Mention meditation positions and people usually think the lotus posture. See any meditation image in a magazine and you will undoubtedly find someone calm and peaceful, sitting without any apparent distress in the lotus position. The lotus position is a yoga posture that’s a sturdy one for sitting meditations, but by no means the required position for meditation.
For people that spend all day sitting in front of a computer screen such as me, sitting in lotus is a strain for a long period of time. So I don’t do it. I prefer to lay down with the shades drawn. But that is just me. It took me awhile to find the best meditation position for my needs..
Meditation is about your inner world, not the outer world. So whatever position gets you comfortable is the right position for most meditations. There are a few specific meditation styles that require specific postures but those are few and far between.
Lotus Position
Sitting on the floor, take your right leg and fold it at the knee until your right ankle is high up on your left thigh. Then fold your left leg at the knee and cross it on top of your right leg, resting the ankle high up on your left thigh. Place both hand extended straight out with elbows almost locked. Palms face the ceiling and curl your pointer finger and thumb until they touch at the tip. Keep your spine straightened and lower your chin until it touches your chest.
This is a position to meditate and the most commonly depicted. But as I said above, don’t have this position even remotely distract you from the goal of meditation. If you are flexible enough to assume this position, and that is also the position that you are most comfortable with, then use Lotus. Otherwise use one of the other positions described below.
Half-Lotus Position
This meditation position is an alternative to Lotus position if you are determined to achieve the Lotus position eventually. Sitting on the floor, take your right leg and fold it at the knee until your right ankle is high up on your left thigh. Then fold your left leg at the knee but keep it on the floor so that the left ankle touches the right knee. Place both hand extended straight out with elbows almost locked. Palms face the ceiling and curl your pointer finger and thumb until they touch at the tip. Keep your spine straightened and lower your chin until it touches your chest.
Indian Style Position
Sometimes you have a meditation that requires an erect spine. Kundalini meditations are a type of meditation that require a sitting with erect spine posture. In the cases where you need to be sitting, but your knees or hips are too tight for lotus or half-lotus, go with Indian-style.
For Indian-style, sit on the floor and bend your right leg until your right ankle is touching your left thing just above your knee, but your right ankle is still touching the floor. Cross your left shin over your right shin so that the left ankle touches the right lower thing while the ankle still touches the floor. Place both hand extended straight out with elbows almost locked. Palms face the ceiling and curl your pointer finger and thumb until they touch at the tip. Keep your spine straightened and lower your chin until it touches your chest.
Laying Down Position
I might be too lazy but I prefer to just lay down for meditation. It is comfortable, relaxing, and I can let my body go and be supported while I focus my concentration inside. Unless you are in an active meditation with movement, or a kundalini meditation that requires energy to travel up and down your spine, laying down to meditate has no downside versus the sitting positions described above.
The goal of meditation is to retreat from the outer world and go within yourself. You don’t want your body distracting your mind because you are trying to hold a yoga posture that requires more flexibility than you can comfortably give. Choose the best meditation position above to support your meditation journey.
For people that spend all day sitting in front of a computer screen such as me, sitting in lotus is a strain for a long period of time. So I don’t do it. I prefer to lay down with the shades drawn. But that is just me. It took me awhile to find the best meditation position for my needs..
Meditation is about your inner world, not the outer world. So whatever position gets you comfortable is the right position for most meditations. There are a few specific meditation styles that require specific postures but those are few and far between.
Meditation Positions
Lotus Position
Sitting on the floor, take your right leg and fold it at the knee until your right ankle is high up on your left thigh. Then fold your left leg at the knee and cross it on top of your right leg, resting the ankle high up on your left thigh. Place both hand extended straight out with elbows almost locked. Palms face the ceiling and curl your pointer finger and thumb until they touch at the tip. Keep your spine straightened and lower your chin until it touches your chest.
This is a position to meditate and the most commonly depicted. But as I said above, don’t have this position even remotely distract you from the goal of meditation. If you are flexible enough to assume this position, and that is also the position that you are most comfortable with, then use Lotus. Otherwise use one of the other positions described below.
Half-Lotus Position
This meditation position is an alternative to Lotus position if you are determined to achieve the Lotus position eventually. Sitting on the floor, take your right leg and fold it at the knee until your right ankle is high up on your left thigh. Then fold your left leg at the knee but keep it on the floor so that the left ankle touches the right knee. Place both hand extended straight out with elbows almost locked. Palms face the ceiling and curl your pointer finger and thumb until they touch at the tip. Keep your spine straightened and lower your chin until it touches your chest.
Indian Style Position
Sometimes you have a meditation that requires an erect spine. Kundalini meditations are a type of meditation that require a sitting with erect spine posture. In the cases where you need to be sitting, but your knees or hips are too tight for lotus or half-lotus, go with Indian-style.
For Indian-style, sit on the floor and bend your right leg until your right ankle is touching your left thing just above your knee, but your right ankle is still touching the floor. Cross your left shin over your right shin so that the left ankle touches the right lower thing while the ankle still touches the floor. Place both hand extended straight out with elbows almost locked. Palms face the ceiling and curl your pointer finger and thumb until they touch at the tip. Keep your spine straightened and lower your chin until it touches your chest.
Laying Down Position
I might be too lazy but I prefer to just lay down for meditation. It is comfortable, relaxing, and I can let my body go and be supported while I focus my concentration inside. Unless you are in an active meditation with movement, or a kundalini meditation that requires energy to travel up and down your spine, laying down to meditate has no downside versus the sitting positions described above.
The goal of meditation is to retreat from the outer world and go within yourself. You don’t want your body distracting your mind because you are trying to hold a yoga posture that requires more flexibility than you can comfortably give. Choose the best meditation position above to support your meditation journey.
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