On the subject of DVT and long sitting sessions

Lia, modified 8 Years ago at 12/15/15 6:42 PM
Created 8 Years ago at 12/15/15 6:41 PM

On the subject of DVT and long sitting sessions

Posts: 2 Join Date: 12/15/15 Recent Posts
There's been a few discussions on this in the past, but none that have really satisfied my curiosity. 

I don't often hear of meditators or yogis getting blood clots, or the like. I see a number of people say it is simply because monks and Yogi's get up and walk around often. While this may be an occurence, I don't think it is the rule. There are a significant number of monks and yogi's that go into isolation and sit in meditation for multiple days straight without movement, going to the bathroom, drinking, eating. I have several meditator friends who do this regularily when they have time availible. Doing so is generally easy once you get into an absorption state. 

Based on my experience with the Jhana's, I am led to beleive that the positive effects on the circulatory that occur in such states may prevent circulatory issues such as DVT. The same may be able to be said about lighter, non-absorbed states. I don't think this occurs as readily while sleeping. I can usually achieve much greater levels of relaxation during meditation than I can during sleep. I suspect that the absorption states have a deeper and more extensive, albiet different, positive effect on the body than does sleep. 

I also suspect that there is an aspect of conditioning. Many of the people who fall victim to DVT are those who don't have past conditioning, such as those who have to suddenly take a 12 hour flight. Or they happen to be gamers sitting for numerous hours without drinking water, the gamers are a bit more curious since they do have experience sitting for numerous hours. However with meditators, no meditators just immediately go for long sits. Anyone who does usually has a lot of meditation experience under their belt, so it is possible their veins may have become conditioned overtime.


I also know that a lot of monks sleep sitting up, in boxes, with their legs crossed. Some argue that having legs crossed in this manner prevents blood pooling, but other medical experts argue that legs are even more prone to blood pooling in this posture due to how the legs are folded.

I'm just speculating, what are your all thoughts? Has anyone who has sat for many hours (6-12+) without moving had any concerns? I never had, but I also am having these new concerns after considering abandoning my bed and learning to sleep sitting upright in lotus
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Dream Walker, modified 8 Years ago at 12/15/15 6:56 PM
Created 8 Years ago at 12/15/15 6:56 PM

RE: On the subject of DVT and long sitting sessions

Posts: 1657 Join Date: 1/18/12 Recent Posts
Lia:
There's been a few discussions on this in the past, but none that have really satisfied my curiosity.

Here are the old threads
DVT Thread
medical risks of meditation

I think the problem may be finding a large enough sample set of meditators who sit so much as to be able to speak to such a rare occurrence...
Good luck,
~D
Lia, modified 8 Years ago at 12/15/15 7:08 PM
Created 8 Years ago at 12/15/15 7:08 PM

RE: On the subject of DVT and long sitting sessions

Posts: 2 Join Date: 12/15/15 Recent Posts
I'm sure there will be some people who can comment, whether or not they've sat or extensive periods. Given the number of people on this site who have experience with Jhana, I am interested in hearing if they share my experience with how Jhana effects the body and its relaxation. 
C P M, modified 8 Years ago at 12/15/15 7:46 PM
Created 8 Years ago at 12/15/15 7:45 PM

RE: On the subject of DVT and long sitting sessions

Posts: 218 Join Date: 5/23/13 Recent Posts
Just recently I sat for many hours on a home retreat. At the end of the day, I noticed the outside of my lower leg was numb. This was an hour after I stopped meditating. I was pushing it through a lot of discomfort, and I was not doing much walking meditation, just a few minutes between sits. The feeling didn't come back that night, so I iced the leg. It recovered by the next morning though. I sit Burmese style and my legs often fall asleep. This was the first time the feeling didn't come back immediately after ending my sit. I'm going to be a bit more careful in the future.
Culladasa identifies a stage in meditation called physical pliancy, where a mediator can sit long periods without discomfort. I get that sometimes.

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