Meditation postures
|the more steady, the better|
The practices of meditation and relaxation are two of the big pillars of yoga.
Patanjali's yoga sutras describe the theory and practice of Raja yoga and how to obtain complete mastery of the Chitta or mind-stuff, which is composed of mind, intellect and ego.
The instructions given by Patanjali build the anga (steps) of Ashtanga Yoga, or the eightfold path and include:
1. Yama or social discipline. This step embraces the principle of non violence, truthfulness, non stealing, sex control and no possessiveness.
2. Niyama or self discipline. The word Niyama means observance and refers to values and virtues. It includes clealiness (of mind body and intellect), inner balance, austerity and self discipline, self study, surrender.
3. Asana the word meand posture or existance. Existance intended as pure existance, just being, no movement. When practicing asanas you learn how to maintain your body and your mind comfortable and steady.
4. Pranayama or extension of your vital force. The word is composed by prana, "vital force behind life activities" and ayama, "control". They are breathing exercises. If you think, breathin is a non-stop process during all your life, from the moment you were born.
5. Pratyahara, the withdrawal of senses. The mind is always engaged in decoding stimuli that come from the external world. The practice of pratyahara will help in developing the consciousness of the present moment and in focusing on a single object when meditating.
6. Dharana: one pointed concentration. Fix your mind on a single point of attention. When the mind wanders and diverts to another object, fix it again on the chosen object of concentration.
7. Dhyana or contemplation. It is the ability of maintain the mind very steady on the object of meditation, like in Dharana. At this point however, there should be no more distractions and a single unidirectional flow of the mind, without distractions.
8. Samadhi: unity with the Ultimate Reality. The subject and the object of meditation become the same and there is no more distinction between the observer and the observed.
In this post I will give some instructions on asanas you can use during meditation. However, depending on the master you follow, posture are not so important as your state of mind. You can be in a meditative state sitting on a chair in a room or a porch. This does not mean you can lay as a potato bag! I would like to say yoga is all about control, but in the moment I write it, I realize that yoga is also all about letting go.
For some kind of meditations, especially in the most advanced stages of the practice, the ability of controlling the movements of the body is a must.
There are various kind of meditations and you can find many podcasts online, and usually in the first stages of practice an object of concentration is given. It can be as simple as focusing on your breath or on an image.
The main purpose of meditative asanas is to maintain the body in a comfortable and a steady position for long periods of time. While we meditate, the more still the body is, the easier will be for the mind to focus. If you practice enough, you will reach a certain point where you will feel like a motionless rampart.
MEDITATION ASANA
Remember to make yourself comfortable, breathe normally and to switch legs!
Sukhasana (Easy crosslegged pose)
Sit with the legs outstretched. Bend the right leg and place the foot under the left thigh. Bend the left leg and place the foot under the right thigh.
Variation: bend the right leg and place the sole of the foot close to the inner left thigh. Bend the left leg and place the sole of the foot close to the right shin.
Sukhasana has no contraindication. As regards with the next ones, they are not indicated and better not practiced if you suffer of knee or ankle issues, sciatica or sacral inflammation.
Sit with the legs outstretched. Bend the right leg and place the sole of the foot close to the inner thigh. Bend the left leg and place the foot in the space between the right thigh and the calf. Pull the right foot toes inside the space between the left thigh and calf. The knees should be firmly on the floor and the spine is straight.
Ardha Padmasana (half lotus pose)
Sit with the legs outstretched. Bend one leg and place the sole of the foot on the inside of the opposite thigh. Bend the other leg, grasp the foot and place it on the opposite thigh. The upper heel should be placed as close as possible to the abdomen.
Padmasana (Lotus pose)
Sit with the legs outstretched. Slowly and carefully, bend one leg and place the foot on top of the opposite thigh. The sole should be upward and the heel close to the pubic bone.
Bend the other leg and place the foot on top of the opposite thigh. Both knees should touch the ground in the final position. This position will help you keep head, neck and spine straight. Keep the shoulders relaxed.
Dhyana Veerasana (Heroes meditation pose)
Sit with the legs outstretched. Bend the left leg under the right leg so that the left heel touches the side of the right hip. Move the right leg over the top of the bend left leg that the right heel comes in touch with the left hip. Do not sit on your heels, they should be on the side of your hips. The right knee should be right above the left knee. Place your hands on the uppermost knee, one above the other or on each foot. Head, neck and back should be straight.
Vajrasana (Thunderbolt pose)
Kneel on the floor, keep the knees together and the big toes in touch. Separate the heels, lower the buttocks and adjust the position so that the heels touch the side of the hips.
Place the hands on the knees, palms down. The head and the back are straight but not tense, avoid arching the spine. This is the best meditation asana if you suffer of sciatica. Avoid practicing Vajrasana if your ankles and/or knees have not reached the right level of flexibility.
Next post will be on relaxation asanas. Both meditation and relaxation asanas are indicated when you practice with the higher chakras Ajna and Sahasrara. The proper practice of meditation and relaxation is fuel to recharge these energy points.
I also wanted to thank all of my followers. I hope the group will increase more and more as I add information on this blog. I also invite you to leave a comment on your meditation practice, we all can learn from each other.
I wish you all a nice Sunday!
Namasté! 🙏
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