Ways to Sit
People have a unique problem. Most other animals don't have a big problem with sitting. Dogs and cats and animals with short legs can squat, apparently comfortably. Horses and giraffes can stand their whole lives. Birds are so accustomed to standing that they do it in their sleep. No sitting for them. Most other animals can just lie down whenever the spirit moves them. They have teeny legs after all; lying is like crouching for a mouse.
People can't do any of these. There are undoubtedly hermits somewhere who spend their whole lives standing up, but that is not for me. I can't spend all my time in bed, and more to the point, I can't spend all of my non-standing time in bed. I need to spend a lot of my day sitting.
Since the Bronze age, of course, sitting has been pretty easy. Just build yourself a chair. They're not hard to build; all they need is a seat and legs. If you want to be really fancy, you can add a back and arms, but only if you want to break the prehistoric bank. But what about people who couldn't afford chairs? What about prehistoric tribesmen? What about modern people, caught in a hallway where there are no chairs? Let's look at some ways to sit without a chair.
Legs out. This involves sitting on the floor,with your back up straight and your legs out in front. This is easy for some people. You can sometimes see students sitting that way on the quad at a college. Some people need to put their arms out backwards for extra support, and some don't. I don't think I can do it at all. I don't seem to have enough tendons to simultaneously straighten my legs and bend my waist. If you can do this, let me know how it feels. I have a hunch it's still a little uncomfortable, but I could be wrong.
Indian. This is the one where you place each foot under the opposite thigh. It's pretty good if you're sitting for short periods. It tends to put strain on the lower ankle, since that is one of the three points that the body's weight is mostly being distributed to. I don't have fat ankles, as who does, so my feet tend to fall asleep if I sit this way for too long. A lot of the comfort of this style depends on the kind of shoes you have on. Boots are good because they cushion your ankles, and soft shoes are obviously better than leather soles.
Lotus style. This is the one where you place each foot over the opposite thigh. I am only including this to demonstrate how narrow is the difference between sitting and religion. My legs are too long to even think of doing this.
Seza. This is how Japanese people sometimes sit. If you think Japanese people are good, wait until you have tried their sitting. To do this, just sit on your own ankles. I am not sure which direction your feet are supposed to point, but I don't think any direction is comfortable. Try not to wear bulky shoes, or have big feet. It gets painful after about ten minutes.
Asian squat. I am told that this is how East Asian people sometimes sit. Keep your feet flat on the floor, sit on your ankles, spread your knees, and put your elbows on your knees. I guess this works for Asian people, since they tend to be small, but whenever I try it I topple over backwards. It seems like it could be comfortable.
Upright fetus. Like legs-out, but with your legs tucked up. This avoids the tendon problem, but now you have the problem of what to do with your knees. If you keep them upright, you might not be able to see over them. If you spread them, it is indecent and uncomfortable. You might need to hug them to stay upright.
Human chair. I pioneered this one. It is vital if you need to use a computer on a low desk (too low to stand), but have no chair. Stand on the toes of one foot, and place your other knee on your exposed ankle. I am told it only brings you high enough if you have long legs. You might need to steady yourself on something, but it is pretty comfortable.
So what did our stone age ancestors do? Did they drag tree trunks into their huts to sit on? How uncreative is that? It's probably what I would do if I were a caveman, since all of the above options are completely unsatisfactory. Still, it's sad to belong to a race that can't sit without props.
People can't do any of these. There are undoubtedly hermits somewhere who spend their whole lives standing up, but that is not for me. I can't spend all my time in bed, and more to the point, I can't spend all of my non-standing time in bed. I need to spend a lot of my day sitting.
Since the Bronze age, of course, sitting has been pretty easy. Just build yourself a chair. They're not hard to build; all they need is a seat and legs. If you want to be really fancy, you can add a back and arms, but only if you want to break the prehistoric bank. But what about people who couldn't afford chairs? What about prehistoric tribesmen? What about modern people, caught in a hallway where there are no chairs? Let's look at some ways to sit without a chair.
Legs out. This involves sitting on the floor,with your back up straight and your legs out in front. This is easy for some people. You can sometimes see students sitting that way on the quad at a college. Some people need to put their arms out backwards for extra support, and some don't. I don't think I can do it at all. I don't seem to have enough tendons to simultaneously straighten my legs and bend my waist. If you can do this, let me know how it feels. I have a hunch it's still a little uncomfortable, but I could be wrong.
Indian. This is the one where you place each foot under the opposite thigh. It's pretty good if you're sitting for short periods. It tends to put strain on the lower ankle, since that is one of the three points that the body's weight is mostly being distributed to. I don't have fat ankles, as who does, so my feet tend to fall asleep if I sit this way for too long. A lot of the comfort of this style depends on the kind of shoes you have on. Boots are good because they cushion your ankles, and soft shoes are obviously better than leather soles.
Lotus style. This is the one where you place each foot over the opposite thigh. I am only including this to demonstrate how narrow is the difference between sitting and religion. My legs are too long to even think of doing this.
Seza. This is how Japanese people sometimes sit. If you think Japanese people are good, wait until you have tried their sitting. To do this, just sit on your own ankles. I am not sure which direction your feet are supposed to point, but I don't think any direction is comfortable. Try not to wear bulky shoes, or have big feet. It gets painful after about ten minutes.
Asian squat. I am told that this is how East Asian people sometimes sit. Keep your feet flat on the floor, sit on your ankles, spread your knees, and put your elbows on your knees. I guess this works for Asian people, since they tend to be small, but whenever I try it I topple over backwards. It seems like it could be comfortable.
Upright fetus. Like legs-out, but with your legs tucked up. This avoids the tendon problem, but now you have the problem of what to do with your knees. If you keep them upright, you might not be able to see over them. If you spread them, it is indecent and uncomfortable. You might need to hug them to stay upright.
Human chair. I pioneered this one. It is vital if you need to use a computer on a low desk (too low to stand), but have no chair. Stand on the toes of one foot, and place your other knee on your exposed ankle. I am told it only brings you high enough if you have long legs. You might need to steady yourself on something, but it is pretty comfortable.
So what did our stone age ancestors do? Did they drag tree trunks into their huts to sit on? How uncreative is that? It's probably what I would do if I were a caveman, since all of the above options are completely unsatisfactory. Still, it's sad to belong to a race that can't sit without props.
posted by apk01004 at 11:19 PM
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