In addition to being a meditative position, as in zazen (seated meditation), seiza is the traditional manner of sitting in a variety of traditional Japanese martial arts, such as kendo, iaido, judo, jujitsu, karate, nunjutsu, as well as activities such as ikebana (flower arranging) and shodo (calligraphy).
The site below lists detailed instructions for seiza as it relates to Japanese martial arts.
Link: Seiza No Kamae – Ninjutsu
YogaTrader.com offers a unique eco-friendly folding meditation bench made of bamboo.
The Bamboo Meditation Bench reduces knee, hip, ankle and back stress with effortless spine alignment. The special curved bottom surface of the legs allow you to slightly adjust spine and pelvis alignment better than a fixed flat bottom bench. Tight hinged bench legs fold up for portability and storage. Made with beautiful and sustainable fast growing bamboo with an eco-friendly natural oil finish.
We have tried it and agree that it is a very comfortable, portable bench, especially with the optional cushion.
Seiza Meditation Bench from YogaTrader.com
If you are interested in using a seiza bench, but can’t afford one or simply want the experience of building one yourself, there is an excellent resource at MichiganBuddhist.com. Lee Braiden gives step-by-step instructions on how to build a meditation bench with very simple raw materials and some basic tools.
Click here for more details: Making a Seiza Meditation Bench [PDF]
Here is an amusing video with a great lesson at the end:
HealthAndYoga.com has an interesting article that lists the top health benefits of meditation. They note that although meditation is traditionally considered a spiritual practice, it has many health benefits.
The yoga and meditation techniques are being implemented in management of life threatening diseases; in transformation of molecular and genetic structure; in reversal of mental illnesses, in accelerated learning programs, in perceptions and communications beyond the physical, in solving problems and atomic and nuclear physics; in gaining better ecological understanding; in management of lifestyle and future world problems.
Some of the listed health benefits are: lower oxygen consumption; decreased respiratory rate; increased blood flow and slowed heart rate; increased exercise tolerance in hearth patients; and deeper levels of relaxation.
For a complete list, click here.
