Meditation is a vehicle that can change your life one inch at a time

The simple things that can help you to meditate longer

Meditation is a vehicle that can change your life one inch at a time. This, it is true, is not necessarily going to be easy, however, it will see you walking a path that is more true to you than you ever imagined and the feeling of that is unquestionable. It will bring you into connection with your highest wants and desires that are not driven by external ideas of what we think the world wants from us, it will open you deeper into yourself. If this connects you to what you are feeling for 2025 then I’m right there with you.

Below are the super doopa simple things that are the ground work for cultivating this life-changing practice and will ensure that you can meditate for longer than 5 minutes.

This simple thing often goes unnoticed. This simple change can make a difference between you being able to stay still for a lot longer than you would expect and most definitely being in less pain if that is something you experience.

Let’s create a meditation position that works for your body.

This is GOLD!

I know it probably sounds a bit basic and in some ways it is, but I often find that the simple basic things can get overlooked when we are trying something new, or trying to get something right. Coming back to these things can get you back on track or set you sailing and that’s what we want.

A meditation position that works for your body will make EVERY BIT OF DIFFERENCE to whether you LOVE it or whether it feels like a painful chore.

I’m going to start with the traditional cross legged meditation position and how to get it feeling good for you but if that is not in your capacity or range I will talk about kneeling (with a meditation stool or bolster), seated in a chair (the goodies that make this feel great) and if sitting is not in your range how to create a lying position.

I want to pop a disclaimer here that I am not a physical therapist, so if you have any difficulties or pain particularly in your knees at any time please stop and consult a professional. These simple things I am sharing with you are from teachings passed down to me, my own personal experience and teaching others and watching their experiences shift dramatically.

Cross legged sitting

Super simple practical things you can come back to over again here. It can take a little time, trial and error and playing around with your position to get it feeling good. Using a mirror can help also.

Create a comfortable base so your ankles and feet are comfortable

You can use a folded blanket or a woolen rug to sit on. Make sure that it is as wide as your cross legs so it supports your whole base and is an excellent foundation for you.

Make sure when you are sitting with your hips higher than your knees

This truly is the GOLDEN TIP and once you have adjusted things to enable this there is no going back.

This will lessen or stop any strains in your lower back and hips. It will remove most of the strains from your knees and protect them. When the hips are higher than the knees this cross-legged posture can be sustained for a lot longer.

To do this you can sit on a hard (not soft) cushion so that your hips are higher up and your knees will be lower. A folded blanket can work well if you do not have a hard cushion. You want your seat to be stable and sturdy for you.

Don’t leave your knees hanging in the air without support.

Once your hips are at the right height it can leave your knees kind of hanging in the air a bit if they do not touch the ground. If this is the case grab yourself a cushion or two, or a folded blanket or towels from the linen cupboard and prop your knees up on to those. Trying to hold your knees in the air is painful on the knees and can put a strain on the groin and hips too so we want to support those precious knees. It may be for you that only one knee needs support, that’s fine too.

AAHHH now we have happy knees and you can let your energy settle fully and deeply into your hips, pelvis, legs and feet.

A straight back and adjusting the sitting bones

Ideally for meditation we want to have our spine as straight as possible. One of the ways to help with this is to adjust your sitting bones so you are sitting on top of them. This can be done by getting each bum cheek and pulling it backwards slightly while you are sitting. This creates a slight adjustment to the position of the pelvis that enables the spine to straighten at the base. Once it is straight at the base it can be easier to maintain a straight back. Keeping your chin tucked in will also straighten up your spine.

Best not to stack your ankles

Sometimes when we cross our legs our ankles can be stacked one on top of the other. After sitting for 10 minutes like that your ankles can become painful. Find a way to sit so that your ankle bones are not rubbing against each other or sitting on top of one another. You can even put a blanket or towel between your ankles to stop them touching.

NOW…Take a photo of your set up so you remember it for next time

*Keep all of your blankets and equipment in your new space, they are now yours to be drenched in lovely meditative energy.

Kneeling

This can be very comfortable for many people and works well with either a meditation stool, a yoga bolster or if you don’t have those start with firm pillows or blankets folded to a height where your hips are higher than your knees and you feel stable.

Give your knees a soft landing

Make sure in your set up that your precious knees are protected with some nice padding underneath so they feel protected and comfortable.

Adjust your kneeling posture so you can have a lovely straight spine.

This can be done by slightly sticking your bottom out in the kneeling position. Have a try and you will know what I mean.

Seated in a chair

This works really well and can be very supportive.

It is best to use a chair that is sturdy and solid not soft. Place a sturdy cushion to sit on. It is best to sit up in the chair without touching the back of the chair.

The simple super tip

Put a folded blanket at your feet so that your legs are in just the right height to feel supported and not dragging you down. Enjoy.

Lying Down

This may be the best position for you to be in, if sitting for longer periods does not work for you and your body at this time. Please be sure that any of the following suggestions are right for you.

A support under your knees can be helpful to support your lower back.

The surface you are lying on is the right softness,

Not too cosy and not too hard! It is best to meditate out of your bed if that’s possible as our bed of course has sleep associations and sleeping during meditation is not meditation it is sleep.

If you can sit up for a period of time after your meditation this could be helpful to let all the energies move through your body.

My last shout out to meditation. All hail!

I have seen many people use meditation in their lives in remarkable ways. You will not be the same person. You will absolutely incur resistance to doing this, that is part of you moving against the stream of your subconscious programming. Can you move beyond this, yes absolutely, check out my last email about how to weave meditation seamlessly into your life.

I hope you have found this helpful. If you did, enjoy bringing meditation into your days, weeks, months ahead. I will be back early next week with more goodies on creating your space.