Best posture for meditation?
[2nd President and Spiritual Head: the Ramakrishna Centre of South Africa]
[now a Centre of the international Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission]
DAILY READINGS
Selected from Mother Radha's recordings of Swamiji.
Day 954
Swamiji speaking on posture for meditation
You can sit in any posture, you can sit in siddhasana (literally 'the accomplished posture'- pictured above) – or [the much more complicated] lotus posture, padmasana – or you can sit in a simple posture. I've never sat in my life in [complicated] postures. I just sat in an ordinary way. Like my father and mother used to sit and pray, I sit like that. Right up until now I don't go for special postures. Any posture that is comfortable for me, I sit. [Lotus posture pictured below, featuring Sri Yukteswar, the guru of Paramahamsa Yogananda]. 
When Uma Bharati [a visiting adept] came here [to the ashram, the Ramakrishna Centre of SA] she also said the same thing. She went to someone's home and they asked her the same question, 'Tell me, which posture should I sit in for meditation?' She laughed, she didn't answer that but said, 'OK, I'll ask you a question. Do you love a particular child here?' The person answered, 'Yes, my son's child [my grandson].' Mataji said, 'In which posture do you sit to give love to the child?' The man said, 'I don't have a particular posture, I just sit anyhow and love the child.' To which she replied, 'Just so, realising God is not dependent on posture. As long as you love him. As long as your body is comfortable, whichever way you sit, you love him.'
If you love God, if your mind is concentrated on him, that posture is good [for you]. Any posture which is comfortable, that is good. In India, the postures they sit in, they are trained to sit in from early on. They sit down [on the floor]. That is their culture [and habit]. But in the western world many of us sit on comfortable chairs. Even the swamis sit on chairs like this. So, have a nice chair, tuck your legs under you and sit nicely. As long as your head, neck and spine are in a straight line. As long as the [spiritual energy] currents [nadis] are not disturbed and your blood circulation is not [negatively] affected, sit and meditate. You don't have to go for complicated things. I'm sure if God comes here and says, 'Shivapadananda, sign your name,' I don't have to take a Parker [then an expensive pen] to sign my name. Any pen will do, as long as it can write.
1) Care should be taken by the reader to understand and take Swamiji's words in these postings, in context. Every teaching or instruction that he gave was specific to the people who were with Swamiji at the time.
2) Mouse-over the words highlighted in red in the posting for further explanation or links.
There are currently available, over 100 different CDs or DVDs with mp3 files, of Swamiji speaking. Please email timhoare@webmail.co.za to order.
Click HERE for the second website on Swamiji's life and teachings.
For more about the Holy Trinity, and also the founding Swamis of the Ramakrishna Centre of South Africa, please mouse over their names below:
Sri Ramakrishna Sri Sarada Devi Swami Vivekananda
Swami Nischalananda Swami Shivapadananda
The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna - read online
Reference websites – please mouse over the name and click to connect:
Ramakrishna Math and Mission Ramakrishna Centre of South Africa Ramakrishna Dham