Meditation is a spiritual practice of yoga that allows a person to find harmony in body and mind. There is no magic in it. This is a fairly simple exercise that not only helps relieve psychological stress, but also relax physically, balance all processes in the body. It is noteworthy that meditation has no limitations and contraindications. People of different ages, sexes and religions can meditate. Giving your workout only 20-30 minutes a day can significantly improve your mood and well-being.
Like any exercise, meditation has its own technical rules and conditions of execution. Musical accompaniment, silence and proper breathing are certainly significant components of practice. But the most important thing is the pose for meditation.
Why is correct posture important?
A comfortable position of the body provides a calm mind and nervous system, a deeper concentration. This is especially true for beginners. Because enlightened yogis have magnificent stretching, physical strength. They can “twist” into complex asanas and meditate in them. Meditation poses for beginners are more familiar and natural postures. With the regularity of practice, they will allow you to plunge into the depths of consciousness almost anytime and anywhere.
Meditation enhances the energy flow in the human body. For beginners, the wrong position can have a negative value, or not bring any result at all, except for wasted time. Therefore, the position of the body should be comfortable, give stability and keep the spine in a straight state. The correct posture for meditation is the key to successful completion of the exercise. Only in this way will energy circulate freely throughout the body, saturating, activating and healing every cell, every organ.
Beginner Poses
When starting to choose a pose for meditation, do not look up to yoga instructors or acquaintances who have long been practicing meditation techniques. It is necessary to proceed from the physical capabilities of your body (health status, stretch marks). It is best to start with simpler positions and gradually complicate them.
Turkish pose
The yogic name for this pose is Sukhasana. This is perhaps the most common posture for meditation. It is she who is preferred by most beginners. Cross-legged posture is also ideal for people with joint mobility problems.
Technique of execution:
- You need to sit on a rug or a small pillow. Cross your legs in front of you. For stability, the heels can be pulled closer to the crotch, or, conversely, move away from you. The main thing is to focus on your feelings.
- Body weight should be equally distributed over the sciatic bones.
- The spine must be kept straight, the top of the head must be pulled up.
- To the back of the neck straightened, the chin should be slightly lowered down.
- If the joints cannot be kept on weight for a long time, a pillow support can be placed under them.
- To make the pose for meditation more stable and comfortable, you can put a small roller under the buttocks.
- Hands in meditation in a Turkish position can be kept crossed in the lower abdomen, or in a special mudra on your knees. In this case, you need to connect the tips of the thumb and forefinger.
Diamond pose
It is also called Vajrasana. This pose for meditation is also very comfortable and does not require special physical training. To do this, you need to kneel, put your feet up on the floor. Then lower the buttocks on the heels, while crossing the toes of the feet. Flatten your chest, lower your shoulders and relax. The top of your head stretch up, while the chin is slightly lowered. Hands should lie on their knees, palms up, or in mudra. To achieve greater comfort in the diamond pose, you can put a thin roller or pillow between the buttocks and heels.
Sitting on a chair
This is a very light and comfortable posture for meditation, which you can practice not only at home, but also where you need to relieve tension and recharge a little (for example, at work). It has no physical contraindications and can be practiced by almost anyone. To do this, you just need to sit on a chair, straighten the spine, open the chest, lower your shoulders. Legs should be parallel, chin slightly down. Put your hands on your knees, palms up, or keep it wisely.
Sage Pose
This is a great pose for energy tuning. It is medium in complexity, so you need to prepare physically for it: warm up the muscles of the legs, stretch the joints.
Technique of execution:
- It is necessary to take a sitting position on the rug. Pull the left heel to the perineum, put the right heel on top of the left heel. In this case, the fingers of the right foot should be laid between the thigh and lower leg of the left leg.
- Knees as low as possible to the floor.
- Weight is evenly distributed on the ischial bones.
- The spine is straight, the crown extends upward, the chin is slightly lowered.
Lotus position
This is the best pose for meditation. Experienced yogis call her padmasana. It closes the energy inside the body and prevents it from flowing out. In this position, endurance of the joints plays a huge role. For those who do not have local problems, it is not harmful. People with diseases of the joints of the legs should not use the lotus position in practice.
Before proceeding to the technique, it is necessary to stretch the hip joints, knees, ankles. To get the maximum comfort, relaxation and benefits that meditation brings, the lotus position must be performed taking into account all conditions:
- Take a sitting position on a rug or thin pillow. Bend the right leg at the knee, fix the foot on the base of the left thigh. Place your left foot on top of your right.
- In this case, the knees should be maximally laid aside and close to the floor. If there is not enough stretching or for other reasons the knees are in weight, then pillows should be placed under them.
- Buttocks lie comfortably on the floor, the weight is distributed evenly. For greater stability, a small roller can be placed.
- The spine is straight, the rib cage is straightened, the crown is tending upward, the chin is slightly lowered.
- Hands lie on their knees in mudra with the connection of the tips of the thumb and forefinger, or in a prayer position at chest level.
Important points
- Meditation takes place exclusively in an upright position, so the practice of "lying" does not carry any benefit in itself, except for relaxation.
- No matter how effective and powerful this or that posture for meditation is, do not experiment. The position of the body in spiritual practice should correspond to physical fitness and health. Only in this case, you can get a healing result.
- It happens that even detailed descriptions do not always give a visual design of the chosen posture for meditation. Photo images in this case are the best helpers.
- The eyes should be closed or half open during meditation.
- It is necessary to control breathing. It plunges a person into the depths of consciousness, helps to tune in and relax. In addition, concentration on breathing will help get rid of annoying and disturbing thoughts, which will make the practice deeper. Therefore, inhalations should be deep, and exhalations should be leisurely.