Meditation positions can do more harm than good. Many magazine articles will show pictures of esoteric yogis holding intricate hand gestures while sitting in bliss. This can be a turn-off, since perhaps you aren’t limber or maybe you are at work and don’t want to be started at while busting out a full lotus. Meditation is an internal experience. The goal of your meditation position should be relaxation.

The lesson to learn is that direct experience is the best guide. It is a lesson that will guide you well in all of your meditation adventures. So follow this simple process and you will be on your way to discovering meditation’s benefits without any complications from your posture.

The trick is to practice the same meditation in each possiblemeditation position. This way you can truly gauge the effectiveness or discomfort. We are all made differently so only through your reaction to the meditation while in the different postures can you find your best one.

Try out your meditation technique in these meditation positions:

1. Sit upright in your chair with feet on floor.

2. Sit upright in your chair with legs up and feet crossed under butt.

3. Sit on floor with legs crossed Indian-style.

4. Sit on floor with legs un-crossed.

5. Sit on floor with legs in half-lotus.

6. Sit on floor with legs in full-lotus.

7. Sit on floor with cushion under butt (preferably a zafu).

8. Lay on back in bed with palms facing up.

9. Lay on back in bed with palms facing down.

10. Sit on floor with legs straight out and back up against bed.

As you can see, there is a wide variety of meditation positions . My personal preferences are numbers 2 and 8, although on occasion I will practice in 1, 3, or 7.

But it doesn’t matter what works for me, what matters is what enables you to have the deepest meditation session possible.

Check in with yourself after meditation with each position and ask yourself the following questions:

1. How does my body feel now?

2. Did I notice my body after a few minutes of meditation?

3. How deep was the meditation?

The ultimate measure of any meditation position is the quality of the practice you experience. Follow this article’s simple process. Meditation is an internal journey that does not need external complications.