Numbness in the legs

[healingtouch]

Anyone know how to prevent legs and feet going numb while meditating? This happens after about an hour of being in lotus or with legs sideways and it's really affecting quality of meditations as it's interrupting them. 

 

Thank you in advance 

[vonkrankenhaus]

The joints, tendons, etc need to open up and relax so that blood and lymph can flow.

 

Part of this is postural, and there are "stages" of most people doing lotus position.

 

First is being able to do it at all. Even though legs and torso are "in" position, internally everything is squashed into what can be a new way of positioning from usual and habitual postures.

 

Sitting positions then start adjusting. One might seek out and do stretching or other activities that increase the mobility and openness of the joints and muscles. These help. And in sitting, body will start adjusting little by little, to new posture.

 

Another issue can be some organ contraction that make free positioning difficult.

 

For example, tight kidneys, or blockages in kidneys, can cause numbness in legs that can be made worse by sitting in meditation. These organs meridians running through legs.

 

If kidney tightness is due to salt, one thing to try is take a whole watermelon, large, and boil it with a heaping teaspoon of salt, boiling down to about a quart of somewhat thick paste. Take 1 spoonful of this 3 times/day. Also massage kidney point on bottom of foot to help dissolve stagnation.

 

If liver is tight, stop meat for a while, cut down heavy fats, and look into the oil and lemon flush for liver/gallbladder.

 

Of course, there are many more elaborate ways to address hardness and stagnation in organs - like acupuncture, tui na, shiatsu, and qigong exercises, etc. Most require professional practitioner or teacher, but all good.

 

 

-VonKrankenhaus

[Dream]

I wrote a topic about this. You can search it

 

Greetings!

[Orion]

Not everyone can do the lotus. Most of us weren't raised from a young age to sit in this position, so our bodies don't adapt too well. I think it's more important to be comfortable than to sit in proscribed positions. Half lotus or full lotus are useful energetically but not totally necessary IMO. I've had some really deep, wonderful meditation experiences and qi gong sessions sitting in a chair.

 

If you're really hung up on being able to do the lotus for a long time, then doing deep leg and lower back stretches regularly will help you out. I'd even say start doing yoga.

Edited July 2, 2015 by Orion

[ChiForce]

When your chi circulates through your legs, the numbness would not be there.    The most I could sit in a half lotus position is about 1 hour.  Not because my legs are getting numbed.  Is because my mind could no longer remaining settled and calm.  in some case, my mind would dose off.  

 

Is not how long you can meditate indicating your spiritual practice achievement.  Is what your mind can accomplish in one hour.  Can your mind enter into jhanas.    

[gendao]

My guess is that if you can't get into Full Lotus

...then you probably aren't ready to meditate in it.

And it generally takes a loonggg time of training to reach that stage! Which most people easily underestimate...hence they experience numbness & joint strain/pain on all their premature attempts. Edited July 3, 2015 by gendao

[voidisyinyang]

http://innersoundqigong.blogspot.com/2015/07/heart-hearing-love-law-of-universe.html

 

I just posted on full lotus about the original qigong master - he had severe knee injury but he sat 7 hours in full lotus because Yan Xin encouraged that and he listened to Yan Xin - he said even though his whole body was ice cold only his heart remained hot.

 

But yes he said the mind has to remain calm to break through the numbness as "good pain" - this is described in the Way of Energy book also - you use the mind to guide away from the pain or as the original qigong master says when the legs are numb that means the energy is now in your head - so you use that energy to go into the Emptiness so you no longer are aware of the numbness in your legs. Then the energy will build up from the Emptiness - go back down into your legs and open up those qi channels more.

 

I have this same issue also - so yes it is just a matter of deeper relaxation and this is through the heart emotions of love, kindness, forgiveness. The Yan Xin healing was focused on deep forgiveness of the heart so then the Yuan Qi is activated which can then open up the yin qi heel channels of the legs - to fill up the lower tan tien.