If you’ve had a big day and you need some time to unwind and read a book or watch a movie–chances are it’s not going to be sitting at a desk or table. Who doesn’t love to cuddle with an interesting book and cup of tea on the bed or couch? And chances are you haven’t really found a comfortable position. You can prop yourself with pillows all you want, but at best, some part of your body–neck, back, arms–is crunched and you can’t really relax 100%. At the worst, you can develop injuries from repetitive strain.
I found an interesting struggle happening on a reading blog, where serious readers were talking about their favorite positions
1–propping oneself in a sort of lounge position with pillows against the wall or headboard
2–on the side
3–on the back (a–holding the book straight up with arms or b–propping head forward with pillow, bending knees and putting book on knees)
4–on the tummy(a–with elbows propping head up or b–with head hanging over edge of bed and book on floor)
Not a ONE of them felt like they had found it.
I have discovered outside-the-box solutions for this age-old dilimna, by incorporating principles from restorative yoga, Alexander Technique and other modalities. It often looks like I’m not working when I’m busy on the computer, writing, or reading something because I am SO COMFORTABLE.I find myself apologizing sometimes, but there’s no reason why anyone can’t adopt these life changing habits which bring relief and make reading and writing, and using the laptop more fun.
The blog I reviewed had dozens of comments from frustrated people who could not find a comfortable position for reading in bed. The dozens of comments can pretty much be summed up in this one:
“I read for long periods, so I suppose it’s natural I do a combination of all the positions mentioned above. I lie on my stomach first until my lower back begins to hurt, then gingerly roll onto my right side until my arm hurts, then on my back until my hands get sore from holding the book up, then onto my left side. By that point, I’m usually numb enough to fall asleep.”
The fact that this person is changing positions is a good thing. But the fact that he is changing positions because not ONE of the positions allows and promotes good alignment, circulation, breathing and comfort is an issue.
F.M. Alexander–in his book Constructive Conscious Control of the Individual–gives primary reading directions.
I wish to free my neck so that
my head can go forward and up
so that my torso can lengthen and
my legs can move away from my torso
and my shoulders can release out the sides.
Mark Josefsberg-Alexander Technique Teacher in NYC further explains:
“When you look down, think of pivoting your head from the top of the spine, which ishigher up than we usually imagine. Think of a rod going through your head at the level of you ear holes, and pivot your head down and up from there, without collapsing your neck forward. Don’t forget to use your eyes to look down.
An Alexander teacher will help you understand these, both intellectually and kinesthetically.
Reading and using the laptop for more than a few minutes, while laying down or reclining, can create problems for our bodies. The media loves to promote images of people doing so without props, however, the truth is: props are necessary to prevent damage to the body. These props can be simple or more complex, but the difference is like night and day.
It’s sort of a standing joke – sometimes people cheer when it’s time for the last part of the yoga workout – Shavasana – that is, laying down to relax, breath and let the mind release. There usually is no pillow and very little padding. This is a chance to feel the body in a natural setting, without the furniture which surrounds us in everyday life, pushing us this way and that way.
One way to integrate yoga into everyday life is to design one’s resting and sleeping environment around yogic principles. These minimalist principles are not what modern bedding designers use. Actually, modern bedding is over-designed. It is a case of taking technology too far.
The current modern trend is to make you feel no ‘pressure points’. In other words, numb your body so you are not aware of gravity or anything touching you. For decades the bedding industry has been claiming that is what creates the best sleep. First it was waterbeds and now it is memory foam.
But this reasoning is counter to yogic principles. In yoga, ‘Sensory Awareness” is everything. The sleep surface and gravity can be used as a tool for getting in touch with the body and creating a biofeedback system to put the body in a natural relaxation response.
How can you be aware of the sensations of breathing when you feel no pressure points? How can you feel the weight of the body sinking into the ground when you can’t feel the weight of the body OR the ground because you are on a surface that takes the pressure points away?
Rather, use gravity to FEEL the pressure points. Then breath INTO the pressure points so your body is completely relaxed like a cat sprawled out in the sun. Then the pressure points are evened out and Voila! You create a different relationship with the pressure points – instead of tensing around them you are releasing.
With a little thought, the bed and pillows can become powerful tools for deep relaxation and a more effective sleep experience.
