Don't Just Sit There
During the many years that I have coached people on wellness and dynamics concerning the body, mind and spirit, it has continued to amaze me how literally dangerous the act of sitting is. Such an innocuous, simple activity would hardly seem to present itself as a threat. Yet, the very act of inactivity may place us at greater risk than many of our work and play activities.
The hazards of lack of exercise are all too familiar. Inactivity may cause considerable harm to arteries and heart as well as over time causing shortness of breath. Reduced activity encourages sluggishness throughout the body inhibiting digestion and the body's cleansing and elimination processes. Slowed function can easily contribute to the build up of toxins and waste products in our systems. Similar to the way a beaver dam blocking the flow of a stream creates a swamp, the static seated position can foster a body in which the delivery of oxygen and nutrients is limited. This does not support our full potential and may disable our immune system. Resulting chemical imbalances can upset our personal ecology and may also set the environment for depression, anxiety, and dis-ease. In essence, to live in a limited way may limit the quality and length of time we live.
The way we sit in our culture contributes to these ill effects. The typical position of sitting on a chair or sofa adds to our risk. Imagine a hose which has water flowing through it and the effect of bending and crimping it. The way this flow of liquid is distorted is simple compared to the effect of sitting upon the body. The body's flow patterns are a complex weaving of blood and lymph vessels, network of nerves, and meridians of energy. Their free and dynamic flows are essential to optimal function and experience. No athelete plays well by sitting in a chair in the middle of a football or soccer field waiting for the ball to come to them. Only by their continual fluid motion are they able to respond well to the task at hand.
Furniture is generally very rigid or very soft. Rigid chairs cut off circulation even more dramatically. Soft couches encourage slumping of the body which can further restrict breathing and place strain upon the vertebrae and spinal cord. Sitting with our legs tightly crossed can contribute further to a posture of distress. Hips are contorted and internal organs are displaced inhibiting their natural function.
Most are familiar with the experience of sitting on our own foot. The strange tingling sensation as the blood supply and energy returns is frequently quite intense. This can dramatize the even greater effect of sitting on our "bottoms' all day long. The Western world in many ways is a sedentary culture. We view our hips as something merely for sitting on. While Eastern philosophy focuses the hips and the belly as being the very physical and spiritual energy center of an individual. The importance of this focus is well represented in the martial arts, as well as yoga and other meditative practices. Natural dyaphramic breathing is a central key to these practices. This is a way of breathing in a deep and relaxed process by fully utilizing the dyaphramic muscle. External signs of this breathing include the abdomen rounding outward with the inhale and becoming flat with the exhale. In a slow, relaxed, continuous circular fashion this way of breathing offers more complete cleansing of the lungs, greater oxygen intake, and better stamina. Internally the signs of dyaphramic breathing are a growing sense of physical balance, mental clarity and spiritual calm.
Power is impressively increased by being attentive to the dynamic movement of this root area of ourselves. It is beneficial to expand our understanding of the hips and pelvis as a source of more than just sexual and reproductive energy. Within this center of our body lies the full potential and power of creativity, vitality and inner strength.
Aboriginal peoples demonstrate further role modeling in that they rarely sit in furniture and usually rest squatting or upon the ground legs loosely crossed. Their natural way of sitting enables a firm grounding to Mother Earth as well as as offering the body more energetically open postures.
What if in reading what you have just read you were simply sitting there. You may have only considered what it meant on a purely physical level. Connecting the meaning of
"just sitting there" metaphorically speaking may not have occurred to you. If we take things a step further we can see what lessons sitting offers us concerning awareness.
A poster in the sixties read "To decide not to decide is a decision". This concept invites us to be accountable for our choices. To clearly decide whether we will be a spectator or a participant in life. The active path in life manifests a process of awareness which is like a continuous motion picture. Simply living continually in the moment can greatly enhance experiencing both the subtle and vivid emotional and sensual interplay of life. The sedentary spectator lifestyle is more like looking at snapshots. We quite often only experience the results of actions as aches, pains and consequences after the fact. This can encourage experiencing life as a victim. Imagine a pattern in which placing our intention on being aware offers us a clear picture of our choices. By choosing choices which add quality to our life we grow. This leads us to putting into practice quality choices which develop into good habits. By examining our habits and observing whether they enhance our life we are led back to awareness. Through this image we can see awareness and change as an ongoing journey rather than any specific outcome.
It is also not uncommon to avoid or fear awareness and change. We often say, "what we don't know won't hurt us" or "ignorance is bliss". Frequently change and growth will draw us out of our comfort zone into unfamiliar territory. We will naturally experience a variety of emotions including fear, excitement and doubt. Change can challenge our sense of safety and self esteem. Caution and good judgement are important. On the other hand "playing it safe'" can be a prison in itself filled with limitation.
It is helpful to remember that our perception of the foot when "it is asleep" is really the sensation of noticing the foot "waking up". It is the return of circulation and energy that registers in our mind. The process of becoming aware may be very uncomfortable at first. Yet, only in this awakened state does life's full choice become apparent.
Awareness is both the cause and effect of responding to life's challenges and opportunities in a holistic manner which is focused on balance.
Ways To Sit Better
© Copyright 1998 David Mueller All Rights Reserved