Articles
by Tracey Rich
Five Keys to the Art of the Sit
Sitting is at the core of any pranayama or meditation
practice. Knowing how to sit comfortably is the bedrock
for accessing these practices. Sitting is its own art
form and is a pose that can be a tremendous energy cultivator.
Knowing how to sit comfortably is a powerful tool that
deserves your attention. Pranayama and meditation can
be practiced in various poses or environments, and we
at White Lotus believe that true meditation is more
of a happening than a practice; however sitting is an
incredible way to cultivate and mine the gifts of pranayama
and meditation.
The Keys:
Elevation: Elevation
of the hips and buttocks is a key that makes sitting
infinitely more accessible. The higher you lift the
more comfortably you sit. Use a cushion or blanket placed
just under the curve of your buttocks and slightly under
the top of the thighs, not under the whole length of
your thighs. What is important is to achieve a pelvic
tilt with the sit bones angled slightly back behind
you. This will help keep the natural lordotic curve
in your lower back.
Retaining the curves
of the Spine: Keeping the natural curves of the
spine is key in your sitting. Once your legs are crossed
comfortably and your weight is distributed equally over
you sit bones you will want to center your torso over
you hips and align your shoulders over your hips as
well. Bring your chin to a level position then draw
the angle of your chin down ever so slightly which will
help free tension and create better nerve flow at the
base of the skull. Do not drop the weight of your head
forward.
Triangulation:
Accessing your building blocks will greatly assist in
your sitting. Structure, form, the shape of your pose,
how you occupy space, and even the negative spaces between
body parts will contribute to your awareness of sitting.
The triangular shape is one of the basic building blocks
in geometry and exists within your seated position.
Triangles are structurally sound shapes and tuning into
these will help support you while you sit. Your crossed
legs create a kind of triangle (or square, depending
on your hip flexibility) at the base of your pose. The
area across your sit bones and hips to your navel create
a natural triangulation. Your sacrum, at the base of
your spine, is its own triangle. And the area across
your shoulders to the crown of your head is another
triangle. Even the negative spaces between your arms
and your torso when your hands are resting on your thighs
create a triangular energetic space. All these areas
anchor your sitting pose.
Polarity: Part
of keeping your energy activated as you sit is to keep
an awareness of the polarity moving thru your body.
Staying attentive to the natural flows of upward and
downward moving energy will make sitting easier and
lighter. This is done in part physically by keeping
your legs actively engaged and pressing your sit bones
consistently into the earth while equally and gently
pressing your head into the space above you. Lifting
your breast bone while dropping your tail bone will
help keep nerve energy flowing as well. The other part
of this energetic equation is keeping focused on all
these subtle dynamics simultaneously with the intention
that the goal is no loftier than enjoying the pose.
Attention: Attention
is a huge part of sitting comfortably. Attention is
a huge part of pranayama and meditation. Presence, awareness
and quiet vigilance is what keeps your sitting at the
active core of your pranayama or meditation practice.
Observation and insight can flow freely and perception
becomes available. |
