OVERVIEW: This in-depth guide provides detailed instructions on the best seated meditation postures for beginners, intermediates, and advanced practitioners.
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The postural alignments for meditation are vitally important for long-term meditators.
In this guide, we’ll first outline the six traditional meditation postures from the various traditions.
Then, I’ll suggest the best seated meditation posture for beginners, intermediates, and advanced practitioners.
Finally, I’ll share a few insights I’ve gained from 30 years of meditation and other integrative practices.
This meditation guide is part of a series:
Part 1: How to Tune Your Breath
Part 2: Meditation Training Tips
Part 3: Best Seated Meditation Postures [You are here]
Part 4: Zhan Zhuang Standing Practice
Part 5: Meditation Tools
Let’s dive in …
Why Focus on Your Seated Meditation Posture?
On the surface level, the best meditation posture helps you sit longer.
Properly aligned seated meditation postures:
- Reduce fatigue,
- Maximize respiratory function, and
- Eliminate unnecessary distractions caused by poor alignment.
On a deeper level, the best seated meditation postures from ancient traditions are designed to influence the body’s energetic matrix in specific ways.
Six Traditional Seated Meditation Postures
Here are the six traditional meditation postures:
- Chair Sitting Posture
- Cross-Legged Posture
- Kneeling Posture
- Half-Lotus Posture
- Full Lotus Posture
- Burmese Posture
You will also find lists online with eight meditation positions. In this case, they include standing and lying down positions. I will address the importance of standing posture toward the end of this guide.
First, let’s take a quick look at these seated meditation postures.
The Chair-Sitting Posture
The chair-sitting posture is arguably the best seated meditation posture for beginners because this position is the least demanding and the easiest to maintain correctly.
The Cross-Legged Posture
The standard cross-legged posture compacts the lower body and misaligns the hips. So this posture is not recommended.
Kneeling Posture
The kneeling posture is popular in Japanese culture (Zen Buddhism). Its main drawback is that you’re not opening the hips, which means this posture lacks energetic benefits.
However, if you’re doing mindfulness or consciousness-based practices, this kneeling posture is sufficient.
Half-Lotus Posture
In the half-lotus posture, the hips are elevated off the ground (using a cushion)—higher than the knees. In this cross-legged position, one foot is placed on the opposite hip while tucking in the other leg.
There are many benefits to this meditation posture. However, this posture’s unevenness is a major weakness. This lack of symmetry means you have to be mindful of switching positions periodically to avoid developing an energetic weakness on one side of your body.
Full Lotus Posture
The full lotus posture is by far the most demanding meditation posture. The hips are elevated off the ground (using a cushion). Each foot is folded on top of its corresponding hip.
Arguably, the full lotus posture is the best seated meditation posture for various energetic reasons. The hips are fully open, providing a strong energetic structure. The spine is fully erect.
The expansiveness in the body enables the lungs to fully open. However, the full lotus is also the most difficult posture to maintain. Most people lack sufficient flexibility to hold a full lotus position unless they start practicing early in life.
Burmese Posture
Finally, we have what’s called the Burmese meditation position. Burmese provides most of the benefits offered by the full lotus posture, but it’s far less demanding.
The Burmese posture opens the hips and enables an erect spine. The drawback of this posture is similar to the half-lotus position: it lacks symmetry.
So if you’re using the Burmese posture, switch legs regularly to avoid developing an energetic imbalance. I’ll provide detailed instructions for the Burmese posture below.
The Best Seated Meditation Posture
The best seated meditation posture depends on several factors.
If your body is tight (not open), it’s generally best to use a firm chair. The chair-sitting posture is the least demanding position.
If you are more flexible where your body and joints are somewhat open, sit on the floor in the Burmese posture. I would argue that Burmese is the best seated meditation posture for most meditators, including both beginners and intermediate practitioners.
Finally, if you’re highly flexible and have more background in internal training, the full lotus posture is likely the best seated meditation posture for you.
