Cushion height

[Taiten]

I'm reviewing some of the wonderful Videos For New Folks and looking at my meditation posture to see if I can improve it.

I have 2 zafus, a very high one about 16.5cm high and a not-so-high one about 15cm high. Both are really firm.

For years I've believed I sit in half lotus, but it turns out I'm cheating I have one foot on top of the calf of the other leg, so it seems I have something between Burmese and Half Lotus. I'm intending to try a few stretches to see if my body will learn to do a real half lotus.

But what about cushion height? I used to feel higher cushions were easier and needed less flexibility but now I'm not sure. And this is probably backwards thinking anyway as I suspect that my body will learn to sit on whatever cushion I give it. Are there any guidelines on choosing a good height of cushion?

Gassho,
Nick

Sat today & LAH

[Chishou]

I have been experimenting with cushion height for over a year. As I am over 6ft tall I was was told I needed a high cushion. But, I have been doing yoga before ever sit and I am now in half lotus on maybe an inch of cushion. I use a zafu with the buckwheat shells so I can adjust accordingly.

I found just sitting on the zafu and reading or watching tv allowed me to see my posture was and play around until it felt natural.

As for yoga, just search on YouTube for “Yoga for half/Lotus posture”. There are lots to choose from, just be sure to give it time. Tendons and ligaments do not have good blood supply so grow and repair slowly, allow 6 months before noticing improvements.

Good luck, and may the zen be with you.

Simon
Sat!


Ask not what the Sangha can do for you, but what you can do for the Sangha.

[HAN SEN]

Yeah i'm trying out a new cushion too. I think its too high, and too firm. Fortunately the whole thing is lined, and the lining opens too, so i can adjust height and firmness by removing some of the buckwheat hulls. One good way to test cushions is to try longer tests maybe.

SAT TODAY

_()_

[Mp]

For years I've believed I sit in half lotus, but it turns out I'm cheating I have one foot on top of the calf of the other leg, so it seems I have something between Burmese and Half Lotus. I

Ahhh the 1/4 lotus ... the middle way betwen Burmese and 1/2 lotus.

Kidding aside, balance is the key here, not whether you can bend your legs this way or that. If you can great, if you can't great too. =) Being stable and balanced in your posture leads to being stable and balanced in zazen ... so the key is to try different sizes/heights and different positions. In time you will find your place. =)

Gassho
Shingen

Sat/LAH in a low zafu in 1/2 lotus, but in my heart I was sitting high and low, full, 1/2, 1/4, and Burmese. =)

[aprapti]

Shingen is right: balance is the key-word. The height of your cushion is important. When its too low, you have the tendency to sit with a round back and it takes energy to sit with a upright spine. When your cushion is too high, you have the tendency to sit with a hollow back, so it takes energy too to sit upright.




Coos

std/lah

[Chishou]

Whilst we are on the topic, is this 1/2, 1/3 or 1/4 lotus?

Simon
Sat.


Ask not what the Sangha can do for you, but what you can do for the Sangha.

[Shoki]

After each sitting I put my zafu on its side and smash it down, turn it like a wheel, smash it down, repeat until a full rotation. This makes it a little thicker so it may add a little height if you want. Don't know if anybody else does that but there you go.

Gassho / LAH
Sat Today
James

[Taiten]

After each sitting I put my zafu on its side and smash it down, turn it like a wheel, smash it down, repeat until a full rotation. This makes it a little thicker so it may add a little height if you want. Don't know if anybody else does that but there you go.

Gassho / LAH
Sat Today
James

I do that! Can't have my cushion going flat!

Just wanted to say a big thank you for all the replies. I will experiment a bit.

Gassho,
Nick

Sat today & LAH

[HAN SEN]

Speaking as one who has wonky lumbar things going on, bad knees, bad hips, if i can do the half lotus, that is, IF !!! then its less stress on the lower back. But any given random day , no telling what of if i can do.

SAT TODAY

[Jishin]

Hi,

The Lotus is for...

Gasho, Jishin, _/st\_

[Jundo]

Whilst we are on the topic, is this 1/2, 1/3 or 1/4 lotus?

Simon
Sat.


Ask not what the Sangha can do for you, but what you can do for the Sangha.

That is Half Lotus. Quarter lotus pose places the feet on the calves of the opposite leg instead of the thigh.



Half:



You are a little low on the thigh though (ok if it feels comfortable to you and there is no leg strain), so let's call you the inventor of the 1/3 Lotus. I tend to sit so too, as I have big thunder thighs.

Gassho, J

SatToday

[Chishou]

You are a little low on the thigh though (ok if it feels comfortable to you and there is no leg strain), so let's call you the inventor of the 1/3 Lotus. I tend to sit so too, as I have big thunder thighs.

Gassho, J

SatToday

Copyright Professsor Inc. 2017 [emoji38].

I actually find the 1/3 Lotus (c) more comfortable than Burmese, the yoga is slowly paying off.

Sit like a mountain,

Simon
Sat.


Ask not what the Sangha can do for you, but what you can do for the Sangha.

[Kyonin]

Hi Nick,

I am a tall guy like Simon. Conventional local zafus in Mexico are too small for me. At home I sit on a custom made zafu a friend gave to me. It's very tall and big.

But before this zafu I simply used folded blankets and I adjusted the height according to the posture. Sometimes I sit in burmese, sometimes in half or quarter lotus. In my experience, each posture requires a different height so I would use one more or one less blanket.

So if you have a regular zafu and need some height, try putting a folded blanket underneath the zafu. That might help.

Gassho,

Kyonin
Sat/LAH

[Kakunen]

Hi

I sit everywhere.And everystyle.

http://antaiji.org/archives/eng/adult43.shtml

I found good link.

Hope to sit good time!

Sat today.
Nine bows.

[Jundo]

Hi

I sit everywhere.And everystyle.

http://antaiji.org/archives/eng/adult43.shtml

I found good link.

Hope to sit good time!

Sat today.
Nine bows.

I agree with Muho about finding the cushion height right for your body, but somewhat disagree with Muho on some of his other recommendations on posture. As you can see, he has a very lovely Full Lotus. He sits very very long and comfortably in that posture ... for his body. But that too is not "one size fits all."

See this book I recommend to folks called the "Posture of Meditation" by Will Johnson, about finding the posture(s) (sometimes subtly changing throughout a day) right for your body.

I believe that its philosophy of finding a sitting posture is very much as we encourage here at Treeleaf, namely, we each have to experiment with our own self and make small adjustments to find (within certain rules) the posture "right for my particular body" (one size does not fit all). Further, sitting is not rigid and fixed, but always subtly fluid and changing, such that the posture at the start of a sitting period will not be precisely the same as at the end (or on different days!).

For this reason, the author presents a philosophy of sitting, and a series of exercises, to help each of us find our "sweet spot" (again, a "sweet spot" that is not stagnant, but needs to flow and change even during one sitting period). It is based on finding (1) an alignment of the body (head, neck, spine, buttocks, legs) that is balanced and in line with gravity (2) relaxed, yet (3) resilient. YOU KNOW IT WHEN YOU FEEL IT. Better said ... when the body feels right, and when the body feels balanced and "drops from mind" (becomes no longer a distraction), it probably is right and balanced.

More here ...

https://www.treeleaf.org/forums/showthread.php?6913-Book-Recommendation-THE-POSTURE-OF-MEDITATION

Gassho, J

SatTodayLAH