There are four regular postures used in meditative practices - sitting, standing, walking, and lying down - and several movements. Here we shall take a look at the standing, walking, and lying down postures.
Although instructions for sitting meditation have been given first, this does not mean that other postures are any less important or beneficial. These can be used as a bridge from formal practice to everyday activities – or solely a formal practice – with any meditative technique used during sitting practice being suitable for other postures. These postures can also be used as tools to continue the formal practice if you want to extend your time, yet find keeping the sitting posture difficult; to ground yourself either during the day, or between physically active & inactive postures in a composed stillness.
If you wish to try variants of the postures described here, such as those found in Yoga, Tai chi, Pilates, or the Alexander technique, please seek advice from an experienced trainer in these physical styles.
Standing (mountain posture)
We often do not notice the subtle movements the body makes trying to keep balance, or how some of our mannerisms have developed to assist or hide this balancing act. If you are using this posture in formal practice – instead of a mini-mindfulness exercise – it is best not to wear footwear such as shoes or boots and to stand on a mat instead of a cold floor.
The points here replace the first two points of other meditative practices described within the pages of this site.
Walking
Many meditative practices, such as 'setting-up mindfulness directed toward the breath', are practised while sitting. However, walking meditation is commonly alternated with sitting as a formal posture. Apart from providing an active focus, it can be a method to energise the practice and counteract the hindrance of sloth and torpor, or direct excessive energy.
Due to this active and external nature of this posture there is a higher chance of becoming distracted by the environment you are practising in. For this reason an area to walk up and down of about 20 paces1 or a clear path between two trees is recommended. Alternatively you may wish to walk around a room, or large object - like a Stupa or tree – in circumambulation.
The pace of this practice should not be overly slow or fast, rather a normal unhurried pace – one which is slightly slower than your normal everyday pace yet not forced - is recommended here. The speed of this practice is not fixed and can be adjusted to suit the needs of the session - quick when drowsy or trapped in obsessive thought, and gentle when restless and impatient.
The object of attention during walking practice is the feet touching the ground, and the spaces between each step. This will include the movements of the legs and rest of the body in its widest focus. However there are alternative focuses such as the breath or a mantra which is described later.
If you use walking meditation to direct excessive physical energy – such as aggression – it is best to walk in a purposeful manner. Walk in a slow and deliberate way paying attention to the subtle nuances of walking. Pay attention to the role of the foot as it adjusts to the forwards direction; the lifting; moving across; lowering; and back to the role.
Laying down
Lying down to meditate is a good posture when one needs to rest the body — especially the back — or as a posture to use when going to sleep as there is a greater tendency to fall asleep in this posture than the others. This greater tendency can be a problem so if you wish to take up this posture for formal practice as staying alert is essential for developing the mind.
The lying down postures is also useful when unwell. Some people have serious back problems which make this a good posture to choose as sitting in a chair isn’t always an option for physiological reasons. Serious problems mean pain that affects your life not just during a meditation session, which would need adjustment in posture to help. Although pain is sometimes a sign that we are causing damage to ourselves, it is not always the case and we can learn to work with pain in meditation. But if you do have serious back problems then you might want to try lying down to meditate.
There are three ways to lie down to meditate: on your back, front, or (more traditionally) on your side.
Lying down to meditate on your back
The corpse and the Semi-Supine positions are good postures to practice lying down meditation on your back.
For the corpse posture lie flat on your back, resting your head on a support. With legs together yet not touching, your arms should be close to the body and the palms upwards.
For the semi-supine position your knees are bent up pointing to the ceiling, with the feet flat on the floor, placed roughly where your knees would be if your legs were flat on the ground as in the corpse posture. If your legs tend to collapse outwards as you relax you might want to try placing your feet a little further apart and bringing your knees together.
