Sitting cross-legged and meditating

If you force yourself into an uncomfortable cross-legged posture then you may do long-term damage to your joints, and you certainly won’t be comfortable enough to meditate effectively. So maintaining correct meditation postures no mattter what positions you choose is important.

A great way of improving your flexibility is to do some aerobic exercise, like walking, ice skating, bicycling, swimming, using a treadmill, or using a health rider. The test of a good workout is that you feel good when you finish. Do not get too tired. Do not get too sore. If your body feels good, you will keep exercising and also want to eat right in order to keep feeling good. When you have the flexibility then sitting cross-legged is a very stable and grounded posture. There are a number of ways of sitting with crossed legs.

A tailor position, is the simplest cross-legged position. It’s also probably the most common cross-legged posture.

The spot you choose should now be cleaned of all clutter. You will want only the minimum amount of items in your space. All you should have is your seating choice, your notebook and pen, your glass of water and you. Other things will simply be hurdles in your maintaining correct postures and it’s very important for you to have both knees on the ground, to give you adequate support. Having three points of contact (your butt, and both knees) gives you a lot of stability.

If you can’t quite get both knees on the floor, then you can use some padding (a thin cushion or folded scarf). Place your hands on your legs with the left hand on the left leg and the right hand on the right leg. Your palms can be up or down, find what position is more comfortable for you. Sit up straight and gently close your eyes. If one, or both of your knees is more than an inch (2-3cm) off the ground, then use a chair or try sitting astride cushions or a meditation bench or stool. You can always do some yoga to loosen up your hips, and then come back and try a cross-legged posture later.