How to Meditate - Let Gravity Hold You Up (Really, it Can!)
The trick to staying still while meditating is to let gravity hold you up.
I know, gravity is famous for bringing things down, not holding things up.
But that is the best way I can think of to say it.
Did you do this, too? When I was a kid, I would lie in bed at night and hold my arm straight up.
I would find a place where it was absolutely effortless to hold my arm vertical.
Did you ever do this? It amazed me when I was younger.
What I now understand is that my arm was directly vertical and the bones were resting on each other in a way that used minimal muscle.
In your meditation sitting posture you can have the same feeling.
Your spine is directly vertical and it requires minimal muscle to stay absolutely still and upright.
Your Body is the Bass in Your Band Even though the Yoga of Alignment focuses on energetic alignment within your consciousness, the alignment of the spine plays an important role.
Your physical body rings a lower octave of alignment supporting the higher tones of your energy body.
Of course you want these tones of alignment to be in tune with each other.
Imagine a band where the bass is playing a different song.
The guitars and vocals are all singing one of your favorite songs and the bass is droning on in a different key, a different rhythm and a completely different song.
Not fun! When you bring your body into physical alignment, you lay the foundation for the higher octaves of your alignment and the whole song of your mediation session sounds and feels more satisfying.
Still Body Still Mind Stilling your body stills your mind.
But if you keep yourself uncomfortably still, it has the reverse effect.
That uncomfortable stillness activates the mind.
So, finding this effortless upright posture allows you to stay still with ease.
Here are a few tips to help you find the comfortable posture that allows you to stay still with ease.
When you sit on a chair, sit at the edge of the chair and do not lean against the back of the chair.
Make sure your hips are either at the same level as your knees or higher than your knees.
When you sit on a meditation cushion, use as many cushions as you need to elevate you so that your knees rest comfortably on the floor.
Allow your posture to evolve throughout the course of your mediation session.
The Yoga of Alignment meditation creates greater physical alignment as you align yourself from within.
Do not fight the urge as your spine elongates and corrects its alignment in the course of your meditation.
Let your body move and shift reflecting your process of inner alignment.
By letting gravity "hold you up," you can ease yourself into great physical stillness, which lays the foundation for a profound session of meditation.
I know, gravity is famous for bringing things down, not holding things up.
But that is the best way I can think of to say it.
Did you do this, too? When I was a kid, I would lie in bed at night and hold my arm straight up.
I would find a place where it was absolutely effortless to hold my arm vertical.
Did you ever do this? It amazed me when I was younger.
What I now understand is that my arm was directly vertical and the bones were resting on each other in a way that used minimal muscle.
In your meditation sitting posture you can have the same feeling.
Your spine is directly vertical and it requires minimal muscle to stay absolutely still and upright.
Your Body is the Bass in Your Band Even though the Yoga of Alignment focuses on energetic alignment within your consciousness, the alignment of the spine plays an important role.
Your physical body rings a lower octave of alignment supporting the higher tones of your energy body.
Of course you want these tones of alignment to be in tune with each other.
Imagine a band where the bass is playing a different song.
The guitars and vocals are all singing one of your favorite songs and the bass is droning on in a different key, a different rhythm and a completely different song.
Not fun! When you bring your body into physical alignment, you lay the foundation for the higher octaves of your alignment and the whole song of your mediation session sounds and feels more satisfying.
Still Body Still Mind Stilling your body stills your mind.
But if you keep yourself uncomfortably still, it has the reverse effect.
That uncomfortable stillness activates the mind.
So, finding this effortless upright posture allows you to stay still with ease.
Here are a few tips to help you find the comfortable posture that allows you to stay still with ease.
When you sit on a chair, sit at the edge of the chair and do not lean against the back of the chair.
Make sure your hips are either at the same level as your knees or higher than your knees.
When you sit on a meditation cushion, use as many cushions as you need to elevate you so that your knees rest comfortably on the floor.
Allow your posture to evolve throughout the course of your mediation session.
The Yoga of Alignment meditation creates greater physical alignment as you align yourself from within.
Do not fight the urge as your spine elongates and corrects its alignment in the course of your meditation.
Let your body move and shift reflecting your process of inner alignment.
By letting gravity "hold you up," you can ease yourself into great physical stillness, which lays the foundation for a profound session of meditation.
