Assuming a certain posture has been central to many meditation
techniques. Classic postures, integral to Hatha Yoga, are given in the Yoga Sutras of
Patanjali, which codify ancient yogic healing practices. Other postures appear in the Kum
Nye holistic healing system of Tibet, in Islamic prayer, and in Gurdjieff movements.
Posture is considered very important in Zen Buddhist practice.
A major characteristic of prescribed meditation postures in many traditions is that the
spine is kept straight. This is true in Hindu and Buddhist yogas, in the Christian
attitude of kneeling prayer, in the Egyptian sitting position, and in the Taoist standing
meditation, "embracing the pillar." People with misalignments may feel
uncomfortable in the beginning when assuming these postures. The spine is put back into a
structurally sound line, and the weight of the body distributed around it in a balanced
pattern in which gravity, not muscular tension, is the primary influence. It is possible,
although it has not been conclusively proven, that this postural realignment affects the
state of mind.
A sitting posture is better for meditation than lying down. This is
because lying down is the normal sleep position and meditation lying down could easily
lead to sleep. If you are not a person who easily goes to sleep during the day, you may
like to meditate in a semi-reclining position on a sofa or large armchair with the back of
your head supported. In traditional meditation postures, however, the back is normally
kept erect, though not rigidly upright. This is called poised posture. The right
attitude for meditation may itself be described as poised: alert yet also relaxed.
Poised posture promotes the right state of attention-awareness for successful meditation.
In the East, the cross-legged postures, with head and back in vertical
line, are considered ideal for meditation. In classic Lotus
posture, the legs are crossed with feet on thighs, and imparts the right
feeling of poised sitting for meditation. These postures are difficult and even painful at
first for those who are not familiar with them. We will describe two traditional oriental
postures, viz., half lotus and lotus posture and an easier posture called Burmese
For those who prefer to do the meditation sitting on a chair, we will describe a posture
In Hindu Yoga the object the attention dwells on is often a mantra,
usually a Sanskrit word or syllable. In Buddhism the focus for bare attention is often the
meditator's own breathing. Both mantra meditation and awareness of breathing fulfill all
the elements required for meditating for relaxation.
Some meditation methods involve looking at objects with open eyes, but
in others, the subjects close their eyes which makes relaxation easier to induce.
Instructors in transcendental meditation make much of each person being
given a mantra that suits his or her nervous system, but there does not appear to be any
scientific support for this. Any technique used with any sound or phrase or prayer or
mantra has been found to bring forth the same physiologic changes noted during
There is much to be said for choosing either a neutral word or a
meaningless sound for mantra meditation. Some people, however, like to use a word like
'peace' which has relaxing associations. This is all right provided the word does not set
off trains of associative thought. In this type of meditation the single thought-sound has
the effect of quietening the mind; Maharishi Mahesh Yogi says that the thought-sound takes
the meditator to the source of thought. Studies of the brain wave patterns of meditators
indicate that the deepest relaxation results when thoughts are absent, or few and of no
If you make awareness of breathing your single meditation method, let
your attention dwell on the gentle rise of your abdomen in diaphragmatic-abdominal
breathing. Your breathing becomes very quiet and even after several minutes of meditation
and the gentle movement and rhythm of abdominal breathing promotes relaxation.
This last element of meditation for
relaxation is said to be the most essential. It is sometimes called poised awareness or
attention-awareness because in it relaxation and alertness are in perfect balance. There
is nothing exotic about it: you were passively aware when you let go from tension in the
muscles of your arms, legs, trunk, and face.
A passive attitude means that distractions from environmental sounds,
skin tingles etc., and the inevitable intrusion into the mind of thoughts and images are
viewed casually and detachedly. Let them come and go, of no more consequence than small
clouds passing across an expanse of sky. But each time you become aware that your
attention has slipped away from the mantra or the sensation of abdominal breathing, and
you are engaging in a chain of logical thinking or developing interest in some sounds or
other sensations, bring your attention and awareness back to the meditation object.
It is really very simple, as long as you keep a relaxed attitude going.
Don't force, and don't cling. With practice, moments of great calm and deep restfulness
during meditation will become more frequent.