to do anything. Remember that most teachers have been doing yoga for many years, and it can take a long time to see progress. But it does come, and the goal of yoga is not to be able to achieve a certain pose. But just to do it and join your mind and body. It is a good practice to calm you before meditation.
Can't add anything to what Karasti already said above.
Drop any preconceived ideas about striking half lotus like a yogi, and remember that the main thing is to get that meditation session done.
I also wear a blanket over my shoulders. That is usually enough.
Make everything associated with your practice as comfortable as possible. Honor your physical needs as well as the needs of harmonious practice. As you suffer from RA please be cautious as you go forward.
I would do it downstairs. I use the burmese position. You could try half lotus too. If neither of those you can meditate sitting in a chair.
My Partner always has the TV on, which is very distracting. I will often resort to wearing earbuds, and use the white noise app on my iphone. This drowns out all distractions. Is this ideal? No, but it works.
The yoga practice works but it's not a requirement for meditation. I have only a small room (I call it the Buddha Room), and I can sit comfortably on a chair for my meditation.
I hope this helps.
Yes.
Be comfortable, good advice from people. Try building a shrine in a cupboard or s l o w l y and mindfully each morning. Led meditations. Headphones on meditation.
Do or do not, there is no try
Bodhi Yoda
May the Force of the Dharma be with you.
Thanks for all the advice, there are a few things I am going to do.
Tomorrow I am going to tidy up my room that I have, and see if I can get rid of all stuff I have on a table, this is stuff I put my shaving stuff which can move, I also got parfumes but I might be able to move them all.
After cleaning and moving that table out I can make a shrine out of it I do not have a buddha statue yet, and have trouble knowing what one to buy, but might buy one in the future, I bought myself a Samue Japanese worker clothes that sit quite nice, and are used in Zen a lot. I also bought a tibetan fair trade blanket from yak wool, yay! It even has awesome colors that make you wanna smile.
All I will need is something I can sit on, but I will find a thing, and use it for sitting. Or try a burmese position but for my legs it's a pain. I will try to get it done, and be happy. So tomorrow project clean the room and keep it clean. Make and create space and maybe get a nice painting for on the wall something calming I can print on a canvas.