The Benefits of Asana
Last week I replaced my most important magical tool. I had some fun letting the Strategic Sorcery group guess what that might be before someone rightly guessed that it was my Zafu.
Matt Brownlee and I took a drive over to Samadhi Cushions, visited the actual workroom where they are made, took an assortment out for a test drive and both decided on new cushions. As you can see from the photo, I picked a buckwheat half-moon Zafu with matching Zabuton.
The cushion and the Asana are important, not just because it is the seat where you perform meditation. When practiced regularly an asana like Lotus or Siddhasana, become an instant trigger for your body and mind to focus, clear, relax, and even heal.
I had a pinched nerve in my hip persisting for a week straight and was about to head back to NJ to see my doctor, but after 7 hours in Siddhasana it went away. This was not 7 hours of meditation mind you – I meditated, did ritual, and worked at my laptop. The position itself did the work.
Today I was sick. After laying around for a few hours I dragged myself to the cushion. Kids were home, and my son was also sick, so other than a few prayers and mala rounds of Sidpe Gyalmo practice I did not get to do any kind of healing work for myself. Still, the asana promoted a type of alert-relaxation that was deeper than simply laying down.
Sitting an asana promotes spirit contact as well and most of my evocation methods are done in a small circle with the cushion and small table in the center.
If you have knee or back problems and can only sit in a chair, then pick a particular chair, or better yet a backless stool or ottoman. Same rules apply.
Pick a good asana though. Thelemites seem to overwhelmingly favor “Dragon Asana” mainly because there is a photo of Charles Stansfield Jones in that position and it was also featured as one of the positions in the Equinox. It is a version of Seiza position from Japan. If you meditate wearing swords on your belt, or are going to be springing up into kneeling position in an Aikido dojo, or are learning tea ceremony this is great. If however you are planning on doing long periods of sitting it is unstable, bad for your ankles, and just generally a dumb choice. Most Thelemites aren’t even doing Seiza correctly and hold their feet straight rather than separating the heels to rest the seat in. If you ARE going to do this position, find an martial arts teacher to teach it to you correctly.
If there is interest I will do a short video on Asana basics for Sorcerers. If my fat ass can do it, you can to, and really it is quite amazing practice all by itself.