As mentioned, you are more likely to fall asleep if meditating lying on your back. If you are using this posture regularly for formal mindfulness of breathing practice, keep your focus at your nose and mouth. If practising another form try to keep your attention sharp and focused. The duration of sessions should be extended over a longer period of time than in other postures as this will aid in developing the best balance of calm and effort to stay awake. Although this does not guarantee you will stay awake, it helps make falling asleep less likely.
Lying down to meditate on your front (sphinx posture)
This form of the lying down posture can be done in both an active or passive way, either as though you were reading a book staying in the posture for a period of time, or as a yoga movement.
Lie face-down on the floor with your legs extended behind you, about hip width apart. Keep your arms at your sides and your chin on the mat. Press the tops of your feet into the mat and spread your toes. Do not tuck in your toes. Bring your arms up resting your elbows and forearms on the floor, parallel to each other, palms flat and fingers pointing straight ahead. On an inhalation, press your forearms into the floor and lift your head and chest off the floor. Keep your elbows tucked into your sides. Drop your shoulder blades down your back and draw your chest forward. Lengthen your tail-bone toward your heels.
When using this posture as a moving meditation, hold the pose for up to 10 breaths. And to end purposefully lower your torso, chest, and head to the floor breathe-out. Turn your head to the side and relax your arms at your sides. Lie still for a moment before getting up.
Lying down to meditate on your side (lion’s posture)
Few practitioners try meditating lying on their side, even though images of this posture & references in the texts are easily found. This may be because the Buddha passed away while meditating on his side. So the connection between this posture and meditation is not at the forefront of people’s minds.
Lie on your right side on some matting to relieve some pressure on your joints. Lying on your right side also helps to relieve some pressure your heart is under as it is raised slightly higher. The left arm rests on top of the body not dangling down, as this could cause some numbness in your hand. The right elbow rests on the floor, with the hand supporting the head. The knees should be slightly bent. Bend the upper knee a little more than the lower and using padding to help relieve any extra pressure between your ankles and knees. Use a cushion under your right armpit or upper chest take some of your body’s weight. To relieve the pressure of your hand propping your head up move your hand from time to time. But be aware of the intention to move, and be mindful of the movements themselves.
In this position you’re far less likely to fall asleep compared to when you lie on your back and mental clarity is easier to maintain.
Notes
1 A single step or stride i.e., the distance from the heel of one foot to the heel of the other.
2 I use “right & left” as the foot I use to start walking with is my right foot. This starting foot is sometimes called the power
foot. However, this does not indicate that you should only start with your right foot.
Although instructions for sitting meditation have been given first, this does not mean that other postures are any less important or beneficial. These can be used as a bridge from formal practice to everyday activities – or solely a formal practice – with any meditative technique used during sitting practice being suitable for other postures. These postures can also be used as tools to continue the formal practice if you want to extend your time, yet find keeping the sitting posture difficult; to ground yourself either during the day, or between physically active & inactive postures in a composed stillness.
If you wish to try variants of the postures described here, such as those found in Yoga, Tai chi, Pilates, or the Alexander technique, please seek advice from an experienced trainer in these physical styles.
Standing (mountain posture)
We often do not notice the subtle movements the body makes trying to keep balance, or how some of our mannerisms have developed to assist or hide this balancing act. If you are using this posture in formal practice – instead of a mini-mindfulness exercise – it is best not to wear footwear such as shoes or boots and to stand on a mat instead of a cold floor.
The points here replace the first two points of other meditative practices described within the pages of this site.
- Stand upright with your feet shoulder distance apart and place your hands either on your stomach or behind your back. One hand should support the other at the wrist – not linking the fingers – so that the arms can relax. This posture is similar to 'standing-at-ease' in the military. Start with your eyes open, focusing on one point in front of you, and then closing them later on.
- Bring your awareness to the body, focusing your attention on the sensations of touch and pressure in your body where it makes contact with the floor, or any pressure on the joints. Spend a few moments exploring these sensations, and then direct your attention to the posture. Notice how the body naturally tries to distribute its weight and pay attention for any tension & excessive balancing movements being caused by poor posture, and uneven balance, straightening and adjusting the posture to ease any discomfort.
