18 [Strart of Practice] What should your legs do when sitting meditation?

What should your legs do when sitting meditation?      Some people who start practicing for the first time ask if there is a special right way to put your feet up when you sit down. I think it is most reasonable and effective to treat the legs according to the practitioner's physical condition. For those who have just started meditation, sitting in the lotus position causes considerable pain. Because of this, strength goes into the whole body, and nerves and muscles stiffen. Then you'll hate to sit down a second time. You should never overdo it.    First, let's learn what a lotus position is. Place one leg on top of the other thigh with the sole facing up. Then place the other foot on the opposite thigh with the sole facing up. If you put the soles of both feet on the thighs opposite each other in this way, they are pulled tight and the body is well balanced. Even practitioners who have started practicing for the first time will have to sit cross-legged someday, so I hope that they train their legs within the range of not overdoing it.    A half lotus position is when you place only one foot on the opposite thigh. This is the most common posture for beginners. There are a few things to keep in mind when starting out in the half lotus position. If you do sitting meditation one day with your right foot on your left thigh, the next day you should do the opposite with your left foot on your right thigh. If this is not done alternately, the body will lean to one side and it will be very difficult to correct.    There is also a way to cross-legged. Cross-legged is a method where both feet are placed on the floor, and it is also a favorite position for beginners. For those who find it difficult to sit in the full lotus position, it is okay to cross-legged. However, as soon as the stiff legs are released, you must take a half-lotus position. Since the human body tries to go to the comfortable side, if it is left unattended, it will change into an irreversible structure. No matter what position you first started with, you will eventually have to take the full lotus position, so as soon as your legs and body relax, make it a habit little by little.    When you first start sitting meditation, you will feel unbearable pain. I hope you know in advance that the pain is as strong as your body is stiff and overcome it well.  How long will leg numbness last? As a result of observing many practitioners, the numbness in the legs decreases and increases in intensity repeatedly until the Conception Vessel and the Governing Vessel are fully opened. After that, the numbness in the legs completely disappears and you reach a point where you cannot even feel your own body. If you are prepared to die and hold on to the lotus position until the pressure and pain disappear, the structure of your body will be corrected in a short time and the numbness in your legs will disappear.   This is called 'Resisting lotus meditation'.    When I first started practicing, I also surrendered my legs like this. After sitting in a lotus position, I practiced sitting meditation for 8 hours a day with my legs tied with tire tubes.If any of you would like to apply full-time, please contact me. Even now, many people gather in Mt. Jiri and practice 8 hours a day in the full lotus position. Practicing with these people will be of great help.