
A Little Support, Please
Like most things in meditation, there are lots of opinions about the “right” posture, and lots of people who will sell you props to help you sit comfortably. At many yoga centers or spa retreats the meditation classes are stocked with yoga mats, blankets, backjacks, round cushions called Zafu in Zen meditation and for the teachers even low wooden benches.
Some people think you should be sitting flat, and other think you should prop your behind and hips a little above the level of your knees. The underlying idea is to sit with intention, no slouching, but it is also important that you be comfortable enough, at least in casual practice, to not sabotage your ability to stay still. After all, we aren’t talking here about the kind of meditation you do for six weeks at an ashram where triumphing over physical pain is part of the program.
I’m kind of a minimalist, at least for right now, but that could change as my body continues to age and change. I sit cross-legged (no, not full lotus or half lotus, or anything like that). The most I may do is wedge a pillow a little under my backside, but not all the time. Often, I will put a pillow in my lap and hold my hands to the side or underneath – I’m not sure why, it just feels right to be, kind of the same feeling as sleeping under a weighted blanket I think.
Here’s the thing, though, there are a lot of options and I’ll talk about some more of them as time goes by. Meanwhile, don’t let concerns about posture be a hurdle – if you want to sit in a chair with your feet flat on the ground, or anything else, do that. No one is watching.