Sitting Cross-Legged Science Or Superstition?

Sadhguru: When there is a consecrated space, what it means is, there is a powerful energy. You don't want to sit with your legs open like this. It could be detrimental to you in many different ways. Even food, I am telling you, if you stand and eat, there are many negativities to this. Speaker: This question is from Claire, here at III. “Namaskaram Sadhguru, why do we not place our feet towards lingas or other consecrated objects or even people for that matter? Is it simply a matter of respect or is there a scientific basis to this?” Sadhguru: So, these days they're doing that, some of them. You know, in the Western cultures, when you meet somebody, you shook hands; because of virus, they don't want to touch. Some are doing elbow touch, some are doing feet shaking. So, it's beginning to happen, Claire. You don't have to feel disappointed. It's beginning to happen, (Laughs) shaking a leg at each other. Well, why, if there's an energetic situation, you always are asked to cross your legs, not to stretch your legs in that direction? Well, this respect thing is a more newer expression of that, essentially because you can receive anything that comes towards you in many different ways. The yogic intention always, is to receive it from the higher aspects of your life. You know there is Anahata, which is the meeting of two triangles. Below that is Manipuraka, Swadhisthana and Muladhara, which are all chakras representing different aspects of survival process. Survival, basic survival, reproductive process, maintenance process – all survival related. Here it comes and there are two triangles intersecting each other because this is ultimate ecstasy, this is realization, this is power, this is love and these sections… these triangles intersecting. When there is a consecrated space, what it means is, there is a powerful energy which has the possibility of transforming you. That energy must come to you always from the highest possibility that you can receive. If you can receive from your sahasrar, it would be too fantastic. That is the reason the moment any Indian person goes into a temple, first thing is they want to expose this (Gestures to top of head), they keep it wet. In a proper temple, they're told… Even in the Dhayanalinga temple, people go wet themselves, a wet head because they are hoping this energy will enter here. It didn't work, so, hoping here (Laughter), didn't work, then they will take (Gestures), hoping this will have worked. Nothing worked, then they will say this; but they don't want to go here, because these are survival processes. We don't want to enhance them. We want to enhance other dimensions of life which will enhance our life because if you survive better… If you survive, it's good. It's very essential we survive, but surviving better than somebody is not a life goal. It's a waste of time because whatever you do, you're not going to survive forever. Hello? Whatever you may do, even minus the pandemic, you will not survive forever. So, there is no need to invest too much in the direction of survival. So, because of this, the whole culture, understanding this dimension, they created the societies in a certain way. Well, today what you find is a whole distorted version of that. But fundamentally it is still there, that when you go to any consecrated space, you're like this (Gestures) because you want it to enter here, you want to become blissful, ecstatic; doesn't work, at least peacefulness and realization. Balance and free from all kinds of poisons that are there in the world should not enter you. So, essentially you want the upper part of your body, above Anahata to be exposed to this. You don't want to sit with your legs open like this (Gestures) in front of a consecrated space because that will attract a totally different kind of energy towards you. And that will work for you in a completely different way, which is not necessarily beneficial to you, it could be detrimental to you in many different ways. That's a reason when you sit in any space where you think there is power, there is energy, you always cross your legs and sit because you want to close the lower part of the body. If you do this (Gestures crossing the arms), you know, in some way, you are closed to people, isn't it? Hello? Ladies, you know this. Suppose somebody is talking to you. Let's say, a stranger has come, a man talking to you. Will you talk to him like this? (Laughter) Hello? Some of them are doing it these days because they think, “What is wrong?” Nothing wrong, you will bring a certain different type of attention to yourself. Well, if the man is decent, he will do this, if you're Indian, otherwise you will say hello and maybe shake his hand. And if he's acting little fresh, you will say… (Gestures) Hmm? Yes or no? Because you know, you may not know intellectually, but instinctively you know what kind of postures bring what kind of attention to you, isn’t it? Hello? Whatever culture you have grown up in, instinctively, you always know because it happens in the body. It's not that we make up in the mind. Certain things happen in the body. So, certain cultures have very consciously evolved these postures that if you want to do this, this is how you must sit. It's very, very important. Even food I'm telling you, if you sit in front of food; one advantage you have is, there is a table between you and the lower parts of your body. But if you sit with food but with legs open, like many people are standing and eating. If you stand and eat, there are many negativities to this because you must understand the longing for food is not just in your mouth, entire body is longing for it, entire body. Well, people will say, “Oh, there's nothing scientific about it. Is my navel longing for food? Is my genitals longing for food?” Yes, it is. You may not understand, every part of the body is longing for food, but it must go through this route, isn't it? Hello? Similarly, there are other kinds of longings in our body, they must go through the right route, then only life works out in a certain way, otherwise you will distort life. So, keeping your legs crossed whenever you see a powerful form is a very important thing. And also, food. Food is a very powerful thing. Hello? If you've not eaten for three days, you understand it's a very powerful thing, isn't it? Hello? It is a very powerful thing. And you will see, if you've not eaten for three to five days, every cell in the body will long for food. Now, if you place food here, it's not just here, mouth waters; everything works. So, it's important that your legs are crossed when food comes in front of you, but you have found another way, shielding yourself with a table. All right, if that is working for you, but if you're having food, you're very hungry and food is exposed to the entire body, this is not good for you. This goes for food because we consider food as a very powerful instrument. Consecrated objects and human beings who are of a ce