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Welcome to the Mindful15 Podcast. This is our 50th episode and I want to thank you for supporting the podcast. I hope you’ve learned as much as I have this year!

Today I want to answer a question about meditation posture submitted by one of our biggest supporters, Brendan.

Brendan says:

I prefer to meditate while laying down. I like to lay flat on my back and spread out my arms and legs on my bed. Then I can put my hand on my belly and feel my breaths in and out, and make sure I am breathing with my belly.

I noticed most (if not all) meditations start with your instruction to ensure good posture, sitting in a supportive and grounding position. So I am wondering, am a losing some benefits of meditation by laying down, instead of sitting upright?

You’re correct, Brendan, all of the Mindful15 guided meditations start with instructions for sitting with good posture. The only ones that direct you to lie down are the deep relaxations.

Meditation requires a balance between alertness and relaxation. You’re advised to sit with a straight, upright posture to facilitate the alertness you need to stay mindful of the present moment. At the same time, you’re coached to relax your shoulders, arms, face, and belly so that you can let go of judgement about what you’re experiencing. Mindfulness itself is required to keep this balance going as you meditate, but good posture sets you up for success.

The reason we don’t coach you to lie down to meditate is, for most people, lying down shifts the balance away from alertness toward too much relaxation. Some people, me included, even tend to fall asleep in a lying position.

Does that mean you shouldn’t lie down? Not necessarily. If you’re able to maintain alertness, go right ahead. And some people have no choice but to lie down, because pain or physical impediments prevent them from sitting.

Some tips for meditating in a lying position

Brendan says he places one hand on his belly to facilitate diaphragmatic breathing during meditation. This is one way to foster alertness. If you’d like to learn more about belly breathing, check out episode 3 - A Deep Breath is not the Same Thing as a Big Breath.

I also recommend you lie with a straight spine to foster alertness and to help you breathe more fully. Tuck your chin in, gently, to straighten the upper spine. Place your arms by your sides, palms up or down, and extend your legs out fully. You can separate the legs somewhat for comfort and allow the feet to flop to the sides if they want to.

Lie on a firm surface to foster spinal alignment. Lying on the floor is best, but you could lie on a firm futon, couch, or mattress. If you lie on the floor, you might want a yoga mat, blanket, or large towel for warmth and comfort. When doing deep relaxation, I recommend covering yourself with a blanket, because the body can cool down when lying for a long period of time, but when meditating, you might stay more alert without the warmth of a blanket.

Avoid resting your head on a big, fluffy pillow, because it can wrench your upper spine out of alignment. If you need some support for your neck and head, try using a folded towel. Towels are much firmer than pillows and you can fold and re-fold until you get just the right height, which varies from one body to another, but will likely be between 1 and 2 inches.

Instead of a towel, I use large format paperback books. My husband has a couple of photography books with ...