Meditation Positions for the Lower Leg Injured

So, it was another one of my goals that during my recovery I would use some of that time I’d be using running errands to meditate more. For those of you that I just lost, bear with me. There is lots of scientific support for the benefits of meditation, and meditation Cd's are even issued by Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center to pre-surgical patients.

There is also evidence that that meditation can make some serious changes to the brain. Recent FMRI studies of monks and other hard-core meditators have shown that there is increased activity in the parts of the brain that seem to control positive emotions when in meditation. Among the monks who have been studied is even French molecular geneticist-turned monk Matthieu Richard, author of the popular read, “Happiness: a Guide to Developing Life’s Most Important Skill.”

And then there are the physical feats that these monks can do! I seem to remember from my youth hearing of meditation experts who could survive pretty intense hypothermia situations by heating their bodies with their mind-grapes, but some monks in Northern India take it to a whole new level. These monks actually practice a type of meditation that heats their bodies so much that they can steam-dry wet, freezing towels draped over their backs, outside in a freezing climate!

Don't underestimate the mind-grapes!

So, during my recovery, I wanted to not only learn more about meditation, but also try to meditate with a lot more regularity. But, my first obstacle is, well, my ankle. There really aren't that many positions in which I can sit that won't damage my ankle or hurt like reading Charles Dickens, so I'm dedicating this post to listing some meditation postures that I can do. Hopefully I'll add to the list as I go. I still haven't found a suitable substitute for sitting cross-legged, but I'm working on it.

1. Corpse Pose (flat on back)
Corpse pose if great for things like body scans (where you focus on one part of your body at a time) or things like “warm autogenic relaxation," and it is completely doable with a sprained ankle, broken foot, or whatever you've got going on down there.

Unfortunately, corpse pose really doesn’t do it for me for lots of other kinds of meditation like breath awareness and mantra concentration, because it relaxes me a little too much and I start to fall asleep. Plus, there's a sort of feeling you get when you are sitting up straight that just can't be emulated with corpse pose. Sometimes you just want to vertically align your chakras, ya know?

2. Seated in Chair
A completely valid posture. Sit in a straight-back chair with your hands on your thighs (or in various mudras) and you feet flat on the floor. This is the pose that is often taught to seniors who might not have the best mobility, or in group settings where people don't want to get on the floor.

However, it has it's drawbacks. Namely for me, I only have one chair; it's my desk chair, and it's not very comfortable. Sitting in this chair means I'm working, and I just don't feel like sitting in it any more than I have to. So, I prefer a posture that signals meditation--a posture that is not in any way related to studying for finals.

3. Modified Child's Pose
Okay this one I invented myself. Child's Pose is a common yogic position used for inward-looking meditation; you are sheilded from light sources and your are just all balled up on the floor. But, the traditional pose calls for the ankles to be hyperextended and for weight to be placed on the feet and ankles, and that's no good for lower-leg injuries.

So, I developed my own little modification. I use two props: a zafu and a yoga block. For those unfamiliar with zafus, they are basically really sweet sit-upons. They are about 16 inches in diameter and are filled with enough stuff so that they provide a dense cusion about 6 inches off the ground. To do the position, I kneel on the zafu so my feet are off the back edge and just kind of dangling there. Then I put a yoga block where my forehead will be and I otherwise just get into the position normally, but with no weight on my ankles and my forehead propped up to a comfortable level.

This position isn't as comfy as real Child's Pose, but it's still pleasant.

4. Legs up the wall pose
I've grown very fond of this pose. It's a double-duty for us gimps. Elevated legs AND relaxing meditation pose.

5. Reclining Bound Angle

I actually haven't tried this one yet, but it looks like I might be able to do it. I can't do Bound Angle because the stress on my ankle would be too great, but I might be able to do this one.

6. The elusive lower-leg injury compatible cross-legged pose
Coming soon...