Meditating without a cushion

[sonnald]

Hi everyone!

So I bought a cushion the other day but I just find it unnatural and it also takes a while for me to get the right position on it. Although I find myself in pain when I just sit on the floor, I feel more grounded and find that I can just start my practice straight away rather than wriggling around. The pain comes from my I inflexibility but if I keep meditating like this, will it get easier and easier? I've also read about using pain as the object of meditation which I've tried and find quite good. Any advice on this would be much appreciated

Thank you!

[Laurent]

Hello,

Cushions are often quite high, you can set it by removing some interior.
If you are able to meditate sitting on the floor, you probably need a lower cushion.

[Dreadlocks]

I bought cushions and a seiza bench, but honestly , I meditate far better in a chair and for much longer periods of time.

[Goofaholix]

The most important thing is that the knees are on the ground and the back is straight, if you can't do this google "the butterfly stretch" and other stretching exercises, if you do these daily for a month you should see a difference.

It's pretty unusual for someone to find a cushion more uncomfortable than sitting without one, as Laurent suggested maybe the cushion is too high.

[siddharthgode]

Hi everyone!

So I bought a cushion the other day but I just find it unnatural and it also takes a while for me to get the right position on it. Although I find myself in pain when I just sit on the floor, I feel more grounded and find that I can just start my practice straight away rather than wriggling around. The pain comes from my I inflexibility but if I keep meditating like this, will it get easier and easier? I've also read about using pain as the object of meditation which I've tried and find quite good. Any advice on this would be much appreciated

Thank you!

Will it become easier?
yes
will the pain reduce?
no
will the suffering reduce?
yes
suffering = pain * reaction
as you progress pain wont control your flow of awareness. You wont make pain such a big deal. You will be like there is pain at this n this location. so what? let it be.
As you progress more you would wish for more pain as you understand being equanimus to pain removes older reactions. As the baggage of reactions reduce you feel a taste of liberation.

[sonnald]

Thanks for all your feedback!

No I can't quite get my knees to the floor and although I start with a straight back, I struggle after a little while. I took some filling out of my cushion today and experimented with both ways and again, although not as comfortable, I felt that I benefitted more from sitting without a cushion. I'll try and take more out my cushion as well but there's something about not having to use anything to practice meditation, not even a cushion! Has anyone had the same experience? I'd like to think that through perseverance, I'll become more flexible and be able to sit more comfortably without a cushion. I'd really like to hear everyone's experience of the matter 

[siddharthgode]

All i need is full lotus. I dont know why no matter what position i sit in and start meditation i automatically go to full lotus.... i do need a rise of approx. 6 inch under my bum to get the most comfortable position. I dont really give importance to position when someone asks but when i sit in other positions it just doesnt feel right.

[TheJourney]

Go to goenka retreat. In 6 to 9 days, you will be fine. I am extremely inflexible. I tried all kinds of cushion arrangements at the retreat but to no avail until day 6 the pain just disappeared. Since that day, I can meditate on cushion for 1 hour twice daily.

Before the retreat, I can only do 15 min at home then pain sets in and the brain says forget it.

At home, on your own, you will not get used to it. I will not say never.

Everyday I find an excuse to request for a chair. Persistent denying of my request was for my benefit. Yes, day 6, I was shocked to realize that there was no pain.