Harmonious Emptiness Posted September 21, 2011 (edited) Creativity and Taoism: A Study of Chinese Philosophy, Art and Poetry, by Chung-Yuan Chang, says "The Treatise on kneeling sitting and bowing from the works of Chu Hsi [maybe Confucian commentator Zhu Xi?] (vol. 68) "The ancients sat by kneeling on both knees and resting back on the upturned soles of the feet."" Also this article about sitting in ancient China: http://www.ourorient.com/2011-07-01-18-52-14.htm "At that time, Buddhism was introduced from India to China. Buddhist monks had a special sitting posture with crossing legs (跏趺). In the Sui and Tang Dynasties, many foreign cultures were introduced into China. However, the normal sitting posture was still kneeling-sitting, so Japanese and Korean learned this sitting posture from China, and now they still keep the posture of kneeling-sitting." Sitting for so long like this would require flexibility comparable to lotus posture, imo, and I don't see how they managed to sit so far back that they were in the soles of the feet. learned a good stretching exercise for after this posture from a Tao Semko video: extend leg in front while sitting, breathe out while flexing feet forward, breath in while flexing feet back. After several repetitions or so, do half circles to each side. I'm sure "breathing through the heels" has other merits from Tai Chi and rooting and maybe something about macro-cosmic orbit, but Chung-Yuan Chang said that sitting on the heels influenced this term. Any other confirmations or knowledge about this?? Edited September 22, 2011 by Harmonious Emptiness 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
zerostao Posted September 26, 2011 the sitting you describe ,back onto the heels was the way we all started our kung fu clsses here. i cant say i ever looked forward to it maybe it is not so coincidently i find full lotus comfortable? the book CREATIVITY and TAOISM, very highly recommended. highly. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
