Updated 05.03.26

By Ellie Poore

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If you've ever looked at images of people meditating - sitting serenely cross-legged on the floor - and thought "nope, that's not going to work for me," you're definitely not alone! Finding a comfortable meditation posture is one of the most common challenges people face when they start practicing mindfulness, especially among those who live with pain or other difficult symptoms. 

So I asked three people who have spent years supporting others to navigate challenges like these: Breathworks Founder, Vidyamala Burch, and Breathworks Associate Teachers, Karen Hall and Khemagītā Farley. Here’s their honest, practical advice on finding a meditation posture that works for you.

Comfort

As Breathworks Founder, Vidyamala Burch says, the key is to find a posture where you can be as comfortable as possible. And if you need to move within a practice due to pain, then of course you can do so. Meditation isn't about forcing yourself into an uncomfortable position - the best meditation posture is simply the one that allows you to actually practice. Whether that's lying down, sitting in a chair, standing, or even walking - what matters is finding what works for your body, so you can settle in and focus on the meditation itself. 

Comfort isn't "cheating". When your body is at ease, or at least as comfortable as it can be, you're free to let go of constantly managing discomfort and can instead turn your attention to the practice.

Experiment

Breathworks Teacher, Karen Hall, shares from her own experience: "It's important to try meditating in all of the possible recommended postures to discover for yourself which ones work for you."

You might find that different postures work better for different practices, or on different days. Breathworks Teacher, Khemagītā, encourages you to "take your time exploring this and finding what works best for you. Give yourself permission to change your posture at any time if it eases pain."

Vidyamala also encourages us to get curious about why we want to move: "It's interesting to learn to distinguish between moving due to pain and fidgeting due to a restless mind. If the former, then good to gently move. If the latter, it can be interesting to explore dropping into deeper stillness and not going with the impulse to wriggle!"

In other words, if something hurts, don’t be afraid to shift position. But if you notice a habitual urge to fidget, perhaps you might practice staying with that feeling and seeing what happens. 

The invitation is to be curious and experiment. Don’t be afraid to adapt your posture for different practices, days or times - your body is your best teacher here.

Finding your ‘Goldilocks Duration’

It's not just about which posture you choose - it's also about how long you stay in it. Karen explains: "It's helpful to play with how long you can stay meditating in that posture for - kind of like pacing yourself when meditating. Duration in a posture can change your experience of meditating, so you want to find your 'Goldilocks duration' - how long is 'just right' for you."

This can change over time, so it's worth checking in with yourself regularly. As Karen observes, "Interesting how the words 'duration' and 'endurance' are similar - when a meditation posture is something we have to endure, perhaps it's worth exploring alternatives for ourselves."

If you notice discomfort creeping in, listen to what your body is telling you - it might be time to adjust, change posture, or recognise that today calls for something different.

Practical posture options

For many people living with chronic pain, lying down offers the most comfortable option. Karen shares a posture she finds helpful: "I find that lying on my back, supine, on a padded surface (2-4" thick), placed on the floor can provide optimal support for my spine. While placing pillows or a bolster cushion under my knees can really help to create comfort, putting my lower legs on the seat of a chair absolutely works wonders for me. 

Once my lower legs are supported by a chair, there's almost no effort required. My feet rest against the backrest, my knees slightly flopped out to the sides, like a frog doing a backstroke! This posture is suitable for me for all practices, even some mindful movements. If you haven't tried it, I highly recommend it."

If you can't adopt this posture or need to lie on a bed, placing several pillows under your knees or calves can provide similar support.

For anyone worried about falling asleep while lying down, Khemagītā offers these words of advice: "You can do the meditation at a time when you're less tired. Another approach is not to beat yourself up if you do fall asleep - fighting tiredness during a meditation is very unpleasant and just adds tension and a sense of failure if you do fall asleep. Better to have been awake and present for however much of the meditation you were awake for, than not to have done the meditation at all."

You might also explore sitting or standing postures. These can work well when adapted to your needs - perhaps sitting in a supportive chair rather than on the floor, or using cushions and props to find the right support. And for some people, Khemagītā notes, "doing the meditations while walking is the most effective way" - the gentle rhythm of movement becoming part of the practice itself.

Create a ‘Comfort Toolkit’

Take some time to reflect on what might help your body feel supported during meditation. Karen has developed her own list of ‘comfort accessories’ which support her practice. She includes:   

• A bolster cushion to support the weight of her arms when sitting

• A small support for her lower back - a rolled-up towel or small cushion

• Warm, snuggly socks for cold feet

• A shawl or blanket she can easily put on or take off when her temperature fluctuates

• A glass of water or lozenges for her chronic cough

Your list might look completely different depending on your body's needs. Perhaps you need a soft eye mask for sensitive eyes, extra padding under your hips or ankles, or a hot water bottle for stiff muscles. The goal is simple, as Karen says: "Once I'm settled and comfortable, then I can forget about my posture, I can focus on the practice and watch my mind."

Your practice

As Vidyamala reminds us, "The main thing is to be playful and curious and to let go of feeling you need to force yourself into an uncomfortable posture."

Your meditation practice is yours and it doesn't need to look like anyone else's. The best posture is the one that allows you to settle in and be present with whatever practice you're exploring. Keep experimenting, keep listening to your body, and trust that you know what works for your own practice.

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If you'd like some more tailored guidance as you explore what works for your body, our 8-week courses for health or stress offer an ideal starting point - space to experiment with postures and practices alongside others in the same boat. For those with an existing practice who would like further guidance from our team of experienced teachers, our retreats and Going Deeper course are great options to explore. 

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About the Contributors

Vidyamala Burch

Vidyamala is a mindfulness and compassion teacher, award-winning author, and co-founder of Breathworks. After sustaining a life-changing spinal injury in her 20s, mindfulness became a lifeline for managing her chronic pain.

Drawing on her own experience, she developed Mindfulness-based Pain Management (MBPM), a pioneering programme now used globally to support people living with pain, illness and stress.

Vidyamala is an OBE recipient for services to wellbeing and an honorary member of The British Pain Society.

She offers wise, practical guidance for living with greater ease, compassion and meaning.

Khemagītā Farley

Khemagītā (formerly known as Fidelma*) has been teaching Breathworks courses since she became an accredited Breathworks mindfulness teacher in 2008. She has been training mindfulness teachers since she became an Associate Trainer in 2013. She teaches the Breathworks Mindfulness for Health and Mindfulness for Stress courses, and teacher training events. She mentors teacher trainees, and supervises accredited teachers. She also leads workshops for Breathworks, for the general public and for a variety of groups and organisations, including M.S. Ireland, the Irish Heart Foundation, staff at St. Vincent’s University Hospital and students at University College Dublin. 

Having worked as a university lecturer prior to becoming a mindfulness teacher, Khemagītā is an excellent communicator and group facilitator. She became an accredited Life Coach in 2016 and finds that her mindfulness and coaching practices inform each other in creative and meaningful ways. Khemagītā has long-standing meditation, mindfulness and Buddhist practices, which continue to ground and sustain her and enrich her life. Her teaching is inspired by the desire to give others the opportunity to enhance their own health and happiness and to find more meaning in their lives through mindfulness practices.