I cannot sit in the "lotus position".. My muscles won't seem to allow it.. I'm reading on Buddhism and would really like to achieve the ability to sit like this, for meditative reasons.. (sitting cross-legged, with each foot above the thigh) It is painful for me at the moment to sit like this lol..
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How to stretch to sit in lotus position? (mediditation stance) (Buddhism)?
(3 posts)-
Posted 2 years ago #
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Nothing in Buddhist teaching requires you to sit in the "full lotus" position.
There's nothing "magical" or "special" about this position. You will obtain no merit from it. You will not enter some deep meditative state by sitting in it.
Buddhist meditation simply requires that your body be stable and that you can sit without moving for however long the meditation period lasts.
Many people sit in half-lotus or "Burmese" position (with the legs bent and feet on the mat). Some people sit in seiza (kneeling, maybe using a bench), or in a chair. I've even seen people with serious injuries meditate while lying down. The posture doesn't matter - what matters is how you keep your mind.
The challenges of meditation come from our thinking mind - and this has little to do with how we configure the body.
The mind resists meditation fiercely - it does not like to be examined, and meditation is all about examining the mind.
The resistance begins with the urge to itch that is so familiar to new meditators. Then, when we resist that urge, the mind gets sleepy. Or it tells us whacky stories about what we should be doing with our time. It takes great courage to put up with the mind's b*llsh*t.
I encourage you to find a position in which you can sit comfortably, without moving, for at least 15 minutes. This is much more important than anything else.
Best wishes on your path!
Posted 2 years ago # -
whatever is most comfortable for you, although the lotus position seems cool it hold no spiritual properties
Posted 2 years ago #
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