Meditation Pose

Getting the basics right in a mediation pose is crucial for successful practice.

Requirements for a good meditation pose
The traditional meditation posture calls for sitting cross legged so that one feels anchored to the ground. Advanced practitioners might add that you need to be connected to the sky at the same time! Regardless, such a pose should consist of the following elements:

• Stability and Balance--this has to be experienced in order to understand why the traditional poses are held in such high regard. With the feet securely locked and the hands resting on the knees, the back and spine are automatically held erect. It may not look like it to an observer, but the posture feels very comfortable and absolutely rock solid--it would require quite an effort to tilt someone over. This is important because during deep meditation, it is imperative that one does not keel over if one loses the sense of orientation, something that is not uncommon.
• Straight back and head--an erect posture naturally feels very positive, imparting a sense of self-confidence and alertness. From a meditation point of view these are very helpful states to be in. However, such a posture has an even more important role to play in the free movement of the breath and energy which meditation seeks to regulate. 
• Relaxed and comfortable--an erect spine is acutally the most relaxed as it does not have to strain any muscles to hold up any other part of the body--the whole upper torso can simply "hang" from the spine if it is held erect. This is why it is possible to sit motionless for hours if necessary without any discomfort and why it is uncomfortable and even painful and injurious if we sit with an incorrect or unnatural posture, hunched over a desk for example.

 
The main meditation postures prescribed are:

• Padmasana - Lotus Pose
  This is the premier pose that is almost a requisite for all accomplished meditation practitioners if they are to advance beyond a certain point. However, the point to remember is that it is designed to be comfortable above all, so even though we should practice it often in order to get used to it, we should under no circumstances force the issue to the point that it is painful or worse, injures us.  How to do it: while sitting on the floor, place your left ankle on your right thigh slowly so that the left sole faces upwards. Let the left knee settle downward. Then place your right ankle on your left thigh in the same way.  Shift around a little until you feel centered and stable, then place your hands on your knees. You should feel very stable and grounded and your upper torso, head and shoulders should be erect effortlessly.  You can reverse the feet and see if the right ankle first feels better to you.  It's not important which comes first.
• Sukhasana - Easy Pose
  Sit in an easy cross legged position and place one of your ankles on top of the other thigh with the sole pointing upwards. Then put your hands on your knees.  This pose is much easier than Padmasana but should feel just as secure and stable.
• Vajrasana - Thunderbolt Pose
  Despite its fearsome name, this pose is the easiest to use and the one chosen by most Zen Buddhists.  You simply sit back on your heels, resting your bottom in the scoop formed by spreading the heels out with the big toes and knees touching.  Then place your hands on your knees as in the other poses.  This pose is best for those who simply cannot manage the cross legged positions.

In all of these poses, a meditation cushion can ease our way a lot and is highly recommended. 

Common mistakes that should be avoided:

• Rounded back--if your cushion is too low or if your knees are not touching the floor just yet, it is easy to bow the back. This can become very painful and if it happens, you should add another cushion to prop yourself up so that your nose is in line with your navel, not in front of it.
• Forced upright posture--many times the exhortation to "sit straight" causes some to sit bolt upright with the shoulders held back rigidly like a soldier. This is counterproductive as it uses up too much energy and is not natural.
• Hands not resting on knees--if the hands have nothing to rest on, they will impose their weight on the shoulders and neck muscles, causing them to tense. Resting your hands on your knees not only relieves this condition but also reduces distraction.

Objective of meditation pose
Whether we know it or not, the body and mind are interacting with each other all the time and with practice, a good meditation pose should consciously allow each to completely forget that the other exists.