What is the magic trick to open your hips?

[BlackMagic]

A better angle!

Now I must work on maintaining the posture for longer periods.





May someone use my dirty feet as asubha practice.

Very stable meditation posture for when the world tree drops into your lap

imagine an infinitely deep well behind you to prevent falling or at least remaining asleep when it occurs... mindfulness of such a thing? The housebuilder falls asleep and drifts out of position like an OBE snoring a few feet away ...Do try to refrain from laughing when that occurs.

...simple smile asana; Is the asana I return to most of the time; It is not as boring as the anapanasati focus and the mind leaves the brath alone; as the subtle winds will change your expression; it is basically the same focus.

You can also pray to prajnaparamita to aid in your anapanasati mindfulness and use a mala to click over and over if you've satori; not to be confused with the Oni of the mountain of the same name or is it?

[rhinoceroshorn]

Hi. I progressed a lot during this meantime.
Today I was in the sālā of the monastery and meditated for several minutes in the lotus posture. I didn't use my stopwatch to know the time, but it was between 10 and 20 minutes, probably. A great feat! I used not to bear the lotus for more than few minutes.

A picture I took last month:





Never give up!!!
No pain no gain!!!

[SteRo]

Never give up!!!
No pain no gain!!!

Says the orthopedists' association.

[rhinoceroshorn]

Never give up!!!
No pain no gain!!!

Says the orthopedists' association.

Unfortunately there will be pain. It's unavoidable.
Everything has its risks.

[SteRo]

Never give up!!!
No pain no gain!!!

Says the orthopedists' association.

Unfortunately there will be pain. It's unavoidable.
Everything has its risks.

Nonsense. There is no need to damage one's joints and/or ligaments.

[rhinoceroshorn]

I have been practicing for the lotus for months and I say that pain is unavoidable, I don't know about you though. I hope you had a great time achieving the lotus with no discomfort.

[SteRo]

I have been practicing for the lotus for months and I say that pain is unavoidable, I don't know about you though. I hope you had a great time achieving the lotus with no discomfort.

Why should I "achieve the lotus"?

[confusedlayman]

I like sleeping posture.. if meditation fails, at least I can sleep right away

[SteRo]

del

[Sabbe_Dhamma_Anatta]

Hi. I progressed a lot during this meantime.
Today I was in the sālā of the monastery and meditated for several minutes in the lotus posture. I didn't use my stopwatch to know the time, but it was between 10 and 20 minutes, probably. A great feat! I used not to bear the lotus for more than few minutes.

A picture I took last month:





Never give up!!!
No pain no gain!!!

Congrats!

Much improved and healthier posture (each knee alignment in relation to thigh & leg) than in previous photos, I think.

Personally, I think knee pain is the single most important one that must always be avoided. And, knee pain must not be endured; it must be worked around.

If there is no knee pain in that posture, then it is awesome.


The two most significant stretches (to be perfected) for me with knee-pain free full-lotus in mind are:





I like these two above (relaxing into these positions is safe) much more than some more popular hip openers like pigeon pose, bound angle forward bend etc. which tend to put strain on the knees (relaxing into these positions is less safe).


My opinion is:

• Growing full lotus is very beneficial; while moulding it is dangerous.

Again, big congrats!

[DooDoot]

I hope you had a great time achieving the lotus with no discomfort.

Sounds like superstition.

Much improved and healthier posture

There appears no evidence a posture is "healthier", particularly considering any underlying damage cannot be seen.

Nonsense. There is no need to damage one's joints and/or ligaments.

Again, it is somewhat amusing to see SteRo make more sense than the one unable to defend Theravada doctrine.

[Sabbe_Dhamma_Anatta]

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It may be the only one stretch needed:

• From personal experience, the wide angle forward bend is the be-all-end-all for padmasana.
  
  
  

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[Johncat]

i think the MOST IMPORTANT THING is NOT TO DO ANY PERMANENT DAMAGE TO YOUR BODY. Sure it might be nice to sit in full lotus for 1, 2, 5, 10, 30 mins, but if you have any developing lasting pain - is it worth it? I remember the pain i went through as a novice meditator in Thailand 37 years ago - first kneeling then gradually working down till i could sit with ONE leg crossed over the other. It took a few weeks to undo 27 years of unflexibility - but i did it! I soon realised that the SECRET was a BALANCE of patient endurance, concentration and body pain. My BIGGEST success was NOT sitting in some perfect posture - BUT LASTING ONE WHOLE HOUR in meditation WITHOUT MOVING OR FLINCHING. Once i could do that - and the concentration built to more of a single minded state - i realised I could work through the discomfort and finally it all evaporated. ..perhaps the reason why there is the INTENTION to sit in full lotus might be something to investigate? WHO is it and WHY is there that desire, and is it counter productive to building more sustained concentration?

Certainly one suggestion is to sit cross legged at other times through the day - i sit in half lotus watching TV. Also do some stetching/bending BEFORE starting your meditaion. I think the biggest secret i ever found in sitting was this: If you can deeply relax into the pain/ discomfort to a point of samadhi - then the pain will DISSOLVE COMPLETELY INTO MOMENTARY SENSATIONS. BUT and this is the BIGGEST BUT - IF ANY PAIN LASTS OUTSIDE OF YOUR MEDITATION - and does not dissipate - then you could be asking for trouble with long term ligament or muscle damage.


Story: When i lived at a monastery in Wellington/ New Zealand - and watched all the monks sitting in perfect cross leg postures - then one day when one of them adjusted his robes, I noticed he had NEVER been sitting cross legged!

[Jhana4]

Great idea for a thread!

Thanks to everyone who posted resources. I too, would like to get back to sitting on the floor again someday.

I've found that tight buttock muscles also prevents "hip hinging". Hip hinging is bending from your hip joints to roll your pelvis forward enough to get that magically slight protective arch in your lower back when sitting on the floor.

In that regard, I found this video very helpful. I hold each stretch for 3 minutes. I had a physical therapist tell me that is the maximum amount of time to convince your brain to send a "loosen up" signal to a tight muscle. He used to do manual manipulation of my legs/hips in that regard. It worked!

Hope this helps