Chair-Sitting Meditation Posture
The Best Seated Meditation Posture for Beginners: Chair-Sitting Posture
Here are the specific guidelines for how to meditate while sitting in a chair:
Sit at the edge of a hard chair with your feet firmly on the floor.
Sitting on a firm chair is the easiest way of getting into the correct structural position. Sit at the edge of the chair where only about a third of your butt is on the chair. (In the above sketch, it would be better if the woman was further up on the chair.) If you’re a man, your scrotum should be hanging past the edge of the chair.
Keep your feet firmly on the ground.
Your feet are parallel to your shoulders. The tips of your toes are aligned with the edge of your knees so if you look straight down over your knees, you’ll only see your toes. This foot position activates the energy point toward the front of your feet (yongquan or bubbling well).
Your feet should feel engaged when you use the chair-sitting posture. This will help you stay more alert when you meditate.
Lengthen your lower back.
The spine has a natural “s” curve. The goal of any proper meditation posture is to allow the spine to naturally lengthen.
When you’re at the edge of a chair, very slightly (and gently) roll your hips under your torso to lengthen (not straighten) the lower portion of the spine. (You can achieve this by shifting your weight back slightly without moving your buttocks.)
Rest your hands comfortably on your thighs.
When you do so, be mindful of your shoulders. If your hands and arms are extended too far, they pull your shoulders forward. If your hands are too close to your torso, they force your shoulders backward.
There are many different hand positions (mudras) that you can learn later that direct the body’s energy in various ways. However, if your body isn’t open, you’re unlikely to benefit from them.
Bahui Point at the Crown
Suspend the crown of your head.
Imagine your head being suspended comfortably from a string at the crown of your head extending into the sky. Notice that the crown point is higher on the head than most people realize.
Allow your head to float above your spine, creating openness where your skull meets the upper vertebra.
Tuck your chin.
Then, slightly tuck your chin inward. When you do so, you should feel your crown raise a little. (Tucking your chin should not cause the front of your head to face downward on an angle.)
In both standing and sitting meditation postures, your head should feel like it is suspended and free-floating above the spine. Beginners generally have trouble with this as they often collapse their heads forward after a minute or two. But it gets easier with practice.
Relax your shoulders.
Don’t try to “round your shoulders,” as we’re sometimes instructed. Instead, relax them to their sides. In doing so, your chest will naturally be slightly concave. You don’t want your chest sticking out.
Pay attention to your head position when you relax your shoulders. You may find that you drop your head down. If so, suspend the crown once again.
Keep your eyes mostly closed with a soft gaze.
Keeping your eyes fully open can lead to distractions and closing them completely can lead to tiredness, passive fantasies, or what the traditions call “oblivion.”
A soft gaze with eyes mostly closed provides the optimal conditions for meditative practice. If your head is in the proper position, your eyes will look out and down at a very slight angle.
I’ve seen instructions online that recommend a 45-degree downward angle. This is incorrect. If your eyeline is at a 45-degree angle, you’re going to take your head out of alignment because your head will follow your eyes.
Instead, your eyeline should not reach the ground for at least 8 to 10 feet. So your eyes are looking mostly straight ahead but at a very slight angle downward.
Relax your jaw.
Most people tend to hold a great deal of tension in their faces, especially in their jaw region. Make a note to relax any jaw tension and the muscles around your eyes when you meditate.
Press your tongue to your palate.
The tip of your tongue is gently placed on your palate behind your upper teeth. This is considered the proper tongue posture.1Normal Tongue Posture by Prof John Mew, 2014. Youtube.
This tongue position helps reduce the build-up of saliva; it also makes an energetic bridge connecting the governing meridian that runs up the back with the conception meridian that runs down the front of your torso.
This tongue posture keeps your head from overheating (leading to neurosis and rumination) by directing the energy downward.
Gently close your lips.
