 Seiza
(正座, せいざ, literally "correct sitting") - The traditional
formal way of sitting in Japan.
To sit seiza-style, one first kneels on the floor, folding
their legs underneath their thighs, while resting the
buttocks on the heels, with the tops of the feet flat on the
floor. The hands are sometimes folded modestly in the lap
and sometimes placed palm down on the upper thighs with the
fingers close together. The back is kept straight, though
not unnaturally stiff. Traditionally, women sit with the
knees together while men separate them slightly,
proportional to body size. Some martial arts, notably kendo
and iaido, may prescribe up to two fist widths of distance
between the knees. The big toes may rest side by side or are
sometimes overlapped.
The act of stepping into and out of seiza is intended to be
mindfully performed. There are codified traditional methods
of entering and exiting the sitting position depending on
occasion and type of clothing worn.
Seiza is most often done on tatami (woven straw mat) floors,
but many people sit seiza-style on carpeted and even
hardwood floors. Depending on the formality of the occasion,
the setting, and the relative status of the person, it is
sometimes acceptable to sit on a special cushion called a
zabuton (座布団, literally a "sitting futon").
Sitting cross-legged is considered informal and is
inappropriate for certain situations, but is sometimes
permitted, especially for those for whom seiza is difficult,
such as elderly or non-Japanese people. Sometimes stools are
provided for elderly or injured people even when others are
expected to sit seiza-style. Though in the case of
non-Japanese it is advisable, particularly in formal
situations, to at least try to sit seiza-style, unless one
has grown up sitting in this posture, it may be difficult to
assume it at all. Those unfamiliar with seiza will likely
find that maintaining it for more than a minute or two tends
to lead to loss of circulation, with the accompanying 'pins
and needles' feeling, followed by painful burning
sensations, and then eventually complete numbness in the
legs. However, the physical discomfort lessens with
experience as the circulation of the blood improves.
Experienced seiza practitioners can maintain the posture for
forty minutes or more with minimal discomfort.
Doing seiza is an integral and required part of several
traditional Japanese arts, such as tea ceremony, meditation
(Zazen), and certain martial arts. Seiza is also the
traditional way of sitting while doing other arts such as
shodo (calligraphy) and ikebana (flower arranging), though
with the increasing use of western-style furniture it is not
always necessary nowadays.
Many theatres for traditional performing arts such as kabuki
still have audience seating sections where the spectators
sit in seiza style.
Special seiza stools are available in Japan. They are
folding stools, small enough to be carried in a handbag,
which are placed between the feet and on which one rests the
buttocks when sitting seiza-style. They allow one to
maintain the appearance of sitting seiza while discreetly
taking pressure off the heels and feet.
Walking on the feet and knees while in the seiza posture is
considered more polite than standing up and walking
regularly. To perform this knee-walking movement correctly
the heels must be kept close together, and the body must
move as a whole unit. It is because movement in Shikko
forces one to engage the hips that it is considered valuable
for aikido training.
Information source: “Seiza.” wikipedia.org. Article date: 17
Dec. 2007. Retrieved: Wikipedia. 8 Feb. 2008 <Seiza>.
Video - The following is the way to sit in
seiza in kendo. |
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