Developing Strong Meditation Posture Over Time

[tezk]

When it comes to developing a good meditation posture over time, is it as simple as just doing your best to maintain a good posture during sits (straight back, shoulders back, and hips higher than knees), and then trying to increase the time you can hold it, over time? I imagine you get to a point where you can relax effortlessly into the posture.

I've also got a stretching routine in place for mornings and evenings.

One of the problems I've found with this approach of just muscling your way through to a good posture is that its distracting me away from the actual technique I'll be doing whether that be anapana or vipassana. Is this just a short-term problem that I'll need to accept until I develop muscles to naturally hold up my body with good posture?

Appreciate any insight people can offer into this problem. Thanks

 

[nistake]

It depends on the posture. I started meditating in a chair, but after a while I wanted to 'learn' to sit in a meditation posture. I chose the burmese position because that's the easiest one. At first I was pretty bad, my legs wore sore and I was quite distracting. I kept at it and now I can hold it for even 60 minutes relatevily comfortable and I don't even notice the posture.

So I'd say keep at it, your body needs some time to adjust, but with persistance you'll be able to hold the posture without any problems (the full lotus position is an expcetion and I think it's overkill anyway). Also, stretching is always good and get yourself a zafu. It'll hold your hips nicely.

[tezk]

@nistake Ah, thats good to hear that your body eventually adjusted! I think thats the way to go. Just tough it out and do my best to meditate, relaxing into the pose. Thank you

Edited October 13, 2020 by tezk

[inFlow]

@tezk Do physical yoga every evening and in the span of 2-3 weeks you will be way stronger to hold a good meditation posture for up to an hour.

[everythingisnothing]

@tezk I had a very pragmatic trial and error approach to meditation: started sitting on a couch, leaning back, saw I would fall asleep fast. Got me a nap-zapper (device to clip onto the ear, whenever my head tilts forward because of tiredness it would make an alarming sound). Then stopped leaning against the couch but sliding forward to the edge and struggling my way through the hour without back support. After a while it was no problem to sit for an hour, also crosslegged. Of course doing exercises for the back and stretching will help, but the practice itself will give you the strenght you need, you just need to push through a little bit??‍♂️

[ivory]

@tezk My meditation teacher told me to notice how posture tends to weaken as one gets lost in thought. I don't do it every time, but I check in with my posture when I catch the mind wandering.