sitting on the floor

Sitting on the floor can be tricky without an implement.  If you didn't grow up sitting on the floor for much of the time, the pelvis may not have enough natural anteversion to maintain an upright and relaxed posture.  We suggest using a pillow or a folded up towel or sheet to act as a wedge whilst sitting cross-legged.  Sit on the edge of the wedge and experiment with how much height you need.  You know you will find the correct wedge height when you feel upright and relaxed.  If you have a lot of tightness in the back, then finding a place to relax may be next to impossible.  If this is the case, then it will take time to lengthen the spine through stretchsitting and Stretchlying to have the ability to relax the back muscles at all.

If your knees are healthy you can kneel and it can be fairly comfortable if you are able to keep your pelvis tipped forward (anteverted).  You may want to use a little pillow to take some pressure off of the knees.  Place the pillow between your feet and under your seat. This way you have a little space cushioned between your heels and sitting bones.  If you feel yourself slumping or straining to be upright, then build the pillow up higher in the back so it is more like a wedge as explained above.

I hope that either of these solutions work for you!

Warmly,

Charlene Hannibal, Gokhale Method Teacher Palo Alto and San Francisco