Our meditation seat and posture is an integral part of the practice, and often changes as our body does. Below are some tips along with images of the three most common seats: in a chair, kneeling, and cross legged. A few modifications are included, but are not exhaustive. If you continually have legs that fall asleep, get pins and needles, or have back pain when you sit, that’s a good indication that asking your teacher for some posture guidance would be appropriate.
If you sit in a chair:
*Make sure your feet are flat on the floor, and directly below your knees.
*Sit so your shoulders are stacked over your hips, you might like to support your back with a pillow.
*You might also like to have a small pillow or folded blanket under your hips to create a forward tilt to the pelvis. This can make it easier for your spine to remain upright. Do feel free to use the support of the back of the chair if needed.
If you sit on the floor:
*Make sure you have a folded blanket underneath your legs, and they are not directly on the floor. This causes them to loose circulation easily and get the “pins and needles” feeling.
*Make sure your hips are higher than your knees by propping yourself up on a meditation cushion/yoga blocks/meditation bench/other support
*Avoid crossing your ankles, as this puts pressure on the body that can also cause pins and needles
Jennifer Whitney 