There is a question that comes up in almost every meditation class, usually from someone who has just spent ten minutes trying very hard not to think about their shopping list. They lean over and whisper: am I doing this right?
And the question beneath that question is often this one: am I sitting right?
It matters more than people expect. Not because there is one perfect posture that guarantees a perfect meditation – there isn’t – but because the body and the mind are not as separate as we tend to think. How we hold ourselves physically shapes what happens internally. A slumped posture can bring a kind of heaviness. A rigid one can introduce strain that becomes its own distraction. What we are looking for is somewhere between the two: sthira sukham āsanam – steadiness and ease.
That phrase comes from Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras and although he wrote it in the context of seated practice, it is one of the most useful pieces of guidance in the whole of yoga philosophy. Steady enough to be still. Comfortable enough to stay.
The Basic Principle: An Upright, Supported Spine
Whatever position you choose, the spine wants to be upright – not military-straight, but naturally tall. Think of it less as hauling yourself up and more as allowing the crown of the head to rise. When the spine is reasonably upright, the breath can move freely, the chest stays open, and the mind tends to be a little more alert.
This is why traditional meditation postures are seated rather than lying down. It is not that lying down is wrong – sometimes it is exactly right – but the upright spine does something useful. It holds a quality of attention that a horizontal body tends to let slip.
What To Sit On
You have more options than you might think.
A chair is completely legitimate. If sitting on the floor is uncomfortable, if your hips are tight, if your knees or ankles ache in a cross-legged position – sit in a chair. Feet flat on the floor, a little away from the back of the seat so you are not relying on it for support. Hands resting in the lap. That is a perfectly good meditation seat.
A cushion on the floor works well if sitting low suits you. A zafu (a round meditation cushion) or a folded blanket can lift the hips just enough to allow the knees to drop, which takes the strain out of the lower back. If you sit cross-legged and your knees are hovering a long way from the floor, the hips are probably not open enough yet for that position to be comfortable. Try raising the hips higher or sit in a different position altogether.
Kneeling – in vajrāsana or with a meditation bench – suits some people very well. The spine tends to find its way upright quite naturally in this position. If you try it, give your ankles and knees time to adjust; it may feel unfamiliar at first.
What To Do with Your Hands
Let them rest. Palms down on the thighs has a settling quality. Palms up is often used in practices that have a more receptive or devotional flavour. Hands resting in the lap with one nestled inside the other is a common mudra – a gesture – used in many traditions.
None of these is wrong. The hands should simply feel easy, neither clenched nor flopping about.
What To Do with Your Eyes
Closed eyes work well for many people and are the most common approach. If you find that closing your eyes makes your mind very busy – or if you tend to drift towards sleep – try softening the gaze downward, eyes barely open, looking at nothing in particular. This is the approach used in some Zen traditions and it has a particular quality of wakefulness that can be useful.
A Note on Discomfort
Some discomfort is normal, especially when you are new to sitting. The body is not used to it. But sharp pain – particularly in the knees, hips, or lower back – is a signal worth listening to. Adjust. Change your position. Use more support.
The goal is not to endure the body. The goal is to be still enough, comfortable enough, to let the practice actually happen.
Before You Begin
Once you have found your seat, take a moment to settle. Feel the contact between your body and whatever you are sitting on. Let the breath deepen a little. Allow the shoulders to drop. These few seconds of arriving – rather than launching straight into practice – make a real difference. The body needs to know that this is not something to rush through.
Then you are ready.
Posture is not the meditation. But it is the container that holds it. Find the one that lets you be both present and at ease – and trust that it may change over time. Most people who have been sitting for years have tried several different arrangements before finding what works for them.
That is not a failure. That is just the practice unfolding in its own way.
For the ideas and tradition behind meditation practice, the Philosophy section goes deeper. If you’re curious about yoga as a way of living beyond the mat, Spiritual Living is worth exploring.
If you’d like to build a steadier practice through the breath, The Living Breath is a course in pranayama that lays a wonderful foundation for meditation.