Your lips are mostly closed but with a slight space opened toward the middle.
Once again, check to ensure there’s no tension in your lips, mouth, and jaw region.
Play around with these guidelines until you find a comfortable position. Check your posture periodically whenever you sit.
The Best Seated Meditation Posture for Intermediate Practitioners: Burmese
Of all of the classic meditation postures, I suggest that Burmese is the best position for most practitioners. Burmese is an efficient posture for beginner, intermediate, and advanced meditators.
In addition to being the easiest sitting position to adopt, the Burmese posture enables you to:
- Relax your muscles
- Reduce strain on the spine
- Strengthen the back
- Open the hips
- Maintain an erect spine
Burmese will also enable most practitioners to sit longer than they could in the other sitting postures outlined above. For all the above reasons, I consider it the best seated meditation posture overall.
Let’s review how to sit correctly in the Burmese posture:
Burmese Meditation Posture
Sit on a cushion.
Meditation postures like Burmese, half lotus, and full lotus require your hips to be higher than your knees. To achieve this, use a seat cushion, a meditation cushion, or a rolled-up towel.
About two inches of support is sufficient. I often use this buckwheat-filled cushion.
Fold one leg underneath you.
Fold one leg underneath you, tucking it as close to your groin as possible.
Men can improve the effectiveness of this posture by tucking the closest heel in further so it’s applying light pressure to the perineum (at the base of the testicles). This supports the movement of Jing.
Fold the other leg in front of you.
The foot of the outer leg should be parallel to the shin of your inner leg. The bottom of the outer foot is pressed against this shin. (There should be no visible space between your legs.)
Your hips are open and both knees are as close to the floor as possible. Your head and your two knees form a triangle.
Place your hands in a comfortable position.
You can place your hands on your knees if that’s most comfortable for you. If you know any energetic hand postures (mudras), you can use them as well. The Taiji Mudra and the Bao Yuan Mudra are among the most common in the Taoist arts.
Hand Position 1: Bao Yuan Mudra (Dhyana Mudra)
The Bao Yuan Mudra is called Dhyana Mudra in Buddhism. The image above (and below) illustrates this Bao Yuan Mudra. Both palms are faced upward, one palm resting comfortably within the other. The hands are rounded and gently connected by the tips of both thumbs.
Hand Position 2: Taiji Mudra
With the Taiji Mudra, place your left thumb in the center of your right hand. Then, close the fingers on both hands. This mudra helps close off energetic release points in the palms (Laogong) and helps the body relax.
With whatever mudra you choose, rest your hands in your lap in front of your navel region.
Follow the remaining guidelines above.
The rest of the posture guidelines from the chair-sitting instructions above, starting from “Suspend the crown of your head,” also apply here.
The Best Seated Meditation Posture for Advanced Practitioners: Full Lotus
Once again, the full lotus is by far the most demanding posture. If you experience any pain in trying to achieve this meditation position, it’s best to stop immediately.
For most people, extensive training and preparation is needed to sit comfortably in the full lotus posture.
Full Lotus Meditation Position
Sit on a cushion.
Similar to the Burmese posture, with full lotus you want your hips to be higher than your knees. To achieve this, use a seat cushion, a meditation cushion, or a rolled-up towel. About two inches of cushion is sufficient.
Fold one leg over the other.
Fold one leg so your foot is on the opposite hip—as high up on the leg as possible.
Fold the second leg over the top of the first leg.
Make sure the foot is high up on this leg as well. The bottom of both feet should be oriented upward toward the sky.
Follow the remaining guidelines above.
The rest of the posture guidelines from the chair-sitting instructions above, starting from “Suspend the crown of your head,” also apply here.
Again, while this is arguably the best posture for meditation, it’s only for those with the flexibility to stay in this full lotus position comfortably. If you attempt this posture without a great deal of preparatory training, you risk injuring yourself.
The Legend of Bodhidharma
Bodhidharma
There’s an old legend of how the Shaolin monks learned kung fu.
