Sitting

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Sittingbourne :: Sitting_Bull

There are several ways for humans to sit.

Floor sitting positions

Tailor, Indian style, "Crisscross applesauce"

To sit in the Tailor style:

sit on floor any way
bend one leg so that heel moves toward buttocks.
bend other leg in same fashion, but place leg over other bent leg.

Lotus position

To sit in the lotus position:

Start in the Tailor style described above
Take one foot and bring it around to rest in the crook of your knee, bottom facing upwards (This is the Half-lotus position)
Take the other foot and bring it up to rest on the other knee, bottom also facing upwards.

This position is common in yoga.

Half-lotus position

Half Lotus is sitting in a style similar to Indian Style, but with one leg ontop of the other. To sit in Half Lotus:

Sit down
Cross your legs like you're sitting Indian Style
Raise one leg still folded, and places ontop of the other leg.

Named so because of its use in Buddhist sculptures in Burma, the Burmese position places both feet in front of the pelvis with knees bent and touching the floor to the sides. Heels are pointing toward pelvis or upward, and toes are pointed so that the tops of the feet lay on the ground. This looks similar to the cross legged position, but the feet are not placed underneath the thigh of the next leg, therefore the legs do not cross. Instead, one foot is placed in front of the other.

A popular sitting alternative for those less comfortable with the use of the Lotus or half Lotus positions in meditation and yoga. Image offered on external site: ^*

Zazen positions

Zazen translates approximately to "sitting meditation", although it can be applied to practice in any posture. During zazen, practitioners usually assume a lotus, half-lotus, burmese, or seiza position.

Seiza position

Seiza (正座, literally "correct sitting") is a Japanese word which describes the traditional formal way of sitting in that country. Sitting in seiza is kneeling on one's own lower legs, with the feet under the buttocks, toes pointed backwards. To sit in seiza for any length of time requires careful positioning of the heels under the sit bones of the hip, to minimize circulation loss.

Squatting

Squatting refers to sitting in a "crouched" position. Squatting is sometimes considered a form of standing, because the weight of the body is supported by the feet rather than the buttocks; however, a "correct" squat rests the buttocks on the backs of the ankles, relieving the muscles of the legs. Squatting (including the use of the squat toilet) is more common in Asian cultures.

Chair sitting positions

Standard

The standard way to sit in a chair is to:

put one's buttocks on the seat of the chair
rest one's legs forward
- with feet down
- with legs horizontal, resting on a special footrest, another chair, a table, etc., or in a chair, usually adjustable, that is specially made to allow this position, such as some deckchairs.
  - In trains it is often allowed to put one's feet on the opposite seat, provided that one takes one's shoes off or put them on a newspaper, piece of clothing, bag, etc., to avoid possible dirtying of the seat. Rules tend to be more strict in metros, trams, and buses than in non-metro trains. See also shoe etiquette.

Variations of the above

Variations of the above, such as an aside variant with the legs resting above and beside the armrests (example), or the typically "cool" way of reversing the chair and one's legs rest around the body of the chair.

Kneeling chairs

Kneeling chairs (often just referred to as "ergonomic chairs"), are shaped to allow the seater's posture to be optimal, by kneeling. However, they do not look like a normal chair. To sit properly in a kneeling chair: