Do you have back pain when you meditate?
Or looking for some tips on how to sit more comfortably?
In this video, I will show you how to sit properly using a meditation cushion, a bench
or simply a chair.
Hi my name is Olivier and I am a mindfulness meditation teacher.
I help busy professional to reduce their stress but also cultivate mental well-being in their
day to day life.
I use the tools of mindfulness and meditation so if you are interested in those topics,
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I have heard so many people complaining about having a back pain when they meditate.
Having a good meditation posture is important.
First because with the pain comes distractions so by sitting comfortably, we can diminish
our distractions.
Second by sitting comfortably, we can meditate for a longer period of time.
And third, it is more enjoyable when we sit comfortably.
Many people who start meditation sit cross-legged on the floor.
If you sit like this, you will definitely have some back pain because in order for you
to maintain your balance, you need to counter your weight and lean forward which will create
some strain in your lower back.
So you need to raise your hips higher than your knees okay, and that's why we use a meditation
cushion.
So when I use a meditation cushion, it raises my hips to the same level of my knees and
this is comfortable enough for me.
I can sit in another way which is by creating a tripod between my butt and my knees.
And to make it slightly more comfortable, I can raise a little bit more my hips with
say, a blanket.
I am not very flexible from my hips.
Sitting cross-legged is not very comfortable for me that's why I prefer to use a meditation
bench like this one.
You can see with the curve here, if you sit facing this way, this will be the lower height
and using this facing this way, you will use the highest height of this bench.
So sitting on a bench is for me my favorite sitting position.
Now, I just want to give you a few tips on where to put your hands.
The first thing is if you put your hands too much forward, they will pull your shoulders
forward as well and create some tensions in your shoulders and your neck.
So make sure that your hands are not too far from your body.
I like to either put my hands here on the top of my thighs or on top of each other,
right below my belly and with the thumbs touching.
By using a blanket and resting your hands on top of it, it will help support your shoulders
and your neck.
So this might be also be more comfortable because we spend so much time in front of
our computers, typing on the keyboard that our shoulders have a tendency to lean forward,
to go forward, so at the beginning of your sitting practice, take a moment to adjust
your shoulders properly.
One tip is that you can raise your shoulders and do as if you are reading a newspaper.
Open your shoulders like this and then simply rest your hands on top of each other.
So if you prefer to use a chair there are two ways that you can sit on it.
The first one is to sit on the edge of the chair.
This will help you maintain your back straight and also feel more alert and energized.
But if you have back pain you can also use the back of your chair to support your lower
back.
Your feet should be flat on the floor to create a sense of stability.
Your legs should make a 90-degree angle and make sure that the edges of your seat does
not cut the blood flow in your legs.
For today, I want to give you another tip on the position of your head when you meditate.
Make sure that your chin is slightly tucked in compared to being up.
When your chin is slightly tucked in, the back of your head will be straight and this
we also help you neck and shoulders to be more relaxed.
When you start your meditation practice, do not be in a rush to meditate.
Take a moment to bring your attention to the sensations of your body against your support,
whether it is a cushion, a bench or a chair.
Take the time to find stability in your posture.
You can roll from side to side.
Take the time to feel comfortable, to find a good posture before you dive into your meditation.
Know that there is no perfect sitting position, there is no perfect cushion or chair to meditate.
There will always be a certain level of discomfort at some point but that is the whole practice.
The practice is to notice what makes us uncomfortable and to see it coming and going.
So we can practice this with our emotions or thoughts but also with our physical sensations.
So when you have a slight discomfort or an itch, see if you can stay there and not not
move right away.
See if you can see it coming, observe the sensations of it coming and going.
And of course, if the pain is too strong, then move and adjust your posture so that
you can prevent any injuries.
If you enjoy the content of this video, please let me know by leaving a like below and if
you have any questions about meditation or today's video, please leave your questions
below so I can answer them.
If you would like to listen to my guided meditations, you can download them for free by subscribing
to my newsletter at peaceful-breathing.com/meditations.
Well, that is it for today.
I hope you will benefit from these tips and it will help you in your practice.
So again, thank you so much for watching and I will see you very soon!