You ask why do it at all, or what are the health benefits: moving about and getting blood flowing? But the very next section explains it perfectly to my mind, when only sitting on chairs and couches, we become too inflexible to actually get into most of the positions a human is supposed to. Surely this is where the "stiff old man" comes from. No thank you!
I've been sitting cross legged and otherwise pretended my couch was the floor for about two years now, but I'm still as inflexible as ever in the "sit upright with legs forward" and "anime girl" styles, so I will work on that going forward. Thanks for the inspiration!
I slept on the floor for a time in my early 20s. No mattress, just a large fluffy blanket folded in half underneath. I actually did it as an experiment to see if I could get my cycles to sync up with the moon, as my makeshift bed was in a completely dark walk-in closet. It did not work but I still remember it being basically the best, most restful sleep I have ever gotten in my life. I told a few people about what I was doing and they seemed concerned that I was sleeping too long (I would naturally sleep approximately 9.5-10 hours this way, no alarms to wake me up) and that it wasn't good for me. Peer pressure pressured me to stop. I wish I could do it again though!
Interesting, I also spent a lot of time trying to sleep on the floor, futons, mats, etc. But while I prefer a very hard mattress by Western standards, I absolutely cannot sleep even on a thinner camping pad. I wake up every 30 minutes or so and am never fully rested.
I have slept on the floor, on a futon, for several years now. I bought a Japanese heated table, and use a Korean chair designed for floor sitting. It has a back and is helping me strengthen my muscles. I started doing this as I am getting old and want to be able to get up off the floor. Bad knees limit the positions I can do but I do like the table
Yea I think just doing this would allow most old people in the West to maintain flexibility and some strength. Asian old people, especially traditional ones, don’t seem to have those issue we do in old age.
There are some differences in hip socket shape that allow Asians to squat more easily than caucasians, but mostly it's practice. Here's Grok's summary: https://grok.com/share/c2hhcmQtMg_1eab367e-7c7d-4304-898d-f81915242ac6 I found it interesting Seiza was used deliberately in social situations BECAUSE it makes your legs numb and stiff: harder to attack suddenly that way.
Great post. I also used to sit on the floor in my previous living arrangement, and have considered going back (I still sleep on the floor so I might as well sit on it, too). Getting a comfortable desk height and having a way to lounge comfortably while watching a show we're my two bugaboos.
Right when I'm in need of something new to obsess over. Nice!
Happy to be of service ;)
You ask why do it at all, or what are the health benefits: moving about and getting blood flowing? But the very next section explains it perfectly to my mind, when only sitting on chairs and couches, we become too inflexible to actually get into most of the positions a human is supposed to. Surely this is where the "stiff old man" comes from. No thank you!
I've been sitting cross legged and otherwise pretended my couch was the floor for about two years now, but I'm still as inflexible as ever in the "sit upright with legs forward" and "anime girl" styles, so I will work on that going forward. Thanks for the inspiration!
Yea I guess the types of flexibility are just somewhat specific to the pose. If you never sit seiza, you won’t get the flexibility needed for it?
I slept on the floor for a time in my early 20s. No mattress, just a large fluffy blanket folded in half underneath. I actually did it as an experiment to see if I could get my cycles to sync up with the moon, as my makeshift bed was in a completely dark walk-in closet. It did not work but I still remember it being basically the best, most restful sleep I have ever gotten in my life. I told a few people about what I was doing and they seemed concerned that I was sleeping too long (I would naturally sleep approximately 9.5-10 hours this way, no alarms to wake me up) and that it wasn't good for me. Peer pressure pressured me to stop. I wish I could do it again though!
Interesting, I also spent a lot of time trying to sleep on the floor, futons, mats, etc. But while I prefer a very hard mattress by Western standards, I absolutely cannot sleep even on a thinner camping pad. I wake up every 30 minutes or so and am never fully rested.
I have slept on the floor, on a futon, for several years now. I bought a Japanese heated table, and use a Korean chair designed for floor sitting. It has a back and is helping me strengthen my muscles. I started doing this as I am getting old and want to be able to get up off the floor. Bad knees limit the positions I can do but I do like the table
Yea I think just doing this would allow most old people in the West to maintain flexibility and some strength. Asian old people, especially traditional ones, don’t seem to have those issue we do in old age.
There are some differences in hip socket shape that allow Asians to squat more easily than caucasians, but mostly it's practice. Here's Grok's summary: https://grok.com/share/c2hhcmQtMg_1eab367e-7c7d-4304-898d-f81915242ac6 I found it interesting Seiza was used deliberately in social situations BECAUSE it makes your legs numb and stiff: harder to attack suddenly that way.
I always wondered if that difference is just habituation since childhood. Not sure.
I didn’t know that about seiza, makes sense I suppose. Kind of like shaking hands & bowing your head?
My family thinks I'm weird for sitting cross legged on the floor. No particular reason other than trying to keep the ability to get off the floor.
Great post. I also used to sit on the floor in my previous living arrangement, and have considered going back (I still sleep on the floor so I might as well sit on it, too). Getting a comfortable desk height and having a way to lounge comfortably while watching a show we're my two bugaboos.