Rishi Singh on Padmasana Lotus Posture

Meditationtime Forum Post

Date:  Posted 6 years before Mar 07, 2017

MiBeloved 6 years ago

During the exercises, when I was almost finished with the session, Rishi Singh appeared in my head and began to instruct me in what he termed to be the proper way to sit in padmasana, lotus posture.

His idea is that the muscles and ligaments which connect the thigh to the torso should be so relaxed that when one sits in lotus posture, there is no strain and also that there should be a perpendicular axis of the pelvic bucket-shaped region in reference to the floor. He said that this is the best posture for meditation but if a person does not have that relaxed musculature, still the person should try to sit comfortably and not be in a pose which causes the mind to drift to muscular aches and pains during meditation.

neil 6 years ago

This is so true.  It is very important to sit in a posture that is not painful.  We have people in our meditation group who need to sit in a chair and even then they have to get up after thirty minutes of sitting and walk around before resuming.

Not everyone can sit in padmasana.  Most people in the western world were not brought up sitting on the ground, much less in lotus pose.  I didn't start doing yoga until 15 years ago and I am just beginning to get comfortable sitting in the cross-legged pose.  Even then, I must stretch my legs out after 30 or 40 minutes.

Many people hesitate to meditate because they think they must sit on the floor and stay perfectly quiet for the entire session.  Once people discover they can sit any way they want to and move around when they feel like it they discover their thinking mind without pain.  The important thing about meditation is to be able to calm the mind, observe it and not fall asleep.