Is There Any Way I Can Sit Cross Legged For Lon Time

[mirror]

WJKK WJKF

Saad sangat ji please help me . I have very big problrm that i can't sit in chownkri for long time. I mean not more than 15 mins.

If i sit with wall then i don't have back problem but then after 20-25 mins my legs strats sleeping. Thereis pain in GODE and i move legs here and there.

But problem become more worse if sit in middle of sangat then after 15 my back also hurts. Even sometime i can't sit close to sangat as i know that i can sit there for long and i will cause problem to sangat. what should i do.

Any exercises yooga which can help me

[humkire]

My simple advice is create more circulation, strength and flexibility in your leg muscles. For this go for loads n loads of long walks, running, swimming, tread mill , aquarobics, aerobics depending if you live urban/semi rural/rural and do simple stretches. Modern day living of sitting on sofas, at computer tables and study tables and neglecting exercising, results in weak muscles, tight muscles, and poor circulation. When you sit, always sit as upright as possible, for good posture and a healthy back. Sleep on a orthopaedic mattress and buy a ''V '' pillow for your back. These are the long term solutions . If your back or legs hurt, you must not try to keep sitting. Go out for a little walk and get back to Darbar Sahib again . Keep doing this. By persisting in your pain you will stressing your muscles which leads to inflammation, injury and more pain! Get someone to massage your back and legs regularly too . At home if you have such pains , relax in a warm bath or have a warm shower if no bath.

At home, if you experience physical leg/back etc pains during bhagtee then get up, and continue your path standing up or even laying down if really necessary according to your pain levels.

I dont know if you are a slim or fat person but generally try to keep slim and very very fit without an ounch of unnecessary fat on your body! You need to be all muscles., I dont mean body builder muscles but just muscles! One of my friends is an English guy aged around 26 and he is a moutain climber/rock climber and kayak instructor. He does not look muscular, is slim but if you touch him anywhere you feel 100% muscle. Absolutely well toned.

Keep an eye on your diet if you are any fatter than you should be at your age. This leads to heath problems and the earliest signs of them are little creaking pains in legs, back , body etc. Pain when sitting cross legged is not the reason for these pains, but symptoms of not tip top health.

If you have constant backache problems, amongst all others, a dose of 'declofenac sodium' tablet 50mg once every 8 hours for a few days taken with some milk sorts it out by has to be prescribed by a doctor. Normally, if you phone and leave a message for your doctor that you have backache and request some 50 mg declofenac tablets they will be prescribed without any questions. If you are going for a rehnsbhai or long kirtan session e.g gurpurab etc, then take 2 paracetamols before you leave, and 2 more in six hours time, and in case you can get hold of the declofenac then take one in your wallet and take it at the first feeling of pain. It will keep the pain off your back! and legs! hehe.

Learning to sit cross legged does not happen fast but over the years you will get used to it. When you are sitting and listening to kirtan etc, gently gently try communicating and talking to Gurujee who is with you through the meanings of that shabad, path, katha etc . In time this constant exercise will help you to be in a state of 'samadhee' or spiritual trance where your mind is lost in the presence of God and your entire body totally relaxes and loses any stress automatically and feels as light as a feather and you start losing consciousness of your physical body as your mind is taken into heavenly states of divine vision and audience.

[mirror]

Thank you again veer ji . I am slim and of 28 years of age. There are my friends who sit for whole raensabee in one chownkri. Theirs legs are flexible and sit in padamasan.

I have no flexibility and my legs are long. I have treid many times but could not sit in padamasam. They told me that Padamasan automatically keep back straight and legs don't sleep as well.

The main problem is sometimes in big raensabaee it is difficult to find good place to site. My problem is even if i find good place near front. then i have to get up after sometime. Its very annoying.

Thats why i usually do sewa and don't listen to kirtan much but only half an hour or so.

How can i make body flexible??

[JSinghN]

I think the reason why your legs fall asleep is because of your calves.My legs used to fall asleep too because of the lack of blood circulation in them when i was sitting down. It will take time to strengthen your legs and theres no quick fix. Try the following exercise and build up your strength and you will defo notice a difference because I did:

[humkire]

Thank you again veer ji . I am slim and of 28 years of age. There are my friends who sit for whole raensabee in one chownkri. Theirs legs are flexible and sit in padamasan.

I have no flexibility and my legs are long. I have treid many times but could not sit in padamasam. They told me that Padamasan automatically keep back straight and legs don't sleep as well.

The main problem is sometimes in big raensabaee it is difficult to find good place to site. My problem is even if i find good place near front. then i have to get up after sometime. Its very annoying.

Thats why i usually do sewa and don't listen to kirtan much but only half an hour or so.

How can i make body flexible??

That has already been answered if you read my earlier reply very carefully but if you feel like doing some physical kind of yoga too thats fine. Gymnastics are also very effective in achieving flexibility.

There is no reason to be in front at Gurdarbar if your needs require you to be right at the back. Likewise if other people can magically sit through an entire session in one position fair does to them . You need to do what you can do according to your own level and it will improve as you go along. One person may come into a rehnsbhaee for 30 minutes and be granted some mind blowing experiences in samadhee whilst another person might be needing to labour cross-legged throughout a RB to gain laha, Who knows? Its Guru's game. So you really need to stop looking at other's achievements and avastha and focus on improving your own. As I said start doing aerobics at the gym, swimming, aquarobics, long walks etc . All these little things add up over time to give you better circulation , ram up your flex levels , and give you power. Also start a personal project of going through SGGS translations either from teeka or on the net. Do it from page one, going line by line, and the individual words in every tuk , and do not rush! Take your time and you might complete one sehaj path this way over one or two years but if you keep repeating this exercise, within 4 to 5 years time you would know the meaning of a lot and a lot and a lot of words in SGGS and when you listen to gurbani in any form, path, kirtan or katha you will be able to concentrate better because you will know what it means and it will all be intelligible to understand . This will help you to lose yourself in the presence of God easily so that you are paying less attention to your posture, body , etc and you will be in samadhi.