The trick to staying still while meditating is to let gravity hold you. I know, gravity is famous for bringing things down, not stopping them. But that’s the best way I can think of to put it.
Did you do this too?
When I was a kid, I would lie in bed at night and hold my arm up. I would find a place where it was quite easy to keep my arm vertical. Did you ever do this? It amazed me when I was younger. What I understand now is that my arm was directly vertical and the bones were resting on top of each other in a way that used minimal muscle.
In your sitting meditation posture you may have the same sensation. Your spine is directly vertical and requires a minimum of muscles to remain absolutely still and upright.
Your body is the bass of your band
Although the Yoga of Alignment focuses on energetic alignment within your consciousness, the alignment of the spine plays an important role. Your physical body sounds in a lower octave of alignment supporting the higher tones of your energy body. Of course, you want these alignment tones to be in tune with each other. Imagine a band in which the bass plays a different song. The guitars and vocals sing one of your favorite songs and the bass sounds in a different key, a different rhythm, and a completely different song. It’s not fun!
When you bring your body into physical alignment, you lay the groundwork for the highest octaves in your alignment and the entire song from your mediation session sounds and feels more satisfying.
Quiet Body Quiet Mind
Calming your body calms your mind. But if it is kept uncomfortable and still, it has the opposite effect. That uncomfortable stillness activates the mind. So finding this effortless upright posture allows you to stay still with ease. Here are some tips to help you find a comfortable posture that allows you to stay still with ease.
When sitting in a chair, sit on the edge of the chair and do not lean on the back of the chair.
Make sure your hips are at the same level as your knees or higher than your knees.
When you sit on a meditation cushion, use as many cushions as you need to lift yourself up so that your knees rest comfortably on the floor.
Allow your position to evolve during the course of your mediation session. Alignment Yoga meditation creates greater physical alignment as you align yourself from within. Don’t fight the urge as your spine lengthens and corrects its alignment in the course of your meditation. Let your body move and change reflecting your inner alignment process.
By allowing gravity to “hold” you, you can relax into great physical stillness, laying the foundation for a deep meditation session.