Asana best suited for meditation
When you hear Asana (the third step of Ashtanga Yoga), what comes to mind?
If you have any media exposure, probably you think something of this sort.
I don’t have such flexibility and if you don’t intend to enter yoga competitions, you can breathe easy as well.
Literally, Asana means ‘A place to sit’. But in Yoga parlance, it means posture. My teacher in the Hatha Yoga classes used to say the only aim of Asanas is to unblock the energy blockages in the body and make it flexible and sturdy enough so that we can sit in meditation for long enough. Given that, our aim is to get into one of the sitting postures comfortably.
Choice of A Seat
Choose a flat surface. Avoid the bed or the sofa. The cushion should not be too soft. A soft surface distorts the vertical orientation of the spine. In the short term, it will affect the ability to sit still for long. In the long term, some body part might develop pain. A yoga mat is fine, though I never used one. We are Indians. Our ‘things’ multi-task as well. I have been using a folded bed sheet for the entire duration I have been practicing. So, have been my Yoga classmates. Sitting directly on the floor is technically okay too. I would advise against it for two reasons – it’s too cold in the winter and usually the ankles hurt when pressing against the hard floor.
Sitting Postures
The sitting poses provide a larger base on which the body weight gets distributed and hence, make for a stable posture which can be held for long, especially for beginners like us. Make sure the body remains comfortable. No need to tense up all the muscles. The major requirement of any sitting pose is an erect spine, with the head and neck in alignment. Simple enough? The commonly suggested poses (in order of increasing difficulty) are the following. Notice the head, neck and spine are in a straight line in all the postures. Only the position of the legs keep changing.
Do not force yourself into the postures. It requires muscle development in the legs and takes time. ‘Hip-opening’ yoga postures will help to slowly develop the needed flexibility.
(I will leave that search to you.) However, if you have a problem sitting cross-legged, sitting on a chair is ok to start off. Make sure the feet are placed on the ground and not kept dangling or crossed at the knees / ankles. The chair should be high enough so the thighs are parallel to the ground and the knees are bent at 90 degrees. Take back support, if needed, but do not slouch or slump. Our goal is to strengthen the core muscles of the torso over time. By the way, the spine stays erect while sleeping also. But a lying down posture is not recommended for meditating as there is almost a certain chance of falling asleep. A very common problem while sitting cross-legged is the feet falling asleep or legs going numb. Fighting the feeling will only draw all the attention to the pain. A round-about is to take a moment, adjust the position, massage the feet a bit while keeping the eyes closed and not let the mind go completely scattered during this process. Same with itches or any other discomfort. Sadhguru mentions you would have achieved Asana Siddhi (accomplished the Asana / posture), if you are able to hold that comfortably for 2.5 hours. That might sound simple, but then we need to struggle with the body keeping time. I knew it was 20 minutes when my feet fell asleep. As a beginner, how long can you sit comfortably in the same pose? Do you become more aware of discomfort the moment you sit down to meditate? Share your experiences in the comments. Side-Note : Some politically incorrect Asanas.. on a lighter vein.. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/humour/cartoons/ninans-world/Congress-and-Yoga/cartoonshow/47641016.cms Additional Resources :
Meditation for Beginners. Build concentration. Build resilience. Practice yoga. Start your spiritual journey today.
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