Here are the Yogic Principles:
1. Spine Neutral
Keep the natural curve of the spine including the neck in the same position it would be in if you were standing upright. There should be no pressure on vertebral disks. This Rule Number One is broken in just about every pillow and bedding commercial where the pillow pushes the head up cutting off airflow through the throat.
2. Open Air Passages
Make sure the area around the nose is clear. During side sleeping, if a pillow sinks in it can hamper airflow through the nose. A firm buckwheat pillow works best.
3. Widen and Expand
To optimize circulation and breathing, use pillows and/or a body pillow between your knees and arms to help your lungs and diaphragm stay open and maximize oxygen capacity.
4. Change Positions
It’s a good idea to rotate your body to different positions when you feel like it so circulation is better distributed.
5. Breath Through Your…
Nose. Breathing through your nose (as opposed to mouth breathing) increases circulation, blood oxygen and carbon dioxide levels. It also slows your breathing rate and improves overall lung capacity. This sometimes has to be a conscious CHOICE (80% of Americans breath through their mouth) that turns into a HABIT. You may need a yoga teacher or bodywork therapist to help train you to do this.
By using these principals, your body initiates the ‘Relaxation Response’ – a physical state of deep rest – that changes the physical and emotional responses to stress. This is the opposite of the fight or flight response. The Relaxation Response is your personal ability to release chemicals and brain signals that make your muscles and organs slow down and increases blood flow to the brain.
As your pulse and heart rate slow down, muscle tension decreases, the brain gets quiet and the chatter stops. This approach to the sleep environment promotes the Relaxation Response. Another important way to promote the Relaxation Response in your bedroom is to create a sanctuary from electromagnetic fields that keep our bodies in a state of tension. For more on this subject, stay tuned for an upcoming blog post.
How to Achieve these Principles when Side Sleeping
Many people sleep on their sides and believe the only way to be comfortable is for the bed to sink in to accommodate their hips and shoulders. However sleeping on a soft surface hampers breathing.
Side sleeping in general is considered a great position in yoga and by chiropractors alike. I have always felt that it might be the ultimate position because it feels to me like the cranial sacral fluid would move freely and be kind of pumped by the breathing action. The important thing here is to lay on a firm surface that doesn’t sink in.
This is a different approach to establishing spine neutral, as illustrated by the photos. A head pillow should prop the head so it is not elevated or dropping in relation to the neck. This opens the air passage in the throat. Pillows can be used to open the lungs and hips. Most people who try this feel an immediate wave of relaxation.
How to Achieve these Principles when Back Sleeping
The same concepts apply to back sleeping. When sleeping on a firm surface you are mimicking the yoga practice environment. You can use a small neck pillow which widens and expands the neck without pushing the head up and out of alignment. You can also use a pillow under the knees which eases the stress on the lower back. This is a constructive way to use the kapok head pillow – not for the head at all. In this case there is no need for a head pillow, but putting it under the knees maintains the curve of the lower back – or the ‘spine neutral’ effect.
The sleep environment is an often overlooked place to find an extra way to add yoga into your daily life. Using these principles encourages the Relaxation Response which puts your body in a true yogic state. From here it is easy to flow into a yoga asana like child pose or fetal pose for even more calming of the body/mind before sleep. Then return to your back or side knowing your body is opened and aligned, your breathing is deep, and your mind quiet. You drift into deep unhampered sleep. Sweet dreams!
Sleeping On A Firm Or Hard Surface: Benefits and Techniques
For Sweet Dreams on a Hard Surface Part OneClick Here.
I believe the reason mattresses have become ubiquitus is mainly due to these reasons:
1–The perceived comfort is an adaptive response. The body becomes ‘front-loaded’ due to facters such as chair sitting and mattresses. When the body stretches and lengthens on a firm surface, those tight muscles and ligaments are stretched and noticed, causing discomfort.
2–The psychosomatic aspect of a mattress: It looks thick and plush, therefore it MUST be comfortable.
3–Since mattresses have been around for so long, no-one even questions their usefulness. Therefore no studies are performed.
4–The propaganda of a century of advertising.
Sleeping on a Firm or Hard Surface Benefits and Techniques.
Relaxation response and deeper sleeping created by synergy of all these factors.
1–Alignment (natural kickback mechanism of breathing action against sleep surface which re-aligns the body as you sleep)
2–Increased Breathing Capacity and Oxygenation of Blood
3–Increased circulation.
