Do you have to Sit in a Chair?

We recommend sitting in a chair. This is the most comfortable

position for most and is especially good for those people who have

back and leg problems. It also allows chi to flow freely through the

legs. Many people believe that if you assume the lotus position you

will feel more rooted and will gradually limber, or already have very

open energy routes in your legs, sitting in the lotus or quarter lotus

can only interfere with energy flow and hamper your progress.

If we compare the head to root of a tree, through which we can

absorb power from the heavens then we can compare the legs to

the branches and leaves and so they are also very important in

practice. When you attain a higher level of practice, you will find

that the soles of your feet absorb Yin power from the Earth. Sitting

in a chair facilitates directing the power down to the feet. When Chi

is circulated in just the upper part of the body and not directed

down to the feet, it is like having the leaves whither and fall off the

tree. No matter how well you practice in the upper body, if the power

has not flowed down to the legs, there is a very significant lack of

energy and you simply cannot function properly. When Chi circulates

in your legs you will feel lighter, will walk more erectly and will

be able to walk longer distances without fatigue.

Using a chair is important for another reason, too. A man must

let his testes hang freely so as to be able to properly absorb energy.

As your practice progresses, you have to open six special

routes and the flow has to run down to your feet. Sitting crosslegged

makes it very difficult to direct the power, although some

people claim that when you have been successful in collecting

energy you can direct the power in any position.

I have known many monks who had leg problems, which might

or might not have been caused by sitting cross-legged for too long.

If you can direct power to your legs, there will be fewer problems,

but since cross-legged sitting calls for more effort, it is not a wise

practice nor an efficient one. Since at one stage of your development,

you absorb energy from the earth through the soles of your

Commonly Asked Questions feet, which necessitates having your feet flat on the ground, the

position of choice, then, is sitting in a chair.