How to sit still

Our modern lives often feel like an endless race: we’re always running to the next thing, never fully caught up, often late. One amazing quality of yoga and meditation for me has been learning how to sit still, how to quiet down what Patanjali calls “ripples of the mind” and simply be. Before we can get to that blissful state, though, there is one thing that holds many of us back - the ability to sit comfortably for an extended period of time.

I remember when I first started practicing yoga the concept of sitting on the floor seemed somewhat strange and when I tried it I was uncomfortable. My back twitched, my ankles hurt. The images of yogi masters sitting in full lotus seemed utterly unattainable not to mention excruciatingly painful. And yet, little by little, I made progress just by doing more yoga and spending more time simply sitting still. The mind-body connection followed and after a while I was able to focus more on the meditation part and less on the sensations in the body. I also started seeking out opportunities to spend more quality time on the floor beyond just during the active practice of yoga - like while watching TV or sitting on a Zoom call. Finally one day, when I wasn’t even trying, my legs folded into lotus.

Not that lotus or any other variation of a sitting pose should be the ultimate goal for anyone! You can have a beautiful and complete yoga practice with the easy pose (Sukhasana) being your default. Practice gratitude every day for where your body feels comfortable - even if some days hips or knees don’t cooperate and the only comfortable seated position is on a chair. As we celebrate Thanksgiving today, let’s cultivate that mindset of gratitude about where we are in our yoga practice and in our lives, not where we maybe wish we were. Let’s sit still for a moment, grateful for it all.