Sitting Like a Mountain

Open a book or take a class on meditation, and the first instruction you're likely to receive is, "Sit comfortably." Inevitably, the question comes up, "What's the right posture for meditation?" Relax. There is no "right" posture.

You've probably seen pictures of yogis sitting perfectly upright with their feet locked into full-lotus. They represent an ideal you might want to work toward, but let's be serious: Unless you're already flexible in the joints, it's better and safer to be gentle with yourself. If you didn't grow up in a culture where sitting cross-legged is the norm, trying to "pretzel" yourself into this posture can cause unnecessary tension and pain--even damage to your knees.

According to Tibetan Buddhist teacher Sogyal Rinpoche, the whole point of correct posture is to create a more auspicious environment for meditation. Because the body and mind are interrelated, meditation arises naturally when the physical position and mental attitude support each other. As Zen master Shunryu Suzuki said: "If you think your body and mind are two, that is wrong; if you think that they are one, that is also wrong. Our body and mind are both two and one."

Suzuki-roshi's advice is to sit as though you were supporting the sky with your head. Sogyal Rinpoche recommends sitting as though you were a majestic mountain.

What that means, in part, is that the most effective meditation posture is one in which you can be simultaneously relaxed and alert. That helps prevent or dispel obstacles to concentration, such as sleepiness, foggy-mindedness, and mental dullness. It also helps quiet the hyperactive "monkey" mind. Like swirling silt that settles to the bottom of a lake, distractions drop away, and your mind develops the clarity of water. To achieve this, the body needs stability, balance, wakefulness, spaciousness, and stillness (but not frozenness).

Many variations on posture can assist you in establishing the conditions that are conducive to meditation. Whether you sit on the floor or in a chair, the key element is keeping your spine straight--not ramrod rigid, but simply erect or uplifted. Suzuki-roshi's advice is to sit as though you were supporting the sky with your head. Sogyal Rinpoche recommends sitting as though you were a majestic mountain.

Whichever image you prefer, take a moment to visualize the following in your mind's eye: an equilateral triangle superimposed on the Buddha (or your favorite religious figure) seated in the traditional meditation posture. Crossed legs form the unshakable baseline. The knees are the corners of that foundation. Now draw lines connecting each knee to the head. And, finally, drop a plumb line (your spine) from the head down to the center of the baseline. The result is an image of uprightness, stability, and balance.

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