If you practice sitting meditation, which position do you use?

[Mark Foote]

@joeblast,

 

Sitting this morning and thinking about the psoas. I know Ida Rolf emphasized the psoas:

 

"According to Ida Rolf, the psoas is one of the most significant muscles of the body." (from here).

 

It's great to have somebody that's interested in the anatomy on Tao Bums. What I understand from what I've read is that the psoas has no attachments to the pelvis, but rather synovial bursa that allow it to slide. Here's an image that's interesting in a lot of ways, as this informs me about the parts that are expected to receive sliding muscles in the anatomy of the pelvis (though why they have placed iliopsoas on the hip instead of the "ilio" I don't know):

 

 

The motion I feel in connection with the psoas is a relaxed rocking of the pelvis on the hips, and this motion seems to naturally open the ligaments that hold the sacrum to the pelvis, for motion forward and back.

 

The other principal motions of the sacrum seem connected with the obturators, which are described in "Anatomy in Motion" as hammocking the hips away from the pelvis and so opening a roll side to side, and with the sartoriius, tensors, gluts, and piriformis for motion on the diagonals.

 

Here's a shot of the obturators and piriformis:

 

 

You can kinda see where Calais-Germain got the bit about the obturators (and gemelli) hammocking the hips away from the pelvis. That allows a side to side that stretches the sacro-spinous ligaments that attach the sacrum to the sit-bone and the stretch can generate involuntary, reciprocal muscular activity in relief of stretch.

 

The hamstrings and quads I think stretch the ilio-tibial tract (wide fascial band)-- found the connection from the quads to the ilio-tibial tract in one of Doc Cailliet's books, "Low Back Pain Syndrome". That stretch supports a turning of the pelvis from the sartorious muscles, and action in the tensors, gluts, and piriformis muscles. Here's a shot of sartorius and tensors in relation to tensor facia lata:

 

 

and one for the piriformis:

 

 

Bottom line, three motions of the sacrum, pitch, yaw, and roll, stretching three sets of ligaments, ilio-sacral, sacro-spinous, and sacral tuberous (also note the ilio-lumbar ligaments, vertical support between the pelvis and L4, horizontal support between the pelvis and L5):

 

 

 

 

Stretch in the three sets of ligaments generates reciprocal muscular activity in the pelvis and legs and throughout the body; movements of inhalation accent support in the vertical ilio-lumbar ligaments, movements of exhalation accent support in the horizontal ilio-lumbar ligaments.

 

Now a lovely poem, from 5th century China, that takes off from the ol' broom handle above:

 

The empty hand grasps the hoe handle

Walking along, I ride the ox

The ox crosses the wooden bridge

The bridge is flowing, the water is still

 

Fuxi

 

To me, this is all about relaxed, involuntary, reciprocal muscular activity in response to the stretch of the three sets of sacral ligaments, stretch occasioned by the freedom of the location of awareness to shift and move in space in three dimensions.

 

A sense of place in three dimensions and freedom in the sense of place to move opens an ability to feel through the involuntary activity generated out of stretch in the movement of inhalation and exhalation, both waking up and falling asleep.

 

"When you arrive at last at towering up like a wall miles-high, you will finally know that there aren't so many things."

 

("Zen Letters: the Teachings of Yuanwu", translated by Cleary & Cleary pg 83)

Edited June 24, 2014 by Mark Foote

[Horus]

Whic position for what kind of work ...?

Thanks Jox.

 

Ideally chair/stool sitting for neigong work, but I love half lotus also (when the cosmic/earth energies are on the yang/stronger side).

 

I usually use Full-Lotus for Kriya.

 

I'd use full-lotus more but my left hip is still a bit tight (due to large intestine issue).

 

Full-Lotus and dragon/tiger fist/palm (thumbs to palm and fingers/index finger locking them in) locks the energy far more and things are intensified x much more..

 

So, after 10-12 years of half lotus - full-lotus is still a work in progress for me...

[Horus]

 

No offense....

This is the worse position for breathing. Please be advised do not take this as standard practice.....!!!

 

The squat position is fantastic for rooting though, as hui-yin is engaged to the earth, and the hips are opened. One needs to be elevated from the crown to the heavens to alleviate the breath, and must roll the shoulders and cup the armpits to free the arms from the legs.

 

I do this and circle the palms close to the floor - if there is seismic activity within 10,000 odd kms I "always" see earth elementals coming up through the floor to tell me about the seismic activity.

 

I've never done it as a standard practice though, but if you keep good form I can't see why not to - it depends on your intentions for said practice.

[Horus]

"the thighs are pressed against the abdomen" which restricts the movement of the abdomen from expansion and contraction for the UMB.

 

 

Note:

UMB: the Ultimate Method of Breathing.

Sure, but if you widen the stance of the legs, more like an ultra low compact horse stance to the point where the thighs are only lightly touching the belly its fine.

[Horus]

@joeblast,

Awesome post, Mark...when are you releasing your Taoist Anatomy Text?

[Mark Foote]

blame JoeBlast for getting me started!

[Horus]

blame JoeBlast for getting me started!

Well, thank you JoeBlast!

 

You could both write a great book together...."Taoist Physical & Subtle Anatomy & The 3 Dantiens MCO by Mark Foote & Joe Blast"

 

Or have I Blasted myself in the Foote?

[YawningMind]

I really wish I could cross my legs and meditate properly, but I have horrible flexibility (I've been working on that, though).

 

The best I can do is to sit and keep my back straight. Lying down means falling asleep for me. Sleep is too much fun!

[Mark Foote]

Like to thank Joe for inspiring me to walk through what I know again, especially to remind me of the rocking of the pelvis on the sacrum which is the relaxed action of the psoas; came in really handy today in the dentist's chair, in terms of being able to breath and relax, relax and breath.

Edited June 26, 2014 by Mark Foote

[Miles]

Chair. Lotus position is too hard.

[CloudHands]

Some of my deepest meditation has been on a barstool, contemplating a pint.

 

Which beer ?!

[fugue]

I sit on the edge of a chair with my hands palm down on my knees, chin tucked in, head top suspended, eyes not closed but eyelids relaxed

[fugue]

Double post

Edited July 5, 2014 by fugue