Since ages past, meditation has been practiced by countless people for its many benefits. Incorporating meditation into your everyday life could make a huge difference in your mindset and attitude.
Almost all meditative practices teach that the spine must remain straight and slumping is not encouraged. The reason for this is that when you sit erect it promotes the circulation of your spiritual energy. This is believed to be your life energy or force.
Even though a straight back is almost universal in the different approaches to meditation, some spiritual traditions and meditation instructors advise a variety of postures. Here’s a look at a few of them.
1. Seated position. The individual sits upright while maintaining a straight back. Spine and head are aligned and straight. The thighs are parallel to the floor. Hands are placed comfortably on the knees or chair arms.
2. Cross legged posture. This is a very common posture; the lotus position is included in this category.
3. Kneeling posture. The person is positioned with both knees resting on the floor. Buttocks remain resting on the heels and toes, which are close together. The hands are placed on the thighs.
4. Lying down position. In yoga this is referred to as savasna; it’s also known as the corpse position. The individual lies flat on the floor with the legs straight and relaxed. This posture isn’t that common since it so closely resembles the sleeping position. The individual can occasionally nod off. This is more useful for stress reduction rather than as a meditation method.
In addition to these postures, there are several gestures and movements that can be incorporated into the practice of meditation. Included in these are hand motions which are termed Mudras. There’s a theological significance behind these motions. Coming from the yogic philosophy, they can impact your consciousness. A typical example is the placement of hands in Buddhist meditation. The right hand reposes on top of the left hand with thumbs touching.
Integrating assorted repetitive actions like chanting, deep breathing or humming also assists in bringing on a state of meditation. There are also those who use walking meditation. It’s common to keep the eyes closed or partially open while meditating. Those who practice Soto Zen meditation, however, do so with their eyes open looking at a wall.
To gain the benefits of meditation, follow the training of the type of meditation you have decided to practice. Remember that acceptance and persistence are necessary in order to have success. This might help you during difficult times of meditation and will improve focus in your daily life.
