I’ve just started learning to meditate, but I find I’m more comfortable and quicker to relax if I meditate lying down rather than in the prescribed sitting position. Sources I’ve perused all agree that meditation is best performed seated. However the reasons given tend to be quasi-mystical in nature, “Better flow of energy”, that kind of thing. Is there any practical reason why I shouldn’t meditate lying down if I find it more relaxing that way? I’m aware that, all things being equal, one should meditate while seated to facilitate deeper breathing and improve posture, but I believe the key goal of meditation is relaxation, and if I find it easier to relax while supine then I believe I should disregard the conventional wisdom and meditate in that position.
Am I wrong about this? Is there some overriding reason why meditation should be performed seated?
Well, not everybody meditates to relax, for one thing. My meditation practice has been spotty at best lately, but as a Zen Buddhist the reason I do it is to practice mindfulness, not to relax.
The sources I’ve read stress that there are many forms of meditation besides the lotus seat - standing, walking in a slow rhythm, they even mention some monks who meditate in trees.
That said, it depends on why you want to meditate in the first place - for spiritual enlightment? Religious understanding and mysticism? Or “only” for health reasons to relax?
In Zen Buddhist monasteries for example, one monk is tasked with walking around to lightly tap them on the shoulder with a bamboo stick if they start falling asleep. Because sleeping is not meditation.
I have bad knees and can’t do lotus either. But if you lie down somewhere comfy, it’s much easier to start sleeping or dozing, which while nice is not really what meditation is about.
in a sitting posture with the butt high (which you can get on a cushion with full lotus, half lotus or legs crossed) it prompts sitting without slouching (slouching is uncomfortable and a distraction). with that good posture you can feel the different areas of your lungs fill as you breath, this and the breath flowing out your nose is something you can pay attention to (a great help in meditating).
the posture allows your bones to support your body and not have lots of body contact as a distraction and for breathing to happen easy.
people can accommodate difficulties if needed by sitting in something like a straight back chair with rungs (so you can bring your feet back). kneeling chairs could also help.
As already mentioned, meditation for relaxation is one thing, and for insight or spiritual growth, something else. The object in the former case is to create a balanced tension between alert wakefulness and relaxation. In one form of Zen the mind is likened to the surface of a pond disturbed by a multitude of ripples. In meditating, you seek to calm the surface and see past the distractions.
You’ve probably noticed how your mind wanders and jumps while meditating - even if you’ve focused on something such as counting your breaths. For what I’ll call “spiritual” meditation, you want to be able to fill your mind with nothing at all. I think the traditional lotus position probably evolved, at least in part, to give one the best chance of achieving that state. However that’s not to say it is the best position for all people everywhere at all times. I think the important thing is being able to maintain the best balance between alertness and relaxation.