Pain after meditation (where my foot hinges)

[Dear]

Hi all,

Let me jump straight to my question if you don't mind (I didn't introduce myself really because I don't use forums a lot or often at all. Though I would really apreciate any of you helping me out with this question I have).

During meditation I sit in the Burmese position (both calves and feet on the floor, one in front of the other). After meditation I have a lot of pain at the point where my foot hinges with the ankle.
It's only the foot closest to me that get's most pressure and hurts.


- I meditate for 25 minutes dailey (since two weeks)
- I use a meditation cushion
- I don't feel pain until I start moving that foot
- The pain is VERY, very bad

Does anyone have some input or useful tips to prevent this from happening?
I understood that this point (where my foot hinges) is a common place to feel pain.

thanks a lot in advance!
Dear

[unprevadedrapture]

burmese position sucks. if you can't sit half lotus fully, prop your thighs/knees up at even level with the zafu with your lower legs crossed simple, even w/your knees, and perpendicular to your trunk. raise everything as needed and do yoga. everyone bears with the pain at first just don't hurt yourself.

[Matthew]

Dear,

Am in agreement that Burmese position is difficult and painful for westerners.

My recommendation would be to sit on a firm cushion about 5 - 6 inches ~ 25 - 30cm high with your legs loosely crossed so both knees are on the floor.

This gives a good tripod of knees and bum to take your weight and also helps induce a slight forward tilt in the pelvis which helps maintain back posture with the least amount of muscular effort.

Also it is worth noting that when you start anything new it takes a while for your body to adjust.

Warmly,

Matthew

[puccino]

Is there any kind of ankle cushion for mediation? Whenever I sit cross-legged or over my knees, I feel a lot of pressure on my ankle bones. I tried changing the position many time, but because I am not so flexible is not so easy to do the advanced positions.

[Goofaholix]

I'm surprised you are getting ankle pain from the Burmese position as in this position both ankles should be on the floor and it's probably the easiest cross legged position. 

Unless you have physical characteristics that prevent you it's well worth training yourself to sit comfortably this way if you want make a long term habit of meditation, google "butterfly stretch".  Also knee bouncing is probably a good antidote for what you are experiencing, sit on the floor with your legs stretch straight in from of you, bring one leg up so that the ankle rests on the other legs thigh and the knee sticks out, and gently bounce your knee.  I did these exercises daily for a month to get a good sitting posture and haven't looked back.

[Katia]

I find when sitting cross-legged, my feet tend to be turned-- it's not like the side of my feet are straight against the floor (otherwise, my ankles would be canted up off the floor).  Rather, it's my ankle bones that are on the floor, which means my feet are turned so that the tops of them are slightly downward and the bottoms a bit more upward (it's kind of a seated version of my feet sickling).  If you may do something similar, this might be the source of your pain.

If that's the case, you might indeed find benefit to something under your ankles, so there's room for your feet to be more straight than bent.