Sitting - Definition and Overview

There are several ways for a human being to sit.

Floor seating positions

Tailor, Indian style, "Crisscross applesauce"

To sit in the Tailor style:

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

Lotus position

To sit in the lotus position:

1. Sit on the floor in any way
2. Place the soles of the feet together, upright

This position is common in yoga.

Half-lotus position

Burmese position

Zazen positions

Zazen meditation is called zazen. 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.

Chair seating positions

Standard

The standard way to sit in a chair is to:

1. put one's buttocks on the seat of the chair
2. rest one's legs forward

Variations of the above

Variations of the above, such as an aside variant with the legs resting above and beside the armrests (example (http://www.gasolinealleyantiques.com/images/Non-Sport/ab-sitting.JPG)), 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:

1. rest one's buttocks on the above, upper sloping pad
2. simultaneously wrap one's legs around and resting atop the lower pad

Example Usage of Sitting