How to Sit

The most important quality in sitting for meditation is comfort. Not performance — comfort. A body that is straining or bracing cannot settle, and a body that cannot settle makes the mind's job harder than it needs to be.

Over time, as posture practice opens the body and sitting becomes more natural, you will find it easier to sit for longer periods with a tall spine and a relaxed quality throughout. But that is a long game. For now, use whatever support you need.

Seating Options

Easy Pose on a cushion — shins loosely crossed, sitting bones grounded on a firm support — works well for most people and is a natural extension of the seated work in the Ritual Before Bed practice.

A chair is equally valid. In the Western mystery traditions, the Egyptian Seated Pharaoh posture — sitting upright in a chair, feet flat on the floor, hands resting on the thighs — is considered a complete and dignified meditation seat. It is more natural for most Western bodies and is not a compromise. Use it without apology.

A wall behind your back for support is also fine, especially when beginning. Over time you may find you need it less.

The lotus posture, while a classical ideal in Eastern traditions, requires years of hip opening that most adults — particularly those who have spent their lives sitting in chairs — do not have. It is not required here, and chasing it unnecessarily can cause injury. Ease and stability are the aim.

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