HOW TO

Sit

Ask a question

How to keep your jaws relaxed during mediation

SIT

Sit Like a Yogi...Floor and Chair: The idea is not to look like a yogi sitting crosslegged on the floor, but to feel what a yogi feels when they are sitting.

Floor Sitting on a Cushion: 

Thus, a cushion is to raise you up and open your chest so your lungs function.  The knees should be as far apart from each other as possible.  Long legs?  Further apart.  Knees touch the floor as the hips relax.  Sit forward on the cushion as much as possible and get the knees on the floor. As you descend like that, you'll feel the chest open.  Legs Hurt?  Put small cushions under each knee if you must.  Use a smile design cushion and your upper thighs will be supported preventing legs from going to sleep and the aching of hips.

A beginner might notice some days there are a few good painless moments.  These are most likely when the mind is right.  Advanced students notice there are days when the body simply hurts.  The mind is thus exerting its rigid dominance and  body is following.  Relax is a good word to follow.

However it works out, practice through it.  As practice begins, mind and body relax anyway, even if just a little bit, and sitting becomes familiar.  The Smile cushion we use is on Carolina Morning site. 

Chair Sitting:  Place a Smile cushion on the chair.  It will life and open the chest just as on the floor.  Place a cushion under the feet.  Takes pressure off the thighs.  There you have it.  Nothing more to do except unplug the phone, use the bathroom, have tissues handy for sneezes...and for an active mind, a notebook and pencil to write down the groceries you feel you can't forget one more time.

Trust us, it's not the cushion that is preventing us from meditating.

ASK A QUESTION

Asking a Question:  Before you ask a Lama or teacher a question, research at least something on it...go as far as you can....then ask.  This used to be the process of how scholars got to be scholars.  We learn by our own process and effort.  The teacher clarifies our confusion.  If we don't know anything to be confused about...there is nothing to clear up.  Thus.

TIGHT TEETH?

Relaxing the jaws:Apparently the muscles of the mouth and jaws are completely relaxed if the teeth are separated by one fourth of an inch.  So open slightly when sitting. For some people, the jaws are the last to relax.  (info courtesy of my dentist, JR)