Walking
Many meditative practices, such as 'setting-up mindfulness directed toward the breath', are practised while sitting. However, walking meditation is commonly alternated with sitting as a formal posture. Apart from providing an active focus, it can be a method to energise the practice and counteract the hindrance of sloth and torpor, or direct excessive energy.
Due to this active and external nature of this posture there is a higher chance of becoming distracted by the environment you are practising in. For this reason an area to walk up and down of about 20 paces1 or a clear path between two trees is recommended. Alternatively you may wish to walk around a room, or large object - like a Stupa or tree – in circumambulation.
The pace of this practice should not be overly slow or fast, rather a normal unhurried pace – one which is slightly slower than your normal everyday pace yet not forced - is recommended here. The speed of this practice is not fixed and can be adjusted to suit the needs of the session - quick when drowsy or trapped in obsessive thought, and gentle when restless and impatient.
The object of attention during walking practice is the feet touching the ground, and the spaces between each step. This will include the movements of the legs and rest of the body in its widest focus. However there are alternative focuses such as the breath or a mantra which is described later.
- Stand upright with your feet together and your hands either on your stomach or behind your back at one end of the path. One hand should support the other at the wrist – not linking the fingers – so that the arms can relax.
- Bring your awareness to the body, focusing your attention on the sensations of touch and pressure in your body where it makes contact with the floor, or any pressure on the joints. Spend a few moments exploring these sensations, and then direct your attention to the posture. Notice how the body naturally tries to distribute its weight and pay attention for any tension & excessive balancing movements being caused by poor posture, and uneven balance, straightening and adjusting the posture to ease any discomfort.
- Gently focus your eyes to the floor at a point about three meters in front of you, or so that when you are walking your feet are just out of the visual range. This will help avoid visual distraction.
- Start to walk in a measured and normal manner to the end of the path. Stop and focus on the body again for several breaths before turning around, and walking back again.
- While walking, be aware of the general flow of physical movements, or more closely direct your focus to the feet.
- At some point the mind will stray away from its focus to thoughts, moods, planning, daydreams, or external stimuli. This is just what the mind does daily, simply following its normal routine, not that you are doing anything wrong or proof one cannot meditate. When you notice that your focus has not been on the breath this is being clearly aware & a sign of engaging in the practice of being fully aware of the present moment! You should stop walking and ground yourself – as done at the beginning and end of the path – and know what state the mind has been in, then continue the walking practice. No-matter how often you notice the mind wandering off, simply keep bringing it back to the object.
- As best you can, bring qualities of friendliness, joy, care, & balance to your awareness, perhaps seeing the repeated wanderings of the mind as opportunities to develop patience, effort, and curiosity to what is going on.
- While focusing upon the steps if you notice any unusual tension stop for a moment and spend some time relaxing the subtle movements of the body - such as any twitching, itches, tension or aches & pains - scanning where these tensions are, relaxing the area and exploring it fully with curiosity. Mentally say “calm,” “relax,” or another calming word to strengthen the intention to calm the area, and maybe imagining the breath going through this area healing and dissipating the tension. Once you have observed the area review previous places where there was tension and see if there has developed any residue tension in the general location.
- You may wish to assist your focus by mentally counting the steps to begin with. Each right & left2 (Roman/Geometric pace) count as a full step (here), so counting at each right & left step “one (one)” “two (two)” “three (three)” up to the end of the path then back down to “one.” Another method to use is to mentally note each step “right” for the right step and “left” for the left step. Alternatively substituting “rise” & “fall” for “right” & “left”. One could also do a more military style marching.
If you use walking meditation to direct excessive physical energy – such as aggression – it is best to walk in a purposeful manner. Walk in a slow and deliberate way paying attention to the subtle nuances of walking. Pay attention to the role of the foot as it adjusts to the forwards direction; the lifting; moving across; lowering; and back to the role.
