Sitting posture

[lifedivine]

Hi, I've been meditating for a few years now and I still seem unable to get my sitting posture correct. I sit in burmese posture and am unable to fit into much else really. I've been doing alot of yin yoga though and this is really helping my flexibility.

 

Well I was hoping to get some advice on how one can go about correcting sitting posture and finding the right way to sit for ones body type. I've been playing around with it for a few months, trying different things, but I can't seem to get it right. I'd really appreciate some advice so thanks for any help offered.

[konchog uma]

Hi, I've been meditating for a few years now and I still seem unable to get my sitting posture correct. I sit in burmese posture and am unable to fit into much else really. I've been doing alot of yin yoga though and this is really helping my flexibility.

 

Well I was hoping to get some advice on how one can go about correcting sitting posture and finding the right way to sit for ones body type. I've been playing around with it for a few months, trying different things, but I can't seem to get it right. I'd really appreciate some advice so thanks for any help offered.

 

i find Vairochana's 7 points of posture (they may actually be called something different) helpful.

 

and i find that the spine is key, keeping it not too tight, not too loose, like stacking a tall pile of coins.

 

the hardest thing for me was keeping my chin tucked and the back of my neck lengthened. I imagine that the back of my head is raising up and going back, and when i find that spot that feels right, i keep it there.

 

perhaps you can articulate what your exact problem is, ie legs, back, shoulders? is something getting sore? is the energy just not flowing smoothly? that will help people help you better

 

good luck

[Ish]

I had not heard of it before but here is a link describing the 7 points:

http://www.rigpawiki.org/index.php?title=Seven-point_posture_of_Vairochana

 

I think it's good advice. A good place to learn alignment is from a Zhan Zhuang teacher.

Shaking, stretching & spontaneous qigong can really help your body to find comfortable alignment.

[Friend]

From my perspective you have not gain the breathing space opening by Yin Yoga

which is caused by holding a posture for a several time under the tension of stretching of body.

 

When one breath correctly the whole body breath and moves the body-

all of the body which makes possible to maintain smooth and flexible.

In the posture there will everywhere in the body a feel of stretching only the place which is streched by the posture has greatest intensity.

 

Which this sort of stretching one gain overall slow progress in open the body, while more space for breathing and so greater motion to make the body move. If the place not move enough

it becomes stiff the concept is "use it or loose it".

The problem is maybe that the breathing motion is only fixed on the respiration system around lungs and diaphragm. So try to observe the part in the body that moves.

Observe an animal, when it breath the whole body moves and even the limbs, even when it is sleeping.

 

Also you need to move around the joints before sitting, like rotating them, because

when the joints are not moved by the breathing motion they are in a stiff state

and moving them is to warm up the place and make more space avaiable.

 

A other things it to observe the force one use while one is in a streched position

and in non streched position. When one breath then the body moves. The more stronger the breath the greater the risk to overstretch parts of the muscle by breathing. So use less force when the stretching is greater.

 

One may be able to do several sort of complicated contortion but loose the gracefull movement of a tiger.

 

Sitting higher is also an option for sitting -like on a cussion - but one has to sit on the hip bones, else use towel and something simliar and fold it to the height on sit and can breath more easily and deep. And befor sitting one move up the Pelvic floor, take the sitting posture and release the tension back to its natural tension.

 

As well if you follow the "Seven-point posture of Vairochana" use them loosly, just remind yourself often about the posture but relax and let go. Take the Vairo again from time to time and let go to sit comfortable like a flatend balloon. The Vairo is the Ballon one wants in the future to have fully filled, but for now one is the flatend ballon. It will be filled with growing inner strength.

 

It is diffcult to fill a form when something else is already in it. Control of the posture is like filling the ballon with stones so it has the form

of an air filled ballon - well only stiff and stones are heavy.

 

If one sit straight with much effort one have a pull from the back on the hip area

and this will cause a movement on the muscle and sinews which are run from the hip areas to the knee and this is because of the push of the buttocks down to raise the spine into an errect postion. Well this cause stiffness in the hips and knee pain

from my observation. So one do find ways to make the back and especially the lower back more subtle so that one needs less force to sit errect.

 

Best,

Q

[gramp]

Sitting posture is something I'm interested in, too.

