meditator - Posture

FROM MEDITATOR.ORG

'Posture'

As one meditates one soon becomes aware of a continuous interplay
between the outer posture of the body and the inner posture of the
meditator within.

The inner posture is like an attitude that one holds onto whilst
meditating and it is produced by the type of effort that one uses to
meditate.
So for example if one’s inner posture is too rigid , maybe trying too
hard to grasp at the object of meditation then the object of
meditation seems to ‘run away’ from the meditator. The inner attitude
here is too forceful and the body’s muscles might tighten as a result
of such mental strain.
Also if one's inner attitude is too lax, unenthusiastic or inattentive of the meditation then one is easily overcome by one's own thoughts, memories or fantasies.
Both of these above extremes often deplete one's energetic resources
and as a result the necessary attention needed to be able to meditate
wanes and sleep eventually takes over.

Even though it may seem almost impossible at first, with patience and
the right effort one finds eventually some meditation sessions when
the inner posture is 'just right', when suddenly all of the body's
energies appear to rise up and suddenly it is as if the keen
meditator and his object of meditation are 'in their proper and
natural places'.

This is a sign that a dynamic balance has been reached where the
practitioner’s body / mind, his inner efforts and the object of
meditation are all working together harmoniously. If this new
condition is maintained then one can extend awareness almost
indefinitely.
‘Good’ meditation sessions are probably not chance incidents but the
result of long term effort meditating earnestly. They depend on what
has gone on before in previous sessions.

Our inner attitude whilst meditating is also directly linked to the
many preconceived ideas that we hold about our bodies and minds. If
we are easily moved by feelings of disgust or self congratulation
then our meditation will suffer. Beliefs are for the most part
conditioned by our cultural and family background. They were probablyonce accepted unquestionably but are often erroneous and outdated tobe useful now and so should be re-examined in the light of our own present experiences.
In some forms of meditation the 'inner posture' is worked upon by
the body adopting either static physical postures or executing
particular movements or dances. In this way the mind-body complex can reach formless worlds.

It has been said that the 'body is the mirror of the mind'.
Ultimately we are neither our body nor our mind yet we must know how to use both efficiently in order to meditate over a sustained period
of time.

At the end of our meditation sessions, using perhaps the calm state
of mind that meditation often produces, it is worth asking oneself
frequently the time honoured question:
"who or what am I really?".
This type of inner question can foster courage and the forbearance to
perceive oneself as one really is and so as a result of this practice
one’s inner attitude when one meditates may probably become more open too.

The good news is that with regular meditation practice one learns how
one learns.
As if we were a juggler we can play with some of the elements that
make up who we are and this is a joyful activity.
While we are alive we can work to enhance awareness and that is a
step towards real freedom