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AdvicePosture

Posture

Set the body up to reflect the qualities of mind we're trying to cultivate.

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However you choose to get your Headspace, It's gonna involve either sitting, standing, lying in a particular way. We're going to focus this particular guide on how to sit in the right way. Now, some people prefer to sit on the floor and if you're sitting on the floor, that's probably because you're already kind of comfortable with that idea. Maybe do some yoga or something and it's something that you've either grown up with or you're very accustomed to. So I'm not gonna focus too much on sitting on the floor. I wanna focus more on sitting on a chair, which I know will be the case for most of you. Now, as you sit on the chair, there's a few key points to remember. Perhaps the most important is that your back is reasonably upright. And when I say upright, you shouldn't be tense and tight. There's just a sense of it, as I say, not leaning back too far, not hunched over in any way, just the back nicely balanced, upright. Now for many people, that's a challenge to sustain that position. So there are things we can do to help with that. Now, the way the back sits is dependent very much on the position of the hips. So if we can tilt the hips just slightly, then it helps the back maintain that position without any kind of effort at all. And the best way of tilting the hips is either to place a very thin cushion or just a rolled up towel so it's underneath the backside, but towards the rear. And it just helps kind of, as I say, just tilt the hip slightly and helps keep the back in position. It also allows the shoulders to fully relax. And so that we really do feel that the weight of the hands and the arms resting on the legs. Now, with the hands and the arms, some people like to, you know, if they've done different exercises like this before, they have different ways of holding their hands. Truth is it doesn't really matter. You can have your hands resting downward on your legs., upward on your legs, one hand resting on the other in your lap, whatever feels most comfortable and most natural to you. It shouldn't make any kind of real impact on the exercise itself, so do make sure it's comfortable. With the lower half of the body, it's really important that the muscles are able to switch off and relax. As the body relaxes, so the mind is more inclined to relax as well. Now it's tempting to sit in a chair, which just, you know, it's an arm chair or sofa, very relaxing, but of course it's hard to maintain a sense of focus there. So best if we're sitting on a chair, you know, like just a regular chair, kitchen chair, or something, that allows us to sit up right. Now, it's tempting to lean backwards against...

Details

TypeAdvice
Duration8 min

About your teachers

  • A former Buddhist monk, Andy has guided people in meditation and mindfulness for 20 years. In his mission to make these practices accessible to all, he co-created the Headspace app in 2010.

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  • Eve is a mindfulness teacher, overseeing Headspace’s meditation curriculum. She is passionate about sharing meditation to help others feel less stressed and experience more compassion in their lives.

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  • As a meditation teacher, Dora encourages others to live, breathe, and be with the fullness of their experiences. She loves meditation’s power to create community and bring clarity to people’s minds.

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  • Kessonga has been an acupuncturists, therapist, and meditation teacher, working to bring mindfulness to the diverse populations of the world.

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  • Rosie Acosta has studied yoga and mindfulness for more than 20 years and taught for over a decade. Rosie’s mission is to help others overcome adversity and experience radical love.

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