 

I was surprised that flexibility of the hip-to-thigh joints seems to be the key to preventing knee and back injury. (I had knee injuries from running and cycling, and then back injuries from sitting too much while driving and office work. Now, I can sit for hours without pain -- with the help of the following exercises.)

 

 

Here are some YouTubes that I like, that show how to improve hip-thigh flexibility:

 

Getting to Lotus (Padmasana)

www.youtube.com/watch?v=USAeDzIbM5M

 

Developing Lotus Flexibility - Preparing Yoga Padmasana Sitting Position

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8LOhZmuVaE

 

Lotus Posture - how to master it

www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ZlunRtePb8

 

 

Here's a written guide:

 

Lotus (Padmasana)

www.movingintostillness.com/book/asana_padmasana.html

 

 

Here is a small sample of some older threads about sitting posture:

 

www.thetaobums.com/index.php?/topic/23053-specific-problem-sitting-in-the-lotus-posture/

www.thetaobums.com/index.php?/topic/13207-wang-liping-on-sitting-in-lotus-posture/

www.thetaobums.com/index.php?/topic/14194-getting-to-full-lotus/

www.thetaobums.com/index.php?/topic/14553-how-to-work-towards-lotus-position/

www.thetaobums.com/index.php?/topic/12678-johny-changliping-lotus-position/

www.thetaobums.com/index.php?/topic/10207-full-lotus-only-hurts-when-i-get-out-of-the-position/

www.thetaobums.com/index.php?/topic/4549-full-lotus/page__p__49020entry49020

[lifedivine]

Ok great, thanks so much for these replies. I think the main problem I have been finding is when I'm sitting it takes alot of effort to keep my spine straight, which then puts alot of strain on different parts, mainly my hips / thighs and lower spine. I've tried sitting a bit higher and noticed there is less strain and that I'm sitting more from my core, but as Friend mentioned, my but still seems to sink into the ground which results in tension or pinching in different parts of my body. When I was sitting a bit higher I noticed if I held myself up ontop of my but it took away a bit of tension, but when I relaxed I sunk into the ground again and felt my lower spine pinching. Again I also noticed with a bit of improvement in my flexibility, which could let my hips open up alot more bringing my knees and legs closer to the ground also helped in relieving some of the effort and tension. I will check out these links and experiment a bit more. Thanks again for the help!

 

Also for the advice on yin yoga, this gives me some insight into my practice and I can understand what you are meaning.

Edited June 23, 2012 by lifedivine

[Warrior Body Buddha Mind]

Whatever is the most comfortable for you is the best posture...

[ChiDragon]

Whatever is the most comfortable for you is the best posture...

Yes, let Nature take its course....

[Harmonious Emptiness]

You need to use stomach muscles to keep the back straight though nothing overly tense. I think the focus on the stomach muscles can also help general open focus rather than thought focus.

[Friend]

Ok great, thanks so much for these replies. I think the main problem I have been finding is when I'm sitting it takes alot of effort to keep my spine straight,

 

If you sit comfortable it mostly not errect. So if you do correctly you will bend over

when you sit relaxed and comfortable. When Burmese or half lotus one bend on the same

level more over and in a Lotus one will kiss the ground with ones head.

So you may put many many pillows on the ground on the level the head is bending.

If you sit almost straight. Sit in front of a wall, the head will touch the wall.

If one is more errect then one can sit in front of table since you can but your legs below the table.

 

In all cases Qi should sink and then rise and make the upper body errect while opening the body up, something one do not need to do- only to check how much one bend over and take care that all parts of body are moved by breath.

Some are even rising little by little with time while sitting in the same session.

 

The strength of sitting practise is to use less the energy in the legs to make the energy rise in the upper body, the energy and system modicfication one gain again support standing practise as the part the legs would make the spine raise will do other things.

 

Best

Q

[lifedivine]

This has all been really helpful to correct my sitting posture. I think it is the size of my thighs, being quite large and thick I needed to prop myself up much higher. I was running out of things to use and ended up with two jumpers and a blanket ontop of my cushions. But it worked great, my hips rotated and opened and my spine became erect in a very natural way. Then my spine is supported just like when i'm standing, almost. I can't believe it's taken me a few years to figure this out

 

The breath and Qi flow is also an important aspect to incorporate into my practice, so thankyou for some insight into this, it is helpful as to where i'm putting my focus.

 

And thankyou to all for the help and suggestions offered, it is appreciated.

Edited June 23, 2012 by lifedivine