Can you sit as gracefully as a saint?

We celebrate the apparent grace in movement, but have you seen grace in stillness?

It is said that Buddha attained Nirvana or the state of perfect happiness under a tree. He sat still for days, months, in a simple Padmasana, lost in a trance-like meditative state, often leaving his followers wondering if he was alive even. "Eyes closed, feet comfortably placed on top of opposite thighs, sole facing upward, heels close to the abdomen and knees in contact with the floor. Centered above the hips, the torso, aligned such that the spinal cord supports it with minimal effort. Stiff jaws allowed to hang low towards the neck while lengthening the back of the head just enough to occasionally gaze at the world through a pair of kind, wise eyes. Ribcage lifted to promote deep breathing, while shoulders stretched back. Tongue peacefully resting on the roof of the mouth. Hands resting on the knees in dyana mudra with relaxed arms and slightly bent elbows", with the kind of grace that only comes from practice. The kind of grace we yearn to embody in everything we do. The kind of grace and happiness we can only strive to achieve in this single conscious lifetime. So, even if only for a moment, can you try to sit with the same kind of stillness as a saint?

                                                                                     - Manasa Joshyam