Best Meditation Poses

There is a definite connection between the state of mind and the posture of body. A stable posture provides stability of mind, concentration.

Look at images of the Buddha and other enlightened teachers. They are always with legs crossed and their bodies straight. These images are an illustration of the best posture for people who intend to learn the practice of self-knowledge and expanded perception of reality - the practice of meditation.

You can find different descriptions of meditation poses. These postures are tools to organize the circulation of energy in a certain way. The ancient texts describe the possible effects of the proposed postures based on the knowledge about this circulation.

It is useful to study these positions in detail: by understanding the meaning of a meditation posture, you will be able to better adjust it and thus create favorable conditions for personal or collective practice.

Padmasana is the position you should strive for if you want to know oneself and at the same time do good to the world.

This position, with both feet on the hips, reverses the downward energy current that most people are accustomed.

In order to practice meditation, one must learn to sit in that position for long periods of time. This is not easy and requires prior training, liberation of the body through hatha yoga and a healthy, sensible lifestyle. Many factors influence the ability to sit in Padmasana, but if this position is not yet available, do not be disheartened: Padmasana is a kind of gift that manifests when one is ready, so there is something to strive for.

If you have already mastered Lotus Pose, it is best to meditate in it as often as possible. Staying in Padmasana helps to change the quality of the energy around you and the state of your mind. To master the pose fully, use Padmasana in your daily life whenever you have the opportunity. For example, while eating lunch or sitting in a chair at the computer.

Special complexes on loosening of the hip joints help to master this position. If you stay cross-legged in any other meditative postures, for example, in “half-lotus”, it will help to master the Lotus Pose more deeply.

What other posture is best for meditation? If the Padmasana position is an asceticism, then in the Siddhasana position one can stay longer and with less attention on physical body.

Siddhasana is a favorable position for prolonged meditative practices. It is beneficial to master this position. In this asana the heel of the right foot is pressed to the lower energy center (in the crotch area). There is a blocking of energy output through Muladhara-chakra. The heel of the left foot is exactly on top of the lower one, the foot is placed between the calf and the shin of the right foot. Yes, prior training under the guidance of a yoga teacher is important for this performance. Please do not master such difficult asanas on your own or from recommendations on the Internet.

The word 'Siddha' means 'ability'. In ancient India and Tibet, siddhas were people who transcended the limitations of the material world and recognized its different facets beyond the majority's conception of reality.

This is a meditation pose for beginners, requiring no prior training. Please keep in mind that you should not stop on it for a long time, it is better to strive for Siddhasana and Padmasana.

The word 'Vajra' means 'diamond' in Sanskrit. In this position, the body is so stable that it contributes to the clarity of the mind like the radiance of a diamond. The peculiarity of this meditation pose is that it allows you to spread your shoulders and straighten your back considerably. This pose is suitable for both experienced practitioners and beginners.

Read more about these positions in Swami Swatmarama's text “Hatha Yoga Pradipika”.

When the eminent practitioner of the past, Marpa, returned from India to Tibet, among other knowledge, he brought with him a special teaching on the “Seven Points Posture” called “Buddha Vairochana posture” with seven features.

«Marpa explained that he brought a secret teaching that is more effective than any instruction ever before disseminated in the Land of Snows. It is the Seven Points Posture».

Lama Yeshe Losal Rinpoche

The Basic Meditation Posture. Seven Points:

1. Padmasana.
2. The arms are straightened and placed on the knees.
3. The tongue is held in Agni Nabhi Mudra.
4. Eyes closed.
5. The spine is straight.
6. Chest open, shoulders squared.
7. The body is both under control and relaxed at the same time.

Legs crossed

In yoga, there is the concept of “Five Pranas” - places of localization and function of energy in the subtle body of a person.

Let us list them:

1. Prana,
2. Udana,
3. Vyana,
4. Samana,
5. Apana.

The purpose of the cross-legged position is to reverse the upward movement of the downward flow of Apana energy, which promotes clearer thinking, free from the mind's fixation on the needs of the body.

The better relaxed the practitioner's feet are, the less distracted they are by discomfort. When one is already practicing yoga, the condition of the feet can be an indicator of how dense the energies are around them. The denser they are, the more the feet become entrenched.

You can always improve your body condition. In order to loosen up the legs, it is beneficial to approach body condition holistically:

• establish a healthy diet and be selective about the information you immerse in your inner world;
• practice yoga regularly, emphasizing hip-opening exercises;
• it is beneficial to be in any available meditation posture as often as possible throughout the day.

Hands on your knees

Since each person's body proportions are individual, you should try different positions: your hands can rest on your knees or be centered.

Some people practice by joining the fingers of the hands together so that a bowl is formed - this is called Dhyana mudra.Buddha is often painted in this position.

In case the hands are on the knees, one can practice Jnana-mudra. Most hand positions have the word 'mudra' in their name, which means 'seal'. The purpose of these provisions is to influence the energy circulation.

Eyes closed

Through the senses one perceives external phenomena, and information enters the inner world. Meditation assumes that for some time a person abstracts from the perception of reality through the senses: the eyes are covered (vision), in the place of practice it is desirable silence (hearing), the absence of pronounced aromas (sense of smell).

All of this contributes to what in yoga is commonly referred to as «Pratyahara».

'Prati' is 'something opposite'.
“Ahara” - 'taken internally'.

Pratyahara is the stage of concentration in meditation in which there are no distractions of the senses.

Your back is straight

In meditation, it is important that the spine be straight: the nerve impulses must pass freely to the head from the extremities of the body. The central channel, the Sushumna, is located within the spinal column, and when the energy tends to rise, the impulses should pass freely straight up this channel. If you lean forward or sideways, either the Ida or the Pingala will be constricted and the other channel will become dominant.
The goal is to activate the Sushumna, so the body should be aligned and in a balanced state so that no obstacles are created to the flow of Prana.

The Hatha Yoga Pradipika

Chest open, shoulders square

It is important to learn not to slouch in meditation and in life in general. When one closes the chest with the shoulders, this habit leads to the accumulation of energy at the chest level associated with emotions and attachments. In order for the energy to rise higher, one must purify this level by analyzing and practicing with a straight back.

The body is in control and relaxed at the same time

Asana for meditation creates balance. When the body is balanced and aligned, it leads to a balanced and calm mind, which is beneficial and necessary for meditation practice.

If you read more about the teachings of the Five Pranas, you will learn that the cross-legged position is conducive to meditation.

If for some reason meditation is available only sitting on a chair with your legs overhanging, the effect will also be there, but classical asanas (Siddhasana, Padmasana) are preferable.

In the classic text of Patanjali's Yoga Sutra, the position of the meditation postures is mentioned succinctly. This is because any yoga text is an outline of knowledge, ideally imparted in live explanation and shared practice. The longer you practice, the more over time you will discover the nuances of the postures that allow you to focus on the method of meditation.

May your practice be regular and beneficial to you and your surroundings.