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Lullabyehaze — 12 years ago — permalink

I'd love to hear people's tips on this. I have issues with my back and shoulders, and I readjust my posture every few minutes or so. But here are my tips:
Spend a minute or two at the beginning arranging your legs and bottom so that you'll be comfortable. Don't rush into it.
Think of stacking up the vertebrae on top of each other, building from the bottom to the crown of the head.
Tilt the head down a bit so that the highest point is the crown of the head, not the forehead. This lengthens the back of the neck and points the gaze down.
Try to have a straight and firm posture, but at the same time soft and not rigid. I don't know if this is helpful to anyone else, but I imagine my spine/shoulders as a hanger or coat rack, and my body is the shirt/coat/whatever. There is structure in the middle, but the rest of the body, shoulders, etc. is relaxed.

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fredclaymeyer — 12 years ago — permalink

That all sounds awesome! I guess I'd add:
-For the legs: however you're sitting (cushion or chair), it's helpful if your knees are lower than your hips.
-Relaxed front (like chest and stomach), as part of "straight but not rigid."
-Really relax the muscles in your face (especially eyes, eyebrows, forehead) - I've found this has quite an impact on my own practice.
-Agreed on tilting the head down; would also add that it's a bit of a "gathering" feeling - the head should sit right on top of the shoulders, rather than being forward and pulling down on the shoulders.

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