Posture is as important to a meditator as the meditation itself, as how you sit can make the difference between alertness or drowsiness. Below I have broken down the posture to allow a step by step guide to your posture, this is known as the 7 point meditation posture.
Legs: When starting to sit, our legs are the first thing that we use. To start with sit cross legged with one foot placed just below the other legs knee, or further up the thigh, this is called the half lotus position. This will allow you to reduce the pain and cramps that would accrue if you were just sitting cross legged. Later on when you become more nimble you can try the full lotus position, but trying to do this straight away, can cause muscle injuries that take a long time to heal. Also to make your sitting more comfortable it is worth having a cushion, this also allow you to keep a straight back that is key to posture. If you are unable to sit with crossed legs, then it is perfectly OK to do this while sitting in a chair just ensure that your feet are able to touch the floor and that they are not crossed. Its best to keep them hip width apart with your feet pointing forward.
Arms: The arms need to be relaxed, you can rest them in your lap just below the naval with your left hand cupping the right with your palms up. Alternatively you can rest your hands on your knees with palms facing up again. These positions are to allow the arms to relax and not give you any discomfort.
Back: The back is the key thing to have correctly positioned as this will give you good energy flow and will keep you sharp and alert. It is best to sit on a cushion to allow your back to sit more comfortably upright, like a stack of coins. It may be uncomfortable to start with but after a few sitings it should start to become more comfortable. By having your back straight and relaxed it will allow for longer periods of mediation and greater feelings of calm.
Eyes: It is down to preference whether you keep your eyes open slightly or close them during meditation. It is said that closing the eyes gives you greater concentration, however can lead to drowsiness and even falling asleep during mediation, while keeping your eyes open will allow a little light in that keeps you sharp and alert during your meditation. In my own opinion I like to have my eyes slightly open as this keeps me alert and sharp. I will leave it to you to decide what you wish to do.
Jaw: Your jaw needs to be relaxed with your teeth slightly apart. The mouth should be closed but not clasped tightly. The key is to relax.
Tongue: This may sound silly, but by placing the tongue on the roof of the mouth, just above the top row of teeth will allow you to reduce the amount of saliva, this will help you lengthen your sittings.
Head: To allow the head to rest comfortably on your spine you draw the head back, like you would to create a double chin and comfortably hold it. keep your gaze at a 45 degree angle and relax your gaze. If you feel drowsy or heavy looking down you can raise your gaze a little higher and this can combat this giving more alertness and sharpness if required.
These key points should be checked regularly when first starting your meditation till you naturally fall into your posture. After a while of doing your sittings in the 7 point posture you will feel so at home and relaxed it will be something you will want to go back to time and time again.
When you start to lengthen these sittings you will start to feel the same discomfort as you had when starting meditation, this again is normal and will subside when your sitting lengths become more stable. Once while on a meditation retreat, we had to sit in a meditation posture for longer lengths than I was use to and after the 3rd day I had become settle in the lengthy sittings so give it time and things will improve.
If at any time during your mediation posture you feel very sharp pains or discomfort it is advisable to see your doctor to discuss this and it may be worth speaking to someone who is an experienced meditator as they may have solutions that may help alleviate the pain.
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