Expert: Dale Napier - 10/10/2009

Question
if a tai chi student wants to practice sitting meditation, which posture should he use so that his body is perfectly still?

Answer
To be perfectly still you must be relaxed.  If you use your lower back to hold yourself up when you sit, you can never be relaxed; it will simply hurt.

The key is to sit with the back straight and body erect so that you do not need extra muscles to sit up straight.  Either of the two traditional methods is find:  you can sit on a pad like a zafu, or in a western-style chair.  Each required a slightly different posture.

For sitting on a pad, sit with your legs loosely in front of you, bent - not stretched out.  I do not favor a full lotus for this, because your legs and hips will be tight, restricting the flow of chi.  Your back must be straight, your crown up, chin in, shoulders relaxed, hollow chest.

For sitting in a chair, sit on the forward 1/3 edge of the chair.  Feet must be flat, legs not crossed.  Your hips need to be higher than your knees, but only a little bit, so adjust the height of the seat with a pad or pillow if necessary.  Again, your back must be straight, your crown up, chin in, shoulders relaxed, hollow chest.  

In either case you must be able to relax.  Mental tranquility requires physical relaxation.