What should I do if my feet are numb? What should I do if my feet feel numb while meditating?

When starting to practice meditation, sitting cross-legged is a difficult hurdle for many people. After sitting for a short while, my legs felt swollen and numb. It's a really unpleasant feeling, and I often have to stop when I can't bear it anymore. So what should you do if your feet become numb while meditating?

What should I do if my feet become numb when I first start to meditate?

As your skill level improves, you will be able to sit cross-legged for longer and longer periods of time. Sitting cross-legged is no longer a difficult thing, it becomes easy and comfortable, and the comfortable feeling when sitting cross-legged makes people reluctant to get up for a long time.

Sitting cross-legged: Opening up the Ren and Du meridians

Sitting cross-legged is the most commonly used posture when practicing meditation. Because the legs are crossed when sitting cross-legged, a lot of Qi and blood flowing to the lower limbs are blocked, which can satisfy the upper body with a more sufficient supply of Qi, and is therefore beneficial for opening the Ren and Du meridians faster. The sentence "Returning to the root is called tranquility" in Tao Te Ching reveals the true meaning of a high level of tranquility, which is the continuous and endless return of true energy to the brain. Cultivation must return to its roots, allowing the true Qi to return to the brain, which is its root.

Long-term sitting cross-legged makes the feet light and agile

The root of a person is in the head, and the feet are the branches that support the body. Sitting cross-legged changes the feet from a stretched state to a curled state, which reduces the loss of true Qi, allows more true Qi to return to the roots of the head and face, and strengthens the circulation of true Qi in the Ren and Du meridians. At the same time, the closure of the lower limbs when sitting cross-legged will bring about a reflex relaxation of the lower limbs after getting up. The alternation of contraction and relaxation strengthens the circulation of Qi and blood in the meridians of both feet like a pump. As a result of such long-term practice, your feet will gradually become soft and nimble. However, beginners of the exercises often suffer from numbness in the legs. I was getting into the swing of things when I had to stop early because of the numbness in my legs, which affected the entire practice process.

Why do legs go numb?

The numbness in the legs is because the cross-legged sitting posture blocks the downward flow of qi and blood, resulting in blockage of the meridians. Swelling indicates poor blood flow, and numbness indicates blockage in the meridians. The older people are, or the people with leg and foot diseases, the more obvious the feeling of numbness and swelling will be. However, why is it that beginners of the exercises are prone to leg numbness, but after long-term practice, they do not experience leg numbness even when sitting cross-legged for a long time? Similarly, under the premise that the cross-legged sitting posture blocks the downward flow of Qi and blood and causes blockage of meridians, different results occur, which is determined by the fullness of Qi and blood.

How to reduce the impact of leg numbness on practicing Qigong

First of all, you must ensure adequate sleep. If you sleep well, your Qi will be generated actively and vigorous, and your legs will not easily become numb. Secondly, do not force yourself to practice when you are tired or sleepy. You should get some sleep first and rest fully before practicing. Practicing qigong when you are tired or sleepy will not only cause leg numbness, but also make you drowsy, so practicing qigong will be ineffective. Because practicing static exercises also requires the consumption of a certain amount of true Qi energy, and by consuming true Qi to do work, new and more true Qi can be generated. When the body is insufficient in true Qi, forcing yourself to practice will result in the true Qi becoming even more insufficient due to consumption, and new true Qi cannot be generated.

If beginners avoid the above two situations and still cannot avoid leg numbness when sitting cross-legged, it is okay to change posture or make slight adjustments in the middle. As your skills continue to improve, your true Qi becomes more abundant, your meridians become more unobstructed, and the numbness in your legs occurs later and later, and you may even stop feeling numb in your legs after sitting for a long time.