In the old days, performing yoga poses had only one purpose. The initial purpose of the poses was to make you strong and healthy so that you can meditate properly as long as you can sit without falling asleep but also so calm that you don’t think about other things.

The initial poses were simply a way to sit comfortably and motionless while meditating.

Meditation will never work if we have not learned to sit properly. Because above all else, the most important thing is that your back is absolutely straight. Otherwise, you would lock the blockages you have, even more, and the mental work will have no effect.

How to sit properly for meditation?

If you want to learn how to sit properly for meditation you have to follow some steps and be absolutely aware that your back is straight. The first step is to straighten your back. There is a little trick to make sure you are absolutely upright. Place your palm on the floor and press as hard as if you want to push the floor underground. The elbow should be straight and in line with the shoulder. Now do the same with your ass. Push it down as you want to make a hole in the ground. Initially, we will have to press a few times because the back is lazy and likes to return to its old position.

The shoulders should also be straight and in line. The chin should be raised, but not too high, in a neutral position, as if looking straight ahead at something really interesting.

The face must be relaxed, especially the points on the forehead, between the eyebrows and the corners of the mouth. The mouth should be in a slight smile.

The tongue should be relaxed to its natural position in the mouth.

The eyes shouldn’t be opened because you may be distracted, but if you close them the body will think it is time for sleep. So you can narrow eyelids but with a small cleft. Keep your eyes below but don’t look to see what happens around you. Just stay out of focus as when you dream. When your eyes are opened but you don’t see anything.

The legs and hands

The legs should be slightly crossed. If you prefer you can sit on a chair as long as your feet are on the ground and your back, neck, and head are straight. The purpose is to sit in the most upright and comfortable position possible for you so that you do not get distracted and worry about any pain.

You can put your hands on your lap, your right hand on your left hand, while the thumbs lightly touch each other. If you are comfortable you can place the hand on your knee with palm up or down, as the thumbs and forefingers lightly touch.

The breathing

The breath must enter and exit through the nose delicately. Breathing delicately can be achieved by taking a breath slowly ten times, counting carefully. If you make a mistake during counting you start again. It is considered useful to count each exhalation, not inhalation. Try to breathe without making a sound.

The thoughts

There are many ways to focus the mind while sitting for meditation. Almost all involve trying not to think about many different things. There is a way to focus the mind which involves trying to think about one concrete thing, which is so wonderful. This wonderful thing makes you feel that you are actually not thinking.

But trying to think about nothing is not the purpose of meditation. You have to be careful not to fall into a dream in which you simply rest lazily. Rather, you need to be cheerful, fresh, focused, happy, engaged, as if you are watching a show that is so fascinating that you forget about everything else around you.

It is not thinking about anything, it is thinking about something so joyful and captivating that it feels like thinking about nothing.

Do you understand the difference?

You have to find one thought which makes you feel calm, joyful, and all the good feelings, and you must keep this thought and focus on it.

After meditation, you should feel better. You should feel encouraged, inspired, cheerful, and calm.