Learn Standing Meditation

... for daily stress reduction.

What is Standing Meditation?

Standing Meditation is like the other Easy Meditation Techniques. The only difference is your meditation posture. You guessed it - you meditate while standing!

Why Standing?

To Bring Meditation to Your Everyday Life

Many meditators don't feel the benefits of meditation in their daily lives. They feel calm while meditating - but not during the day. Not at work or with their families. The benefits stay on the chair, cushion or stool.

Standing Mediation is an easy technique that brings these meditation benefits to your daily life - where you need them most. It works well with Walking Meditation so why not try it out after you're done here.

To Stay Awake ...

Sleepiness is a common meditation problem. Sometimes that's ok - maybe you need a nap. But you probably don't want to sleep through every session...

I've had a few problems with sleepiness myself - especially on long retreats. This technique helped me a lot when I last spent a weekend in a retreat center called Gaia House. I may well have slept through most of the weekend without it! By the way this is no reflection on the excellent teachers at Gaia House - just a very long week for me.

When You Can't Sit

You might feel too stressed to sit and meditate. Just too agitated. With standing meditation you have no-where to go. You're simply there - rooted to the ground.

Standing Meditation - How to Do it

The Meditation

Allow yourself 15 minutes for this meditation

Stand upright but not rigid. Lift your chin up and look straight ahead.

Make sure your legs are about hip-width apart and your knees loose.

Gently pull down your tailbone to let your spine lengthen. Then let your shoulders fall back to open your chest.

Now bring your attention to your body.

Notice how it feels. Notice the pressure of your feet against the floor. Notice which part of the foot takes your weight.

Maybe you're leaning back with your weight through your heels. Or forwards with it through the balls of your feet. Adjust your position until you feel the weight is balanced.

Rest with your attention on your feet for a few minutes

If you start thinking about something else - just let your attention come back to your feet.

Now watch your breathing. Follow the movement of your belly with each in-breath and out-breath. Or your chest. Or the air passing through your nostrils. Wherever you feel it most easily.

Rest with your attention on your breathing for a few minutes

Finally bring your attention back to your body.

Rest with the overall feeling of your body as you stand there. Stay with this for the remainder of the meditation.

How did you get on? Any problems or questions?

Try Easy Meditation Techniques FAQ

Or try these related meditations

• Eating Meditation
• Walking Meditation
• Jogging Meditation

Return from Standing Meditation to Easy Meditation Techniques for everyday life.

Return from Standing Meditation to Learning Modern Meditation

Photo at top of page by michale