Let's Get Physical
What if I can't sit still? Or I just don't want to...
When I was in massage therapy school, we did a two-hour seated meditation. Two hours. It was intense, disorienting, legs got tingly, back ached…
If the goal of meditation is to be present to one’s experience, and my current experience is that I can’t feel my leg or I’m in excruciating pain, then I’m probably not tapping into my body’s “relaxation response” and reaping the myriad benefits of meditation.
Of the relaxation response, pioneering researcher Herbert Benson wrote that we need four things:
A quiet environment.
Something to focus on.
A passive (let it happen) attitude.
A comfortable position.
What is a comfortable position for you? I’m going to wager a little guess here that for most of us it’s not this:
Maybe it is for you, and if so that’s awesome! For me, looking at that photograph makes my hips hurt.
World renowned Buddhist teacher and activist Thích Nhất Hạnh wrote that you should “sit in such a way that you feel light, relaxed, happy, and free.” Even if you could get your legs into that position, do you think you would feel light or free?
When I was practicing at the Ithaca Zen Center, I did periods of “Zazen” (seated meditation), but these were always interspersed with “Kinhin” (walking meditation). And Zazen always involved cushions. Lots and lots of cushions. It was accessible to me.
But it was still sitting.
Unpopular opinion: seated meditation is not the be-all and end-all. It is not for everyone. (And fidgeting doesn’t make you bad at meditation!)
Are there other ways to cultivate mindful awareness of the moment, without sitting still?
Of course there are!
Think about an activity that allows you to get into “flow” (so absorbed by, and focused on a task, that you are no longer distracted). Maybe something like knitting, cooking, running, or gardening.
What is that activity for you? How do you feel when you do it? After you do it?
I love a good slow-flow yoga practice. I can be present to my body and breath. Distractions are lessened. And I feel somehow simultaneously invigorated and deeply rested at the end.
Perhaps these activities would not look like meditation to some. But if doing them moves you forward on your path to healing or personal development, does it matter?
This week’s podcast episode is a rerun about alternatives to seated shapes, and an exploration on finding neutral hips and spine in your body. Find it in the feed or listen on Apple or Spotify!