Sitting and Posture

[YuimaSLC]

You might try a YouTube video called "Developing Lotus Flexibility" YogaVidyaEnglish to learn three preliminary exercises to help in
achieving the lotus posture over time: Butterfly, Rocking Child and Sitting Triangle.

Please don't be in a rush to get into either a half or full lotus, or Burmese for that matter until your regular stretching exercises tell you it's comfortable enough to do so. Painful endurance as some kind of merit-badge is not The Way of kind and loving practice.

At age 60, having very stiff muscular/skeletal/joint conditions with hip rotation problems, I am comfortably using a meditation bench. But, also taking Restorative Yoga 2-3 times a week to help the body.

I am also looking into Taigu's recommendation (gassho) of the Alexander Technique.

Gassho,

Richard

[Heisoku]

Hi all, well I have been sitting in half lotus, alternating left and right foot on the thigh for the past seven years but last year I started developing real pain in my pelvic area. I had to see a chiropractor specialising in pelvic imbalance and there was a real problem developing particularly when driving.
Anyway I have been trying to sit full lotus since starting sitting and I have always found it impossible as putting both feet on my thighs seemed to force the knees to twist weirdly and my legs appear to be short from the knee down!! Well due to this back pain I have had to find a way. My solution is a kind of Burmese lotus position, whereby my feet rest on the calf muscles and this gives a stable (sensationally so) seat. I don't know why I didn't try this before, but necessity being the mother of invention triumphed again. I must admit full lotus does make the spine 'sit' more naturally and the breath seems to go deeper and the hara area feels more comfortable too.
Good luck in finding your lion seat!


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[Myoshin]

Like Taigu says, not try to force too much and have after several years body problems remaining. To be confortable without to be too lax.

Gassho

[Genshin]

Hi all,

Thank you so much for all the wonderful suggestions.

I'm going to look at yoya for the time being and take it from there.

Gassho,
Matt