Three techniques for adapting the Firm Sleeping Lifestyle:
1–Bodywork Remediation
2–Body awareness and ability to relax all muscles evenly against the surface so no pressure points are felt.
3–Propping and positioning the body in ways unique to this kind of surface.
After a lifetime of mattress use you are probably going to feel uncomfortable when you first start sleeping on a firm or hard surface. And what is meant by a ‘hard’ surface?
I have personally tested various beds, futons, and natural surfaces over several decades and have come to the conclusion that what mattress manufacturers call ‘firm’ or ‘hard’ does not even come close to the traditional Japanese futon. What describes this quality best is a thick quilt on a floor or board. That bit of padding (about one to two inches of compressed padding) won’t let the hips sink in to mis-align the spine, yet it buffers the body somewhat. From my own experimenting and interviewing people, I have come to the conclusion that this amount of firmness is what works for most Americans who are changing their lifestyle and sleeping habits.
You will need to experiment for yourself to see what works. You can start with napping and later try sleeping this way. It may take more than one night to get used to it. You can gradually go to a harder surface and compare the results. The interesting thing I have found upon informally interviewing people who have tried sleeping on firm surfaces is that they complain about it being hard and less comfortable, and yet they sleep very well and feel refreshed upon awakening.
You can sleep on a ‘platform bed’ or the floor. A ‘platform bed” is a simple raised surface where your mat goes, but does not have a true mattress. The platform bed is best for those who don’t want to get down to the floor level. It’s disadvantage is it can’t be put away during the day.
The Japanese use a tatami mat under the futon. This provides ventilation underneath which helps regulate body temperature as well as keep the futon from becoming damp with the body’s persperation. It also keeps the futon, blanets, and pillows off the floor which might be dirty and drafty. This is a great invention, but is expensive and doesn’t always fit in with a person’s interior design. A simple tatami mat imitation can be easily handmade from lumber. All that is needed is a slatted surface raised a few inches off the floor. Or the platform bed can serve as a tatami mat if it has a slatted surface.
People with health issues such as arthritis, scoliosis, rheumatism, or weak capillaries will need to use common sense and not go to as hard a surface as healthier individuals.
What you are aiming for is a ‘spine-neutral’ position. Neutral spine is the natural position of the spine when all 3 curves of the spine — cervical (neck), thoracic (middle) and lumbar (lower) — are present and in good alignment.
The type of comfort one feels on a hard surface is more of an acquired taste. It is similar to the difference between Wonder Bread and old fashioned sourdough bread. One is soft and empty, one is solid and wholesome. You will feel your hips and shoulders rubbing against the surface and you won’t sink in as before. Unfamiliarity is not comfortable. It is comforting in the way it helps you breathe more fully, the way it grounds your body, the way it reassures you that there is something solid somewhere in life that you can always count on. At first you may feel like it’s impossible to relax, because it contradicts all your ideas about relaxation. You are feeling your life energy, the place your body comes up against the earth. You will know where you are out of alignment. Give it some time. Common sense and a spirit of adventure go a long way.
Sleeping in this way resembles restorative yoga, and props can be used in much the same way. The goal is to position the body so it is relaxed and comfortable. There are several supports, bolsters, and pillows which can be propped in any number of ways depending on individual needs. For instance, for lower back pain, place a small support under the lower back (when lying on your back). A rolled up sock will work, but a flax seed eye pillow is the ultimate size and shapes just the right amount. Or alternatively, place a bolster behind the knees. When side sleeping, hug a large pillow and put a pillow between your knees–or use a body pillow. Also, make sure your head pillow is tall enough. It should be about 5 inches (for most people) when compressed–your head should not be pushed up or down but paralell with the bed.
Unlock the Benefits of Firm-Surface Sleep
Discover the overlooked advantages of sleeping on a firm surface. Ditch the plush mattress myths and tap into age-old wisdom for better sleep quality. With our guide, learn the science, techniques, and transformative benefits of the firm sleeping lifestyle. Ready to revolutionize your sleep? Dive in and experience the difference.
Note: This article is most useful for people who have some experience with natural sitting. If you want to learn how to get started, see The Art of Natural Sitting.
Most modern furniture puts us in unhealthy positions which contribute to poor health and back pain. The alternative is furniture which puts you in healthy aligned positions which energize, tone and restore you as you work.
