How Should I Sit to Meditate?

When you hear the word meditation, I suspect that the first thing that comes to mind, is an image of a monk in orange robes, sat cross-legged on a mountaintop. It’s the typical view we have of meditation, but it’s far from the only option we have, when choosing our seating position for meditation.

How it works

• Start by finding a place and position that you find comfortable.
• Match intention with position and posture. Standing, sitting or lying down can all be appropriate.
• Feel free to experiment: there are no hard and fast rules.

A lot of the time, people can get confused about how they should position themselves, when the meditate. Do you sit cross-legged? On a pillow? On a chair? Do you lie down? Do you hold the lotus position? There are so many different variants that it can get confusing sometimes. Not to mention, there are even some practices where you have to do yoga while you meditate. Because meditation is an ancient practice, there are many different positions you can use, but each one has its own purpose. That’s why it can get confusing, but here is some advice for you, so you don’t have to worry about how you should sit, when you meditate.

Remember, It’s About Comfort

First off, before you try to figure out where you’re going to start meditating and how, you need to remember that you must be comfortable when you practice. Just because the standard pictures always show someone sitting cross-legged on a rock, beside a lake, or on top of mountains, doesn’t mean meditation is only about finding your zen in nature. It’s about balancing your spiritual, mental, and emotional imbalances, and whether you do that sitting cross-legged or lying down on your back, or even sitting on a chair for a few minutes, doesn’t matter.

What does matter, is that you’re comfortable when you meditate. You don’t want to be shifting about every five seconds, because it disrupts the meditation practice. So, find a comfortable position that works for you, rather than trying to fit in with the stereotypical image we have of meditation positions.

The Type Of Meditation You Do Matters

Meditation isn’t just about balancing your emotions, sometimes it can be used to motivate you, or help restore your energy. It can even be about increasing your concentration, so depending on what type of meditation you do, your position will naturally be different. After all, if you’re trying to motivate yourself, you’d want to be awake, or as awake as you can be, so in that instance, you wouldn’t want to be lying down when you meditate. Instead, you’ll want to either sit up straight, or stand.

Knowing what kind of meditation you’re doing and what the intentions you’re setting are, will be a large factor in choosing the correct position.

You Can Lie Down

Most of the time, people will tell you to sit in a comfortable cross-legged position; that’s because they’re concentrating on grounding you, through Chakra alignment. Think of it like this, you’re a gardener and your plants are drooping to one side. What do you do? You place a stick nearby, and tie the branches, stems, or vines to that stick. That’s essentially what those teachers are trying to do. They’re using your spine to realign you, and your chakras.

But that doesn’t mean you can’t do that lying down. When you’re lying down, your chakras are naturally in line with each other, because your back is against the floor. So, you can lie down when you practice. Just be sure that any meditation you do lying down, is about calming the mind and relaxing your thoughts. In fact, this type of meditation can be useful before you sleep, so that your mind can be free of any thought before you go to bed.

You Can Sit In A Chair

As long as your spine is straight, and your chakras are in line, it doesn’t matter if you’re sitting on the floor or sitting on a chair. Like with lying down, it’s about realigning your chakras. To put it much more easily, each chakra, from your pelvis all the way to the crown of your head, are like pools of water, with tiny streams connecting each of them together. With our everyday lives, they can get blocked, so by sitting straight, or lying down, you’re realigning those streams, and unblocking them through your meditation practice.

That’s why it doesn’t matter whether you’re sitting on a chair, lying on the ground, or sitting cross-legged. As long as your spine is straight, you’ll benefit from your meditation practice. So, take your time, figure out what makes you more comfortable, and use it.

Your Hands Don’t Need To Define Your Practice

What you do with your hands is important, it helps you focus your energy on what you want to get out of your practice. The standard that many yogis and teachers use is the position where the tips of their index finger and thumb are gently touching each other, and the rest of their fingers are splayed, like when you give the OK signal. What this pose does is focus your energy inwards. So, the circle your index finger and thumb make basically redirects your energy back to you, so you can focus on yourself.

Of course, this is just the standard, for experts and experienced meditators, but it’s also fine if you just rest your hands in your lap, or on your legs, or leave them by your side. You don’t need to hold them in a pose. These poses are only there to help aid your focus. For example, clasped hands help you focus on your throat, and clenched fists with your thumb and little finger touching, help you to focus on your brain. These poses are for those who are experienced in meditation and want that extra focus on their chakras. It’s not necessary for beginners to use them, though it is worth working them into your routine, once you are more experienced and adept at meditation.

Play Around, See What Fits

Essentially, meditation is all about balancing your imbalances, so by worrying about what to do when you’re meditating, you can add to that imbalance, and your practice won’t be effective. Play around with different positions and poses. Try adding a bit of yoga to your practice and see which position is right for you. Remember, meditation is not a “one size fits all” exercise. It can be tailored to your needs, and eventually, you’ll be able to practice with the experts, and follow their advice a little more closely. But if you’re just beginning, then do what feels comfortable for you.