Sitting in Seriza HURTS!

[Jundo]

Hi B.

Seiza can indeed hurt because it's not a natural sitting posture for us in this continent. We use chairs since we are babies!

However you can train yourself to gradually achieve it AFTER YEARS of practice. I wrote that in capital letters because one just can go on seiza without proper training and discipline.

What I have been doing is to sit seiza on pillows and gradually have been taking off pillows to lower the height of my butt towards my heels. Yoga helps a lot too. After about 3 years I can hold my seiza for about 8 minutes. I know it's not much, but I began at zero!

Why I want to sit seiza? Because it's a challenge and because when I was young I was able to.

But at the end of the day, if it hurts, listen to your body and stop when you need it.

Gassho,

Kyonin
Satto

Hi Kyonin,

It sounds like you are talking about Japanese style Seiza on the heals, not the Western style with a bench or Zafu on its side. Is that correct?

I do not see a reason to try to Zazen in Japanese Seiza. The Japanese do not do so, and it is more a position of sitting in formal settings like during a tea ceremony or the like.

Gassho, J

SatToday

[Kyonin]

Hi Jundo,

Yes, I forgot to mention that. I do not intend to sit zazen in seiza. I am trying because once I was able to and because there are some yoga asanas that require my bottom to touch my heels. The more I can hold seiza, the better the asanas will be.

Also I have been at (Tibetan and Korean) Buddhist gatherings and celebrations here in the city and there are times when I feel that seiza is needed. So a little training on this might not be bad at all.

And finally there's the otaku part in me. I want to sit seiza like these guys:

60021-1486667916.jpg

Just because

Gassho,

Kyonin
SatToday

[Jishin]

Sitting in Seriza HURTS!

Hi,

I have tried everything but always go back to a particular Seiza bench. I seem to forget this and try the other Zazen devices and get hurt.

There also is a time in life where you get hurt and don't know how it happened. There is no need to push your luck with any posture fetishes then or even when you are younger.

I somehow hurt my neck. Don't exactly know how. Sitting Seiza now causes neck and thumb numbness in about 5 minutes. The body is communicating extremely important information and I would be a fool not to listen to the message and act accordingly. Zazen laying down is also challenging now. I have to listen to my body and act accordingly. It is saying: hey stupid, want to continue having the pain? Want to have diminished use of your body? How about some surgery, pain pills and possible addiction thereafter?

Be smart. If it hurts, don't do it.

Gasho, Jishin, _/st\_