Natural Sitting (a.k.a. Active Sitting) for most of us is a radical new way of doing things. There are many challenges to getting started, and most of them can be remedied with a little knowledge and perspective. The good news is, there are enough intrinsic rewards, despite the challenges, that make it satisfying even in the beginning. Here are some of the common issues that come up in the early stages of making a switch to natural sitting:
Fatigue
Back/neck pain
Circulation being cut off in feet and/or legs (numbness, tingling, legs and feet falling asleep). Sciatica will be discussed here as well.
Arthritic type pain in knees, hips, and other joints. Aching, soreness. Inflammation.
FATIGUE
When we say “active sitting” and “interacting with your environment:, we mean it. Alignment (symmetry), flexibility and tone are the main factors at play here. If you have been using a chair your whole life, your body is going to be out of alignment. Just like wearing shoes….you have been ‘wear’ the chair.
Also you won’t even know what alignment feels like. Look at a tree on top of a wind-swept mountain. All the branches grow on one side—the leeward side. That tree has had to adapt to the extreme influence acting on it. That is similar to a human body that has sat in a chair for many years. The muscles of the chest, abdomen, back, and neck have had to pull mostly in one direction—frontward. Physical therapists call this “front loading”, and in extreme cases they think of it as a pathology. Recently is has been recogniced that that: 1) it is caused by chair sitting, and 2) most of us have it.
In front loading, the muscles become tighter (shorter) on the front of the body than the back. This isn’t necessarily visible (as far as muscle tone), as most muscles involved in sitting are deep. Other things follow. The muscles pull the head and neck forward, creating “kyphosis”. The fascia, bones, tendons and muscles work together to hold the body in an imbalanced, out of alignment position. We get used to this. It feels normal. We have ADAPTED to the chair like the tree has adapted to the wind on the mountain.
So when we transition into natural sitting, it will be more difficult at first because we are needing to work with the body as it is – unadapted to the new (though natural) environment. The good news is, the human body is flexible, resilient, and responds to change. However front-loaded it is, it is still more suited to its primal nature than to the Western environment it has adapted to. By putting yourself in the natural sitting position, you will both balance and tone the muscles used in sitting.
However, like any new exercise program, a common sense sequence of activity and rest will be needed. Few people can jump into it 100% from the get go. Alternating natural sitting with chair sitting, gradually increasing the time spent in natural sitting, will eventually establish the desired combination of alignment, flexibility and tone needed to easily sustain natural sitting 100% of the time. It can take from days, to weeks, to months, depending on the factors with each individual.
Let me qualify what I mean by “100% of the time”. Upright sitting is only one activity out of many we perform during any given day. The human body was not designed to remain in any one static position for hours at a time, except perhaps during sleeping—but even that has its limits. Natural sitting should be combined with other positions: standing, reclining, walking, etc. When the back gets tired while sitting, for instance, shifting to another position sometimes solves the fatigue—by engaging a different set of muscles. Sometimes a little stretching or walking will help, other times reclining or simply resting the back a few minutes is what is needed.
It is possible and optimal to avoid chairs altogether if you have some form of lounge chair work station. This could be in the form of a standard lounge chair, Chaise Lounge, or something designed for a bed or couch like the Eco Backrest™.
Part of health is muscle tone, and muscle tone develops when the muscles are engaged and stimulated regularly. In other words, “use it or loose it.” Most of us have lost it. But we can get it back. And this has nothing to do with working out in the gym and building hard ‘abs’. Traditional calisthenics and exercise machines – even the popular Pilates system – work on the large outer muscles in an imbalanced way. This type of calisthenics usually has a contracting effect, making natural sitting even more difficult. The important muscles used in sitting are finer, deeper, actually connected to the bones. The principle muscle activated during sitting, the psoas, has very little sensory enervation. ‘Feeling’ the psoas directly will usually be more an act of imagination than of attention. Psoas function can be perceived indirectly: ‘widening the back,’ and ‘knees forward and apart’ are both clear descriptions of the effect of improved psoas activity.
There is often confusion between ‘contraction’ and ‘shortening.’ Muscles lose their resting length through atrophy. Attempts to stretch or ‘relax’ shortened muscles are often mistaken. Shortened muscles recover their length through use, not passive stretching or ‘releasing.” The more symmetry, balance, and alignment in the body, the less the muscles will need to work during natural sitting. Natural sitting in itself tones the muscles involved in sitting. Natural sitting integrates exercise with everyday activities. So what we are aiming for is symmetry (alignment), tone, and flexibility.
