Hi Mel: What is the seiza position?. You don't have to sit down in any stool if you don't find them comfortable. You can do in a chair appropriate for your needs. But you will need to look around and try different ones for you. It's important not to precipitate and purchase the first thing that come to you. First try them in the shop. Take your time. I don't usually check much over prices when it comes to health. This is something learnt my both parents and the culture in the Vasque Country where I originally come from. We do everything in favour to be healthy and we don't look much into costs. We first apply this to the food we eat which is of great quality in the Vasque Country. We are brought up in that way over there. One of the things that was very difficult for me in the UK when I first came was the low quality of the food and the lack of natural products. It was not surprising then finding out that the average age mortality in Glasgow was at 65 years old. And have to say that the Scott's eat better than the English. The English shocked with the unhealty and poor food they eat at the time. Some English minorities have improved their way of eating since then. This only to say that first priority for heath is the food. Good food in the UK is extremely expensive and never is as good as is in any of the Mediterranean Countries. This lead me to be very creative and imaginative with the cooking. In fact Mayka house is one of the best places to eat in Edinburgh. No kidding. Hahaha...Saying all this and applied to your case, if you are not in high income you have to use that difficulty towards creativity searching what is the best for your health. The practice of mindfulness or being aware of...it comes really practical and handy as it's a most creative energy of survival. And I really mean it. Mayka --- On Wed, 16/3/11, Mel <[email protected]> wrote:
From: Mel <[email protected]> Subject: [Zen] health problems, 'secrets'/mysteries,(to Mayka/list) To: [email protected] Date: Wednesday, 16 March, 2011, 8:00 Hey there Mayka! --- On Tue, 15/3/11, Maria Lopez <[email protected]> wrote: MAYKA: But I suppose that there are many kinds and different measures of them. Each of them is unique. They are crafted made with a remarkable measures accuracy that allows one to sit down with straight back and comfort. The one I have it was a good bye present by one of my sangha friends in Edinburgh who went to live to Japan. This stool wasn't made in Japan but here in Edinburgh under the instructions and supervision of a many years experienced practicioner and ex-Tibetan nun. I was extremely lucky that this stool was wrongly made for her body measure but perfect for mine. She wasn't as much tall as I am and my legs were much longer than hers. She used to complain about it as she couldn't find her way round to it. But when I tried on it looked like as the carpenter took my measures instead of her for the stool!. MEL: Before my arthritis and gout problems, I myself never had any problem with any of the zazen stools that I used. Funny, but I guess I was lucky. In my 20s when I was slim and much more presentable, I used to be able to tuck my legs underneath them I wanted to buy one last year, but it was going to set me back for something like (Australian)$85-$90 MAYKA: I suffer from a disability in my lower back with severe flares ups of mobility. Some years ago condition deteriorated and affected my right leg in a way that it wasn't possible to sit down in that stool or kneel down. So I was for several years in a row sitting down over a chair. It was just only about this past December that I started to sit back down in the zazen Japanese stool for periods of 20 minutes. I can't go farther than that as my right leg gets very swollen. MEL: Damn, that's no good, and I thought I was the only one here with serious health problems. Sorry to hear that, signora. I can't remember who told me, but many of today's Japanese apparently cannot sit in the 'seiza' position...both old and young MAYKA: - I don't know why your Teacher told you that the zazen Japanese stool are ridiculous. - With all due respect to your Teacher tell him that his saying about the zazen Japanese stool being ridiculous sucks. Tell him to look a good Japanese movie and see how traditional Japanese people sit down while having tea, eating....and then he will understand that is far of being a ridiculous stool but very practical cleverly designed. MEL: I actually haven't seen or spoken to him for almost 20 years now, and I didn't really pay notice to his comment until many years later. I also do remember seeing at least one Japanese movie where the actors sat on zazen stools, but I can't remember which film exactly. Probably one of the modern ones My then teacher was something of an unusual character. He spoke to me and some of the other students about revealing karate 'secrets' in time if we stayed long enough with him. This had been partly why (amongst other reasons) I don't exactly show a great deal enthusiasm today when I come across anyone speaking of such things as enlightenment, secrets, the mysteries, and/or similar. I also didn't exactly agree with the brutal teaching methods that he and the senior male students employed...even if he was an ordained Zen priest along the lines of the late but highly-regarded Kodo Sawaki-sensei Buddha be praised Mel [email protected]