Initially, the monks spent their days in meditation in their Shaolin temples in China.
In the fifth century, a Buddhist monk named Bodhidharma arrived from India and noticed the poor physical condition of these monks.
After reflecting on this problem in a cave, he returned to teach them a series of stretches, movements, and standing methods to help open and strengthen their bodies.
Bodhidharma explained that these exercises would support their meditative practices and their path to enlightenment.
Chinese kung fu was born.
Standing Meditation Posture (Wuji)
Standing: A Key Meditative Position to Improve Seated Postures
Most people are in similar poor physical condition as these Shaolin monks were before Bodhidharma’s arrival.
The majority of human beings in the modern world are disconnected and disassociated from their bodies in alarming ways.
We live mostly sedentary lifestyles. We predominantly identify with our thoughts (mind)—not the body.
I began training in meditation when I was 18. I explored many different traditions and forms of meditation throughout my 20s while maintaining a daily practice.
However, I can comfortably say that I didn’t learn how to adopt a proper meditation posture until I started studying qigong and training in various internal martial arts in my mid-30s.
Experiment with Zhan Zhuang to Improve Your Posture
So anyone committed to deepening their meditation practice, I highly recommend learning how to stand properly using Zhan Zhuang principles.
Proper standing is more challenging than sitting positions (except full lotus) because it engages your entire body.
If you learn to stand correctly and build the proper alignments into your body, you’ll cultivate greater body-mind integration that will naturally transform whatever seated meditation posture you choose.
I’ve observed many “long-term meditators” who seem out of alignment, which greatly reduces the efficacy of their practice.
Insights from Body-Mind Integrative Practices
In my opinion, too little emphasis is given to posture, body mechanics, and energetic principles in how meditation is taught.
For greater efficacy in meditation, stretching and movements should be integrated into one’s daily practice.
More importantly, most of us have loads of trauma stored within our bodies, as Dr. Bessel Van Der Kolk notes in his bestseller The Body Keeps the Score.
In the 1930s, psychoanalyst Wilhelm Reich referred to this stored trauma as “body armoring”:2Wilhelm Reich, Character Analysis, 1980.
“Armoring is the condition that results when energy is bound by muscular contraction and does not flow through the body.”
From a Taoist perspective, this energy isn’t just bound up in the muscles; it’s also found throughout the body’s natural energetic pathways. These blocks create tension (numbness or physical pain), causing us to hold our posture in unsupportive ways.
Open Your Body to Improve Your Meditation Practice
For example, many people have difficulty sitting for extended periods in meditation because the lower half of their bodies quickly get fidgety and numb.
This means their bodies are too tight and closed. However, if they open their bodies first, they’ll find it much easier to meditate for longer periods without effort.
To support your meditation position and alignments, focus on opening your hip flexors, psoas muscles, lower torso, and your spine.
Shake Before You Sit
All mammals spontaneously shake with tremors when they experience trauma.
Humans do too, but we learn as children to suppress this natural mechanism.
Instead, our bodies hold the emotions of traumatic events from childhood (which happen regularly).
Dr. David Berceli’s Trauma Release Exercises can help you release unconscious tension and open up your body. This process can measurably improve your ability to comfortably meditate for longer periods.
Other systems like Dr. Alexander Lowen’s Bioenergetic Analysis can also help you break up stored trauma.
One particular technique from Lowen’s Bioenergetics that’s highly useful to improve your sitting meditation posture is called The Bow.
Here’s a video tutorial on how to perform The Bow.
For a more comprehensive understanding of how emotions get stored in the body, see this guide on how to release repressed emotions.
Meditation Series
This meditation guide is part of a series:
Part 1: How to Tune Your Breath
Part 2: Meditation Training Tips
Part 3: Best SeatedMeditation Postures [You are here]
Part 4: Zhan Zhuang Standing Practice
Part 5: Meditation Tools