We will each be battling not only our own front-loaded bodies, but also social norms and the public environment which wants to keep us in chairs. Sitting in a chair makes us look busy and hard at work. However, the most productive position besides autonomous sitting is lying down. Lying down in either a flat position or reclining position rests the back so it will be ready for some more sitting. How can you lay down when you are working at a desk or computer? There are many creative ways to work in both standing and reclining positions. Many desk type activities can be accomplished just as easily in another position. See “How To Turn You’re Office Into a Health Spa” for more on this.
But until you evolve your own office set-up with chair-less props and furniture, the only option is to alternate between autonomous sitting and chair sitting. The only problem with this is that the chair sitting works against the efforts to re-educate and re-align the body. But still, it can be done, and gradually the natural sitting will become easier.
The yoga and meditation community has revived natural sitting at a cultural level. At least during meditation and dharma talks or satsang, the norm is autonomous sitting. There can be hours of sitting, and anyone who has experienced a meditation retreat will testify to the difficulty of sitting for so long. Walking goes hand in hand with sitting meditation, as many traditions have pilgrimages and walking meditations as integral to their practice.
However, these contemporary settings are not immune from their own social norms, where it is considered disrespectful to slump or recline. Many yoga and retreat centers have resorted to using a canvas covered back rest which mimics the chair–only at the level of the floor. This is not a solution, and from the standpoint of the New Ergonomics–is actually worse than most chairs. This backrest, rounds the back. It does not support the head and neck, which must therefore jut forward in an attempt to balance the body’s center of gravity that has gotten thrown off. Another quick fix is a type of harness or sling that straps around the lower back and attaches to the knees. This too is another way of mimicking the chair’s classic right-angled sitting position.
The best solution to sitting when the body is too tired to hold itself up without back support is true reclining. This means leaning back, as though you were in a chair, only your neck and head are supported. This position allows total rest for all the muscles, so they can recuperate from physical activity and be ready for more natural sitting. The “yoga lounge” which is a combination of bolsters and pillows borrowed from restorative yoga–could be used in many of these reclining activities. But even better is the new Eco Backrest™ which stays up better and has adjustable angles. When reclining isn’t an option, another solution is just leaning back lightly against a verticle surface such as a wall. This slight bit of support can do wonders to the comfort level. The Eco Backrest™ has a verticle setting for just this purpose. It can be used in conjunction with a zafu so back support is available when needed.
Since reclining is not acceptable in most yoga and meditation groups, the best solution is standing. When the sitting becomes too much, stand in place, right in front of where you were sitting. Then sit when you are ready again. Use the time in-between the formal meditations to lay down in your room and rest your back, or do restorative yoga poses.
BACK and NECK PAIN
You will be engaging some muscles that you haven’t used much. This can cause pain—from sore muscles. Also, the bones and ligaments are effected. Everything moves together. This way of sitting—and living—will start to wake up parts of the body that have been dormant or asleep. The body likes to stretch and bend, breath and move. You will feel tight spots, stuck places, cramps, tingling, numbness and other sensations. Congratulations! You are becoming aware of your body, tuning into its needs, reawakening its innate wisdom.
Reichian growthwork therapy, craniosacral therapy, somato-emotional release work and other healing modalities would even go so far as to say emotions are stored in the body (as “tissue memory” or “body armor”). These emotions can be released when the body is stimulated, loosened and re-aligned, thus freeing up energy also called ‘chi’, ‘prana’, ‘kundalini’ which leads to greater presence of being, flexibility and vitality.
Making changes towards natural sitting can have emotional repercussions. The patterns of thinking that have been ingrained in one’s consciousness since birth and are also ingrained in one’s body. Now these patterns are being challenged and threatened. Using the body differently may stir up resistance while one is overcoming the inertia of habit. It also may stir up other emotions the way bodywork therapies can. Sitting is a ‘loaded’ subject. Nobody wants to think the truths they have followed forever and taken as fact are flawed. It usually requires a person encounters some impending reason for change, such as physical pain or a desire for greater health or higher states of consciousness.
