Friday, September 21, 2012

the no-lotusing zone

I've borrowed the following picture from here.

See the monk?


Did you notice that he's not doing a full lotus? That he's not even bothering to do a half-lotus? That's pretty awesome. If nothing else, this monk's posture gives hope to plump, pathetically inflexible blokes like me. Even barefoot, I have trouble doing a half-lotus (only one foot tucked into the fold of a hip). Plus, I bet this posture-- known as "Burmese" or "monk's" posture-- is better for the circulation in your legs.

Meditation isn't about self-torture or even about lesser forms of mortification of the flesh. I've written more extensively on meditation here.


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3 comments:

Nathan B. said...

He looks Caucasian to me, and that's why he can't sit properly. ;-)

I say this as someone who can't even sit comfortably cross-legged at all.

That said, I don't think meditation is supposed to be about self-torture, either.

Cheers, N.

Lorianne said...

I've never been able to sit full lotus, and I long ago gave up trying to sit even half- or quarter-lotus. Burmese pose or kneeling are the only ways I can sit.

Practice how you can, not how you can't.

Kevin Kim said...

Lorianne,

Comments from you are so rare! I appreciate your visit.

Me, I didn't even know there was such a thing as quarter-lotus.

Nathan,

Caucasian? Ya' think? I'm not so sure. The probabilities are that he's Korean, but you could be right.