Meditative posturesormeditation seatsare the body positions orasanas,usually sitting but also sometimes standing or reclining, used to facilitatemeditation.Best known in theBuddhistandHindutraditions are thelotusandkneelingpositions; other options include sitting on a chair, with the spine upright.
Meditation is sometimes practiced while walking, such askinhin,doing simple repetitive tasks, as in Zensamu,or work which encouragesmindfulness.
Postures in theYoga Sutras
editTheYoga Sutras of Patanjalidescribeyoga as having eight limbs,one beingasana,the meditation seat. The sutras do not name any asanas, merely specifying the characteristics of a good asana, stating:[1]
स्थिरसुखमासनम् ॥४६॥
sthira sukham āsanam
Your [meditation] seat should be steady and comfortable.Yoga Sutras2:46
TheSutrasare embedded in theBhasyacommentary, which scholars including Philipp Maas now believe are by the same author;[2]it names 12 seated meditation asanas, possibly all cross-legged, includingPadmasana,Virasana,Bhadrasana(now called Baddha Konasana), andSvastikasana.[3]
Sitting on the ground
editSitting positions, often cross-legged, provide a stable base formeditation,and have been used for the purpose in Buddhism and Hinduism for many centuries. These includePadmasana(full lotus), Ardha Padmasana (half lotus),Siddhasana or Muktasana(also called Burmese posture, sitting with the knees on the ground and the feet tucked in close to the body),[4][5]andSukhasana(any easy cross-legged position).[6]Other possibilities are the kneeling posturesVirasana(sitting between the heels) andVajrasanaorSeiza(sitting on the heels).[7]Another sitting posture,Baddha Konasana(Cobbler's Pose), is suitable for people who can sit with the feet together and both knees on the ground;B. K. S. Iyengarstates that to meditate in this position, the palms should be held in prayer position over the chest, which demands some practice for balance.[8]Seymour Ginsburg, describingGurdjieffmeditation, suggests that such compact positions help the meditator to "include the entire experience of ourself in our attention."[6]
The lotus position in particular can be extremely uncomfortable for Westerners who have not practised sitting cross-legged since early childhood. They may, in the words of the yoga and meditation teacherAnne Cushman,be practising "self-torture... apparently believing that bruising your inner thigh with your ankle is crucial to spiritual awakening."[7]The pose can cause beginners knee pain[8]and injury.[9][10]Baddha Konasana is a safer alternative, provided the knees are not pushed down.[11]
Cushman notes that since meditation is not a posture, no particular posture is required. All the same, she writes, a formal method is helpful, and the asana chosen needs to be stable and comfortable, as theYoga Sutrasstate: on the one side, few people would wish to hold strenuous postures likeDownward Dogfor half an hour or more; on the other side, a restful posture likeSavasana(Corpse Pose) might be comfortable but would more likely lead to sleep than meditation. The cross-legged postures are simple and stable, restful for the muscles, but active enough to keep the practitioner awake. Thespinal columnneeds to be erect and in balance; this poise lets the muscles of the back relax, and this in turn allows the attention to be focussed on the breath.[7]These conditions can be met by a variety of postures with or without support, whether a cross-legged posture such as Muktasana, a kneeling posture, or sitting on a chair with the back vertical and the feet on the ground.[7]The traditional support for sitting meditation is azafucushion; this elevates the hips above the knees, allowing practitioners with stiff hips to have the spine straight and upright.[7]
Other postures
editIn various traditions people meditate in other postures. People who find sitting cross-legged uncomfortable can sit upright on a straight-backed chair, flat-footed and without back support, with the hands resting on the thighs, in what is sometimes called the Egyptian position.[6]
Orthodox Christiansmay practice the meditation ofhesychasmsitting on a stool, as was recommended bySaint Gregory of Sinai.[12]
TheravadaandZenBuddhists sometimes vary their sitting meditation by meditating while walking, often very slowly so as to be mindful of each movement.[13]
Standing meditation orzhan zhuangis practised in the Chinese martial art training systemYiquan.[14]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^Patanjali.Yoga Sutras.p. Book 2:46.
- ^Maas, Philipp A. (2006).Samādhipāda. Das erste Kapitel des Pātañjalayogaśāstra zum ersten Mal kritisch ediert[Samādhipāda | The First Chapter of the Pātañjalayogaśāstra for the First Time Critically Edited] (in German). Aachen: Shaker.
- ^Āraṇya, Hariharānanda (1983).Yoga Philosophy of Patanjali.State University of New York Press. p. 228 and footnotes.ISBN978-0873957281.
- ^Reninger, Elizabeth (2015).Meditation Now: A Beginner's Guide: 10-Minute Meditations to Restore Calm and Joy Anytime, Anywhere.Callisto Media.ISBN978-1623154981.
- ^Powers, Sarah(2020).Insight Yoga: An Innovative Synthesis of Traditional Yoga, Meditation, and Eastern Approaches to Healing and Well-Being.Shambhala Publications.ISBN978-0834822429.
- ^abcGinsburg, Seymour B. (2005).Gurdjieff Unveiled: An Overview and Introduction to Gurdjieff's Teaching.Lighthouse Editions. p. 59.ISBN978-1-904998-01-3.
- ^abcdeCushman, Anne(2014).Moving into Meditation.Shambhala. pp. 116–126.ISBN978-1-61180-098-2.
- ^abIyengar, B. K. S.(1979) [1966].Light on Yoga: Yoga Dipika.Unwin Paperbacks. pp. 129–132.ISBN978-1-85538-166-7.
- ^Acott, Ted S.; Cramer, Holger; Krucoff, Carol; Dobos, Gustav (2013)."Adverse Events Associated with Yoga: A Systematic Review of Published Case Reports and Case Series".PLOS ONE.8(10): e75515.Bibcode:2013PLoSO...875515C.doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0075515.ISSN1932-6203.PMC3797727.PMID24146758.
- ^Penman, Stephen; Stevens, Philip; Cohen, Marc; Jackson, Sue (2012)."Yoga in Australia: Results of a national survey".International Journal of Yoga.5(2): 92–101.doi:10.4103/0973-6131.98217.ISSN0973-6131.PMC3410203.PMID22869991.
- ^Cole, Roger (5 February 2019) [2007]."How to Protect the Knees in Lotus and Related Postures".Yoga Journal.
- ^Kallistos-Ware, (Bishop)."Jesus Prayer - Breathing Exercises".Orthodox Prayer.Retrieved2 November2019.
- ^Maezumi, Hakuyu Taizan;Glassman, Bernie(2002).On Zen Practice: Body, Breath, Mind.Wisdom Publications.pp. 48–49.ISBN086171315X.
- ^Marshall, Chris (7 August 2007)."Paradoxes of Standing Meditation".Retrieved2007-10-23.