The Five Best Stretches for Meditation: How to sit cross-legged comfortably
Do you get uncomfortable sitting cross-legged? Don’t worry, you’re not alone.
When I first started meditating, I could barely last five minutes sitting on two pillows stacked on my bed, let alone flat on the ground.
My groin and hips were so tight and the pain was so much that I couldn’t concentrate. As you can imagine, it’s impossible to meditate when your mind is consumed by suffering.
On my first 10-day meditation retreat in Thailand, I was in absolute agony having to sit for up to six hours each day.
I remember gritting my teeth and dripping with sweat because of how uncomfortable I was. I knew I had to do something about it.
Why do we get tight hips?
It’s humbling and kind of embarrassing being unable to sit in what’s a fairly natural posture. But it’s surprisingly common.
When we were kids, we could intuitively sit in a deep body squat and sit cross-legged at school.
But the sedentary lifestyle that many of us lead as adults – working in offices, sitting in chairs, and lounging on couches – is a major cause of tight hip flexors.
It can also be caused by poor postural habits, including the way we sleep, and ageing.
Everyone has different levels of natural flexibility, but everyone is capable of improving flexibility.
Gradually, I’ve been able to increase flexibility and train my body to sit cross-legged comfortably (kind of) for extended periods of time.
I have experimented with a range of different exercises and stretches to help with hip mobility.
I’ve still got a long way to go, but I’ve made considerable progress from when I first started meditating.
Below, I’ll share the best stretches for meditation that I’ve come across.
They’ve taken me from being in pain sitting for 10 minutes on my bed to sitting cross-legged in deep meditation for 30 minutes or more at a time.
Do I have to sit cross-legged to meditate?
You might be wondering why it matters if you sit cross-legged when you meditate. And that’s a good point. It doesn’t really matter.
You can choose to sit upright in a chair. You can lie down on the ground or on your bed. You can stand. You can float in a sensory deprivation tank. You can be walking through a field.
The reason sitting cross-legged for meditation has become the norm is because it provides a solid foundation.
You upper body – spine, neck, shoulders and head – can balance evenly over the triangle formed by your crossed legs.
This allows your entire body to relax into the posture, which theoretically allows for a deeper meditation experience.
For me, sitting cross-legged is like a mental cue that it’s time to meditate. Sitting in a specific posture readies my mind. It’s more ceremonial than anything.
It’s different to sitting at the table for breakfast, or sitting at my desk for work, or sitting on the couch to watch Netflix.
These are the most common traditional meditation postures. The Burmese position is easier for people who struggle to sit cross-legged, so you could start with that.
But if you’re not following an Eastern religion and simply practising secular mindfulness, you don’t have to abide by these guidelines. Do whatever works for you.
If you do want to learn how to sit cross-legged comfortably, start doing these stretches daily and you’ll see improvements within the first week.
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How to get comfortable sitting cross-legged
1. Butterfly stretch
This is just a gentle warm-up that loosens the hip flexors and encourages mobility in that area of the body.
Sit upright on the floor and put the soles of your feet together. Hold onto your toes or ankles with your hands and then gently flap your legs like a butterfly.
Your knees should stretch towards the ground and then lightly bounce back up again.
Do this 50-60 times and then gently push your knees down with your elbows to increase the stretch and hold it for about 30 seconds.
Breathe into wherever it feels tight and let your body relax into the stretch. You can also perform the butterfly stretch while laying with your back on the ground.
Repeat this process at least three times.
2. Frog
There’s an animal theme here. The frog got its name because the pose looks a bit like a frog’s back legs. It’s a great stretch and movement for opening up the hips.
You want to kneel on the floor and then spread your knees apart as far as is comfortable. Then either place the palms of your hands on the floor just in front of your shoulders, or lower yourself onto your elbows.
The important part of this pose is turning your ankles to face your toes outwards because this opens up your hips even more.
You want to edge your hips back towards your feet as much as you can. Don’t push yourself too hard, just get into a position where you can feel some tension. You can hold this pose for 30 seconds, then release and see if you can go deeper next time.
I actually like to rock back and forth slowly a few times to warm up before holding. It looks a bit like you’re having sex with the ground, but who gives a shit?
Also, I should warn you that this pose feels super uncomfortable if you’ve got tight hips. You also feel very exposed and vulnerable. But it really is a great stretch.
3. Knee sit
For some people, this will be a piece of cake. For others, it will be bloody painful. All you have to do is sit on your knees and try and rest your bum on your heels.
This gives the quads a really good stretch. You can make it harder by leaning backwards, eventually being able to support your weight with your hands and, if you’re brave, your elbows.
Sitting cross legged can put a lot of strain on the knee joints and this is made worse by having tight quads. This stretch helps to alleviate that tension when meditating for an extended time.
4. Kneeling lunge
Everyone knows the traditional kneeling lunge. Put your back knee on the ground with your shin flat and toes facing behind you. Your front foot is flat on the ground, knee is bent.
You feel the stretch by lowering your hips towards the ground. You can also lean your front knee forward slightly. This is a great stretch in its own right.
But I want you to do a more advanced version. Start by placing your palms flat on the ground on either side of your front foot. Then tuck your toes on your back foot and raise your back leg off the ground, keeping it as straight as possible.
You can extend the stretch by trying to get your back leg as flat to the ground as possible. You can also change it up by placing both your hands on the ground on the inside of your front leg, using your elbow to slightly nudge your front knee out on an angle to get even more of a stretch through your hip joint.
Hold each pose for 30-45 seconds and repeat each side three times.
5. Sitting squat
Everyone knows what a squat is, but not everyone can sit in a squat position comfortably.
Sitting in a squat with your feet flat on the ground and your back straight is a great way to open up your hips.
If you find yourself falling backwards, you can hold onto a door frame or table leg to keep yourself upright. This is what I currently do as I haven’t developed enough mobility to sit in a deep squat – yet (working on it).
Sit in the squat for about 45 seconds at a time and then stand up again and shake out. When you’re in the squat position you can even move your weight around to get the joints moving and rotating.
This is an excellent stretch because it’s opening the hips while stretching your knees and ankles, which all come into play when you’re sitting cross-legged.
It’s also just great for overall health and mobility and is something you should be doing every day anyway.
How do I find time to stretch?
Do you watch Netflix most nights? Or listen to podcasts? The best way to create a new habit is by integrating it with activities you already do – doubling the efficiency of your time.
I started stretching while watching some shitty TV show after dinner. Rather than sitting on the couch, I’d sit on the ground for 30 minutes and work my way through the simple routine above.
You could incorporate 15 minutes of stretching to the start or end of your workout.
If you’re working in an office, you could set an alarm every hour to go and do a couple of stretches or drop into a deep squat for a couple of minutes. Heck, go and do it in the toilet if you have to.
We all have time, it’s just a question of whether it’s a priority for you or not.
It’s still an ongoing practice for me and I’m by no means as mobile or flexible as I’d like to be, but I try and make sure I do this routine, or something similar to it, at least three times a week.
The ability to sit comfortably really does make a significant difference in your meditation practice.
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