Hello all,

I'm a complete beginner at meditation and I have a question about the flow of breath in different sitting positions.

I have noticed that when I sit on a cushion (back unsupported), my breathing feels restricted. I cannot get a full breath and my belly doesn't seem to entirely relax. This is true when I sit half lotus or Burmese style; I can't sit full lotus.

However I don't have this problem when I meditate with my back supported, on a chair: my belly moves freely and my breathing flows naturally.

Has anyone else experienced this and if so do you have suggestions for how to resolve it? I'm not really concerned with how I sit from any traditional standpoint - but I do want to be able to meditate in a group at some point so getting comfortable on a cushion seems like the right approach. Thanks in advance for any help!

- Jason

It's possible that when you sit without support, you're hunching your back excessively, which is getting in the way of the free motion of your diaphragm.

That is a possibility, although as far as I can tell my spine is straight. I think what may be going on is that sitting on the cushion, I'm using my abdominals to support my torso in a way I don't need to in a chair... and I can't relax those muscles entirely to get a deep breath.

Thanks for your reply.

Jason if you have access to a centre or monastery see if you can try out a meditation stool (seiza bench), this works great for many people.

My abdomen is never entirely relaxed, and I think that's normal - but so is worrying about posture. Such things pass with time.