Chapter 7 - How to Sit
The sitting position should be a position of rest. This is in reality only rarely the case, judging from the contortions of most people in their seats. Perhaps they rest, but they rest badly. About all that can be said of them is that they take the weight off their feet. This is due to the fact that the upper part of the body is not in proper balance, that is to say that the centre of gravity does not follow a straight line, but is being shifted either forward or backward, or sideways.
In the case of a normally seated person, the axis of gravity should meet the floor in the centre of the square formed by the four feet of the chair. This, as you can easily observe for yourself, is seldom the case and the acrobatics that some people perform in order to maintain themselves in a state of precarious balance looks like everything else but rest. With this much said, it is easily understood that the frequent habit of sitting with legs crossed is contrary to the laws of balance. Only sitting as described will insure proper rest; otherwise you might just as well keep walking.
Now, whether we sit down to rest or to work, the rule is the same with certain adaptations, according to the kind of work to be performed. You will be astonished to observe the immediate improvement in well-being and in the ease and quality of your work, if your sitting posture follows the simple rule of natural balance. This is so because the energy uselessly spent in maintaining an unstable balance is saved.
What we have said applies to the sitting position on a seat, such as a chair etc., which is the usual thing in western countries and more and more even in the east. There exists, however, a more primitive and also a more natural sitting position which is still being assumed by hundreds of millions of people and which is also the most restful, the squatting seat, more poetically called the lotus seat in India, or the perfect posture, in Sanskrit: Padmasana. The flower of the lotus is, in India, the symbol of mental purity and of a fully developed consciousness. Like the flower of the lotus in its pure white beauty, is the perfect balance and symmetry of Padmasana.
In order to take the lotus seat, we sit on the floor, or on a flat cushion, a rug or cover, place the right foot on the left thigh, the left foot across on the right thigh. The more we press the foot backwards against the stomach, the better we shall succeed in obtaining the right posture (see Fig. 1). The arms fall naturally, elbows back, hands placed one into the other or on the knees, eyes straight ahead, preferably closed.
The position of the feet may be reversed and it is a good idea to reverse the position from time to time. If this posture seems to difficult, there is another easier version called Sidhasana, the posture of meditation. For this we sit down, draw the left foot up towards the right groin, then place the right foot across the left one, so that the right foot rests on, or near the left thigh.
After some practice, this position will be found extraordinarily reposeful, not only for the body, but also for the mind. The physical balance it confers extends automatically to the mental balance. It is especially favourable for meditation, reading or study, as it facilitates concentration. If it were adopted at school, there would be fewer distracted pupils and turbulent classrooms!
This posture conserves the balance of the positive and negative currents traversing our body. Padmasana is the best posture for the breating exercises which are executed in a sitting position. While we sit thus motionless, breathing easily, we discipline our thoughts and concentrate ourselves consciously upon the heart. In this way, we accumulate a store of energy, like water in a dammed up river. Not thinking, not speaking and not acting are the creators of mighty positive forces.
In the chapter of the Asanas, the Yoga postures, we shall refer to this posture again.
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