Laying down
Lying down to meditate is a good posture when one needs to rest the body — especially the back — or as a posture to use when going to sleep as there is a greater tendency to fall asleep in this posture than the others. This greater tendency can be a problem so if you wish to take up this posture for formal practice as staying alert is essential for developing the mind.
The lying down postures is also useful when unwell. Some people have serious back problems which make this a good posture to choose as sitting in a chair isn’t always an option for physiological reasons. Serious problems mean pain that affects your life not just during a meditation session, which would need adjustment in posture to help. Although pain is sometimes a sign that we are causing damage to ourselves, it is not always the case and we can learn to work with pain in meditation. But if you do have serious back problems then you might want to try lying down to meditate.
There are three ways to lie down to meditate: on your back, front, or (more traditionally) on your side.
Lying down to meditate on your back
The corpse and the Semi-Supine positions are good postures to practice lying down meditation on your back.
For the corpse posture lie flat on your back, resting your head on a support. With legs together yet not touching, your arms should be close to the body and the palms upwards.
For the semi-supine position your knees are bent up pointing to the ceiling, with the feet flat on the floor, placed roughly where your knees would be if your legs were flat on the ground as in the corpse posture. If your legs tend to collapse outwards as you relax you might want to try placing your feet a little further apart and bringing your knees together.
As mentioned, you are more likely to fall asleep if meditating lying on your back. If you are using this posture regularly for formal mindfulness of breathing practice, keep your focus at your nose and mouth. If practising another form try to keep your attention sharp and focused. The duration of sessions should be extended over a longer period of time than in other postures as this will aid in developing the best balance of calm and effort to stay awake. Although this does not guarantee you will stay awake, it helps make falling asleep less likely.
Lying down to meditate on your front (sphinx posture)
This form of the lying down posture can be done in both an active or passive way, either as though you were reading a book staying in the posture for a period of time, or as a yoga movement.
Lie face-down on the floor with your legs extended behind you, about hip width apart. Keep your arms at your sides and your chin on the mat. Press the tops of your feet into the mat and spread your toes. Do not tuck in your toes. Bring your arms up resting your elbows and forearms on the floor, parallel to each other, palms flat and fingers pointing straight ahead. On an inhalation, press your forearms into the floor and lift your head and chest off the floor. Keep your elbows tucked into your sides. Drop your shoulder blades down your back and draw your chest forward. Lengthen your tail-bone toward your heels.
When using this posture as a moving meditation, hold the pose for up to 10 breaths. And to end purposefully lower your torso, chest, and head to the floor breathe-out. Turn your head to the side and relax your arms at your sides. Lie still for a moment before getting up.
Lying down to meditate on your side (lion’s posture)
Few practitioners try meditating lying on their side, even though images of this posture & references in the texts are easily found. This may be because the Buddha passed away while meditating on his side. So the connection between this posture and meditation is not at the forefront of people’s minds.
Lie on your right side on some matting to relieve some pressure on your joints. Lying on your right side also helps to relieve some pressure your heart is under as it is raised slightly higher. The left arm rests on top of the body not dangling down, as this could cause some numbness in your hand. The right elbow rests on the floor, with the hand supporting the head. The knees should be slightly bent. Bend the upper knee a little more than the lower and using padding to help relieve any extra pressure between your ankles and knees. Use a cushion under your right armpit or upper chest take some of your body’s weight. To relieve the pressure of your hand propping your head up move your hand from time to time. But be aware of the intention to move, and be mindful of the movements themselves.
In this position you’re far less likely to fall asleep compared to when you lie on your back and mental clarity is easier to maintain.
Notes
1 A single step or stride i.e., the distance from the heel of one foot to the heel of the other.
2 I use “right & left” as the foot I use to start walking with is my right foot. This starting foot is sometimes called the power
foot. However, this does not indicate that you should only start with your right foot.
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