Meditation is a big topic; there are many styles and many ways to meditate. The Buddha once said that there are 4 main "positions" in which one can practice mediation: sitting, standing, walking and lying down. I am going to assume that your question refers to a seated meditation. (By the way, you may want to watch this
video introduction to meditation on the
Yin Yoga Channel.)
When we sit for long periods of time we can create a lot of stress and sensation in the lower body: the knees can start to burn, the hips can ache, the flow of blood to the feet can be cut off, creating the pins and needles feeling in the feet when one comes out of meditation. But the lower body is not the only place that can complain: weak back muscles and a slouching posture can lead to shoulder and neck pain. Since everyone is different, what you may want to do to prepare you to meditate could be quite different from anyone else.
Yin Yoga generally targets the lower body, so let's look at how we can use this fact to prepare us for a seated meditation practice. Let's look at hip openers.
Shoelace is a very similar to the seated posture of mediation and so it can be a great "warm up" or preparation for mediation. When we work to externally rotate the hips, we can help reduce the stress on the knees that often makes sitting so uncomfortable. Unfortunately, for many people who are very tight in the hips, Shoelace may not be the answer because it is too stressful already for the knees. In these cases easier hip openers such as the Swan, Winged Dragon, Seated Swan or Wall Swan may be more accessible. Deer Pose and Square pose are other options. To check out any of these options, visit the Yin Asana tab or check out the
Wall Yin Newsletter Article.
When it is the upper body that is challenged the most while sitting, yang yoga may be more appropriate, but some Yin Yoga poses may still be helpful. Butterfly and Seal Pose may be great for strengthening the connective tissues along the spine.
I have found that one the best ways to prepare for sitting meditation is simply to sit on the floor as often as you can. This is a mantra I have been chanting for a long time, but it works! Eat at your coffee table, read while lying on your belly in Sphinx pose. Watch tv or talk on the phone while sitting on the floor. It doesn't matter what position you take: change the position when you need to but build up to sitting on the floor for a couple of hours a day. If you can manage that, I will wager that sitting meditation will become a piece of cake.
One final note: sitting meditation can be done in a variety of postures. There is no one "right" way to sit. Cross-legged is great, for some people. Sitting on the heels in seiza style is better for others.
Cheers
Bernie