Most people know that meditation is good for you. In fact, there are many physical and mental health benefits to meditating regularly and consistantly.
What most people are unaware of is that you don’t have to sit on the floor to experience meditation to its greatest effect.
No, you can also meditate quite effectively whilst sitting on a chair.
That is not to say that you adopt your normal seating position to practise chair meditation, you need to be mindful of your posture and how you are feeling both inside and out to ensure that your chair meditation experience is an effective one.
The beauty of chair meditation is that you can do it anywhere…
- At home
- At work
- In your car (while the car is not moving, not while driving)
- On public transport
- On a plane
- Waiting for an appointment
Almost anywhere there is a chair to sit down in.
As I mentioned above, how we sit in the chair is important so here are the ten steps you need to undertake to meditate effectively while sitting on a chair.
- Wear comfortable clothes, take off your shoes (before you even sit down)
- Sit yourself down comfortably
- Feet flat on the floor
- Back is straight (relax, don’t tense up)
- Shoulders are level
- Elbows and legs are parallel to each other
- Hand on legs palm down
- Jaw relaxed with your tongue resting behind top row of teeth
- Eyes relaxed (either closed or, slightly open, no focus)
- Start focussing on your breath
The two most important things to focus on here is how comfortable you are and how upright your posture is. By making sure that you are comfortable and of straight posture, you will be able to meditate effectively while sitting on a chair.
Do you need to buy a special chair to meditate?
Well, the short answer is no. Check out this video to see how a regular chair can be used for meditation…
I mean, you can if you like but any comfortable chair that supports your body in the appropriate position will do. Generally, when you buy a special meditation chair and attach your meditation practise to it will limit you in where you think you can practise.
For this exercise you want to make sure that you’re going to be able to practise your meditation pretty much anywhere and everywhere at any time of the day and night.
So, if you were ever thinking that crossing your legs in a lotus position was a barrier to you starting your meditation practise well, think again… You can meditate effectively just by sitting in a chair.
Just be mindful of your comfort and your posture and you’ll be well on your way to experiencing the many benefits of meditation.
