A Guide to The Various Meditation Postures

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in Healthy Living

Since ages past, meditation has been practiced by countless people for its many benefits. Incorporating meditation into your everyday life could make a huge difference in your mindset and attitude.

Almost all meditative practices teach that the spine must remain straight and slumping is not encouraged. The explanation for this is that sitting upright encourages the movement of your spiritual energy. This is considered to be your life force.

A straight back is essential to most of the meditation traditions, and is a standard component of the various postures used in this practice. Here’s a look at a few of them.

1. Seated position. The individual sits upright while maintaining a straight back. The head and spine are in alignment and not tilted. The thighs are parallel to the floor. Hands are placed comfortably on the knees or chair arms.

2. Cross legged posture. This is a very common posture; the lotus position is included in this category.

3. Kneeling posture. The individual is on the floor in a kneeling position. The buttocks rest on the heels and toes, which are placed side by side. Hands rest on the thighs.

4. Lying down posture. This is also called the corpse position or, in yoga, savasna. The person lies down on the floor keeping the legs unbent and at ease. This posture isn’t that common since it so closely resembles the sleeping position. A person might doze off at times. This is more useful for stress reduction rather than as a meditation method.

In addition to these postures, there are several gestures and movements that can be incorporated into the practice of meditation. Among these are hand gestures called Mudras. There’s a theological significance behind these motions. Coming from the yogic philosophy, they can impact your consciousness. One illustration is the typical Buddhist hand placement. The right hand reposes on top of the left hand with thumbs touching.

Integrating assorted repetitive actions like chanting, deep breathing or humming also assists in bringing on a state of meditation. Some people practice walking meditation. Typically, the eyes are closed or partially closed during meditation. Those who practice Soto Zen meditation, however, do so with their eyes open looking at a wall.

To gain the benefits of meditation, follow the training of the type of meditation you have decided to practice. Remember that acceptance and persistence are necessary in order to have success. This might help you during difficult times of meditation and will improve focus in your daily life.

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