By Jenny Park
There
are many forms of meditation, each attempting to clear the mind, relax the
body, and heal the soul. Most meditation practices are generally all equal in
one aspect: posture. Posture is one of the most basic components of meditation
practice, and helps to ensure the body opens up, allowing proper spine
alignment and full breathing.
In Zen, or Zazen, meditation, there is a huge focus on posture, and there are six accepted postures that can be utilized depending on a student’s flexibility and comfort level with each position.
Full Lotus Position
Many of the utilized postures in meditation involve sitting cross-legged. The full lotus position is the most advanced and most stable of all the positions and takes a large amount of flexibility and practice to achieve comfort. This position is completely symmetrical and involves crossing the legs, while placing each foot on the opposite thigh.
Half Lotus Position
This position is similar to the full lotus; however, when sitting cross-legged, instead of placing both feet on the opposite thighs, keep one foot on the ground, folded under the opposite knee. Since only one foot is raised in this position, it is important to ensure your spine is aligned straight during the exercise and to alternate legs when beginning each session.
Quarter Lotus Position
To attain the quarter lotus position, sit with your legs crossed, but keep both feet on the ground and tucked under the opposite knees. This is the easiest of the lotus positions to attain and is a stable position.
Burmese Position
In this position, it is easy to keep the body straight and upright, encouraging proper breathing and posture. The Burmese position involves sitting with knees bent out to the sides and both feet, legs, and ankles on the floor with your feet and ankles overlapped in front of you. It can be difficult to drop the knees all the way to the floor, but this might be achieved with consistent stretching and practice.
Seiza Position
The seiza position is performed while kneeling and has three variations. The first is simply kneeling on the ground and sitting on your ankles to form a cushion. If this places too much pressure on the feet, you can place a pillow on top of your ankles to sit on. The third method involves utilizing a seiza bench, which places no weight on the feet to alleviate any discomfort.
Chair Position
The final and easiest position used to practice Zazen is seated in a chair. Be sure to keep your feet on the floor and to sit away from the back of the chair, staying upright without slouching.
Settling Into the Exercise
In all six poses, sitting on a small pillow, called a zafu, is common and helps to increase comfort and allows the knees to rest firmly on the ground, resulting in a tripod-like stability. Imagine lifting the top of your head to the ceiling to extend the spine, then relax your muscles and rest your hands in your lap.
Slightly tuck the chin, ensuring a comfortable position and a straight spine, and relax the jaw, while keeping the mouth closed. In Zen meditation, the eyes are often kept open to maintain an alert state, and they should be relaxed and unfocused, set on the floor a few feet in front of you or at the wall if facing it.
There are many positions to choose from, and the correct one should be selected based on flexibility and comfort. The most important part of Zen meditation is the meditation itself and an individual’s state of the mind during the exercise. Finding the proper position is a critical part of Zazen meditation, and doing so will help to encourage a more wholesome and positive experience.
In Zen, or Zazen, meditation, there is a huge focus on posture, and there are six accepted postures that can be utilized depending on a student’s flexibility and comfort level with each position.
Full Lotus Position
Many of the utilized postures in meditation involve sitting cross-legged. The full lotus position is the most advanced and most stable of all the positions and takes a large amount of flexibility and practice to achieve comfort. This position is completely symmetrical and involves crossing the legs, while placing each foot on the opposite thigh.
Half Lotus Position
This position is similar to the full lotus; however, when sitting cross-legged, instead of placing both feet on the opposite thighs, keep one foot on the ground, folded under the opposite knee. Since only one foot is raised in this position, it is important to ensure your spine is aligned straight during the exercise and to alternate legs when beginning each session.
Quarter Lotus Position
To attain the quarter lotus position, sit with your legs crossed, but keep both feet on the ground and tucked under the opposite knees. This is the easiest of the lotus positions to attain and is a stable position.
Burmese Position
In this position, it is easy to keep the body straight and upright, encouraging proper breathing and posture. The Burmese position involves sitting with knees bent out to the sides and both feet, legs, and ankles on the floor with your feet and ankles overlapped in front of you. It can be difficult to drop the knees all the way to the floor, but this might be achieved with consistent stretching and practice.
Seiza Position
The seiza position is performed while kneeling and has three variations. The first is simply kneeling on the ground and sitting on your ankles to form a cushion. If this places too much pressure on the feet, you can place a pillow on top of your ankles to sit on. The third method involves utilizing a seiza bench, which places no weight on the feet to alleviate any discomfort.
Chair Position
The final and easiest position used to practice Zazen is seated in a chair. Be sure to keep your feet on the floor and to sit away from the back of the chair, staying upright without slouching.
Settling Into the Exercise
In all six poses, sitting on a small pillow, called a zafu, is common and helps to increase comfort and allows the knees to rest firmly on the ground, resulting in a tripod-like stability. Imagine lifting the top of your head to the ceiling to extend the spine, then relax your muscles and rest your hands in your lap.
Slightly tuck the chin, ensuring a comfortable position and a straight spine, and relax the jaw, while keeping the mouth closed. In Zen meditation, the eyes are often kept open to maintain an alert state, and they should be relaxed and unfocused, set on the floor a few feet in front of you or at the wall if facing it.
There are many positions to choose from, and the correct one should be selected based on flexibility and comfort. The most important part of Zen meditation is the meditation itself and an individual’s state of the mind during the exercise. Finding the proper position is a critical part of Zazen meditation, and doing so will help to encourage a more wholesome and positive experience.
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Posture is one of the most basic components of meditation practice, and helps to ensure the body opens up, allowing proper spine alignment and full breathing.
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