The first thing often said by someone leading meditation is to find a comfortable position with a long tall spine. After years of doing this I ended up in physical therapy to change everything about how I held my body and breathed in almost every yoga and meditation posture. I even kneel differently at mass now.
In yoga theory, people don’t eat for two hours before yoga practice and the entire purpose of doing the postures is to eliminate any digestive or muscular discomfort. The long, tall spine is actually a naturally curved, well supported spine. When you are in that position, your body is open and free without any impediments so the meditation can do its work. The intention is that with these distractions removed, one may sit for a much longer time engaged in the meditative practice.
Parenthood brings a whole new dimension to meditation. The minute my feet hit the floor in the morning, 6 more join them. The only way I can get minutes to myself is to spend them in my bed, awake and not moving. Sometimes my spine is long, sometimes it’s cuddling a sleeping child.
All this to say if you are in a place in life where you can clear physical and environmental distractions to be in a position for your spine to be long and open, fantastic! If not, no need to let it stop you. If you are uncomfortable, you are not going to stay there long and as I found, you may do damage.
For meditation today:
- Play with positions:
- Sit cross-legged with your sit bones connecting with the Earth and knees relaxed. It may be quite hard to relax knees/hips in this position. Adding a pillow, block or bolster under your sit bones to raise them off the ground may enable your knees and hips to relax.
- Sit with your shins, tops of feet, and knees on the ground with a yoga block or pillow between your feet so your sit bones at the bottom of your spine are the part of you that connects with the pillow, block or bolster. Play with the height of the support you are sitting on – higher may be easier.Sit in your favorite chair with your arms relaxed on the arm rests, likely palms down and your feet flat on the floor. If your feet don’t reach the floor add books or a step stool until they do so comfortably.
- Sit cross-legged with your sit bones connecting with the Earth and knees relaxed. It may be quite hard to relax knees/hips in this position. Adding a pillow, block or bolster under your sit bones to raise them off the ground may enable your knees and hips to relax.
- Sit with your shins, tops of feet, and knees on the ground with a yoga block or pillow between your feet so your sit bones at the bottom of your spine are the part of you that connects with the pillow, block or bolster. Play with the height of the support you are sitting on – higher may be easier.
- Sit in your favorite chair with your arms relaxed on the arm rests, likely palms down and your feet flat on the floor. If your feet don’t reach the floor add books or a step stool until they do so comfortably.
- Sit in the pew or chair in your place of worship with your sit bones connecting you to the bench. Rest your hands on your knees and feet on the floor. If possible, bring the appropriate height of books or step stool to enable your thighs to lie flat, not engaged.
- Lay flat on your back with arms at your sides, palms facing up and toes pointing toward the ceiling. If your toes don’t point toward the ceiling you may want to consider a myofascial massage on your lower legs/hips when we can safely be within 6 feet of people again.
- Lay flat on your back with your knees bent up towards the ceiling and your feet flat on the ground.
- Lay flat on your back with a bolster under your knees so your lower back is relaxed instead of your pelvis tipping forward.
- Lay on your side with your bottom knee bent, a pillow between your knees, a pillow supporting your head/neck to maintain a neutral neck and your shoulders stacked.
- Kneel so that your meniscus (the round bone at the front of your knee) is hanging off the front of the kneeler with no weight exerted on it and all weight is on your shin.
- Lay in any position the small child next to you will allow without waking
- Breathe
- Start the Grounding exercise taught in a previous post.
- Change positions and try more grounding or connecting with a higher power.
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