Journey into vastness

The pictures on this page illustrate Week 10 of our free internet meditation course.

Kneeling is an excellent meditation posture for some people – and unusable for others.

Kneeling for extended periods requires support to transfer some weight off your knees, plus padding under the knees. Here she uses a zafu for support and a sheepskin for padding. Her lower legs are arranged around the zafu.

An alternative way to kneel with a zafu. She has flipped it up and is sitting on its edge. This raises the pelvis higher than in the previous picture and places the lower legs closer together.

Kneeling with a meditation bench. Sometimes called ‘seiza’ benches, these are made specifically for kneeling. However, like zafus, they are versatile and can be used in several postures—including sitting rather than kneeling.

Sitting with a gomtag (‘meditation strap’ or ‘meditation belt’). The gomtag makes it possible to sit on the floor without a cushion or other support. Although the pelvis is below the knees, the strap supports the back and thighs – each with the weight of the other – so that no muscular effort is required to maintain the position.

Side view of sitting with the gomtag.