Meditative postures

Various meditative postures have been used in meditation. Sitting, supine, and standing postures are used.

Meditation can also be practiced while walking, such as kinhin, or doing simple repetitive tasks, as in Zen samu, or work which encourages mindfulness.

Cross legged sitting helps create a stable base for meditation. Several seated asanas are practiced such as full-lotus, half-lotus, easy crossed legs, or siddhasana ("perfect pose"). Sitting on the heels is possible, among other positions. Seated meditation cushions are often used to help extend meditative time and serve to elevate the hips and spine into proper alignment

Sitting cross-legged (or upon one's knees) for extended periods when one is not sufficiently limber, can result in a range of ergonomic complaints called "meditator's knee". These are common and may be endured for long periods of time in extensive meditation retreats, however caution is often advised, and the guidance of an instructor or 'guru' is often sought extensively.

In the full-lotus, half-lotus and Burmese positions, used in Buddhism and Hinduism, it is often said that the spinal column must be kept "straight," that is, the individual should sit erect but relaxed, by balancing the torso such that the spinal column supports it in a natural way. One should feel comfortable and rest in a simple and unstrained way.

Sitting on a cushion that elevates the pelvis as high as or higher than the knees and then slightly rolling the pelvis forward makes it easier to keep the spine upright. It is said in multiple traditions that the chin should be slightly tucked in, the tongue pressed against the roof of the mouth, lips lightly pressed together shoulders back.

Those traditions related to kundalini yoga, take a less formal approach. While the basic practice in these traditions is also to sit still quietly in a traditional posture, they emphasize the possibility of kriyas – spontaneous yogic postures, changes in breathing patterns or emotional states, or perhaps repetitive physical movements such as swaying, etc., which may naturally arise as the practitioner sits in meditation, and which should not be resisted but rather allowed to express themselves to enhance the natural flow of energy through the body. This is said to help purify the nadis and ultimately deepen one's meditative practice.

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