How to become flexible enough for lotus pose as a beginner

[Davino]

On 19/7/2025 at 6:59 PM, aurum said:

If you're interested in my sources I can share a few.

Sure! Please, I'm very open-minded and interested in finding evidence of me being wrong and correcting my understanding to align with Truth. You shouldn't even ask

[Cocolove]

About to go on 10 day vipassana with dhamma vishudda, are they going to make me sit cross legged? I always have had bad knees and recently injured them to the point where i couldn't walk for a month. So I'm planning to bring a chair.

 

I think it's pretty reasonable that for energy work, kundalini, certain types of meditation, lotus and other poses are beneficial. But I don't think it limits you. One of the kriya yoga books said that even in a chair at least crossing your feet at the ankles is beneficial for energetic reasons while sitting.

[Jodistrict]

30 minutes ago, Cocolove said:

About to go on 10 day vipassana with dhamma vishudda, are they going to make me sit cross legged? I always have had bad knees and recently injured them to the point where i couldn't walk for a month. So I'm planning to bring a chair.

 

I think it's pretty reasonable that for energy work, kundalini, certain types of meditation, lotus and other poses are beneficial. But I don't think it limits you. One of the kriya yoga books said that even in a chair at least crossing your feet at the ankles is beneficial for energetic reasons while sitting.

I went to the Goenka Vipassana 10 day retreat.  They provided chairs for those who ask.  But you have to ask in advance.  

Edited 22 hours ago by Jodistrict

[samijiben]

I sit in half Lotus when I do meditation. I do it because it makes me feel spiritual. Sometimes I'll even rest my palm on my knee facing up to the heavens as an offering. This is bullshit. Best sit on a chair (on the toilet typing this now).

[samijiben]

@aurum Would you admit though that full lotus is good for stability? that's the pro I see in it, because in other positions you can tremble and shake or rock and roll. a chair doesn't have this problem, of course. yea, final analysis is that chair is best for meditation.

But if you're finna be meditating on a fucking chair, it better look like this:

[Jodistrict]

It was common for people in ancient cultures to live without chairs.   They would sit cross legged or squat.  It had nothing to do with looking cool or spiritual.  And what is so great about chairs?  People develop back and posture problems with chairs.  Also, the only reason you can sit on a chair is because you adjust your posture every few minutes.  The chair puts to much pressure on the bottom to sit perfectly still for even an hour.  The full lotus distributes weight making it possible to be still for hours.   But it’s not necessary for all meditation.

[aurum]

10 hours ago, samijiben said:

@aurum Would you admit though that full lotus is good for stability? that's the pro I see in it, because in other positions you can tremble and shake or rock and roll. a chair doesn't have this problem, of course. yea, final analysis is that chair is best for meditation.

But if you're finna be meditating on a fucking chair, it better look like this:

I’ve never had a problem with “stability” in meditation. I don’t think that’s a serious concern for most people.

I’ve done 1000+ hours of meditation just sitting crossed legged. I usually just use one or two pillows, maybe a cushion. If I’m feeling lazy, I might also lean against a wall. That’s plenty of stability.

I’ve not tried sitting in a chair, so I can’t verify its effectiveness. But I imagine that if you have an ergonomically designed chair, that could be beneficial. I may try that in the future.

All the time you’re going to spend stretching to be able to sit in full lotus comfortably, you could have spent just meditating. And for what? Basically just to ruin your hips and knees in the end.

You don’t need a special pose for meditation. This is a distraction. Just be physically comfortable. You could even meditate lying down, although that does increase liability for falling asleep.