Movement Therapies like stretching, yoga, massage, Rolfing, chiropractic, craniosacral therapy, Reichi, walking, swimming, crawling, climbing, surfing, Alexander Technique, Feldenkreis–will help you get through the transition as well as become a regular part of your lifestyle. This is important to get the body initially into alignment so when you sit things are working together.
Sometimes pain people experience when they start natural sitting is pain they didn’t know they had because they didn’t try to put their body into alignment before. An asymmetrical body will not necessarily correct itself on its own. In fact, from the view of craniosacral therapy, people hold trauma in the body from birth to death if not corrected.
The first place most of us feel pain is the lower back. There are several yoga asanas to relieve this tightness. They are safe, simple and almost anyone can do them. Standing while bending toward the toes, standing while bending backwards arms over head, the whale (use a smile cushion or zafu), the cobra, hanging from a bar (decompresses the spine), twisting asanas, inversion therapy, massage.
Some pain can be remedied with simple stretching, but often some other remediation is needed. Natural sitting alone won’t correct all structural issues, but will work hand-in-hand with other therapies to get the body aligned faster and keep it there once alignment is achieved. Bodywork therapies can move us into alignment quickly and compliment our other work. And besides—it feels great.
For Active Sitting, the height and angle of your sitting surface should allow a 130-180 degree leg to spine angle. The lower the seat, the less the leg-to-spine angle. If the seat is too low and the leg-to-spine angle too small, for most people this will result in flattening the lower back (kyphosis–uneven pressure on vertebral disks) and too much effort from the muscles in front (or front loading). The neck will tend to jut forward as if chair sitting. If the seat is too tall, you will tend to slide off–or the front edge of the seat will run into the under side of your thigh–or there will be too much bend in the lower back (or all three). Look at the photos below to see examples of too low, too high, and just right. Any strain either front or back will usually result in some form of back/neck pain.
Besides having the right seat, one needs to also use it correctly. Even with the perfect seat at first we tend to hold the body in a position it is used to, with the neck jutting somewhat forward. Sit next to a mirror and see if your head, neck and back make one line together. Or just simply observe yourself, and how you feel. Also, ask a meditation or yoga teacher or someone else familiar with the somatic arts for advice. If you stand in Tadasana “standing like a mountain”—with legs slightly bent, feet shoulder distance apart, arms to the side loosely–use a wall to see how in alignment you are. Is the back of your head touching the wall, your buttocks, and your middle back? Now take this position and move into a seated position on a zafu, smile cushion, tilt seat, or Peace Bench. Can you keep the head-neck-back together as one unit, lined up together? Just for comparison, try to move from Tadasana to sitting on a regular chair. This is a very sensory way of feeling the benefits of natural sitting. You can use this technique as often as you like to see how your sitting is doing. Another useful exercise is to lie on a firm surface such as a rug or floor without a pillow. (Something under the neck is okay, but the back of the head should be on the same level as the back.) For most of us this will be impossible at first—to feel comfortable without a pillow—but this is the way it would feel if the head, neck, and back were in alignment.
When a leg or foot “falls asleep” some combination of veins or nerves and/or capillaries have been pinched. Ironically, this can sometimes be caused by a seat that is too soft. You should be able to feel your ishials—or sit bones–on the seat surface. If not, the muscles get pushed into by the seat or cushion, which cuts into the nerves, capillaries and veins. If this is the case, you need a more firm cushion or bench and/or one with a wider and flatter surface. Play around with different seats to see what works. The wider and flatter the sitting surface the better. This spreads your weight over a broader area, so no one area is getting most of the pressure. Another factor which causes circulation impairment is a seat that digs into the bottom of your thigh, caused by a seat that is too tall.
Circulation issues can also be effected by factors other than the type of seat and sitting technique. One of those factors is the body’s ability to move blood and lymph to the extremities as well as clear wastes like lactic acid out. Katsuzo Nishi, an early health pioneer, developed a complete system for maintenance and recovery of good health based on a revolutionary theory about how circulation works. Nishi believed that the capillaries provided the true driving force of the circulatory system—not the heart and blood. And, in order to compensate for the obstruction of circulation in the four limbs resulting from the human species’ vertical posture, he proposed several exercises which stimulate capillary action—such as “Mokan Undo”, which involves lying on the back, raising the arms and legs and applying a slight vibrating motion, as well as a few others. Besides these exercises, Nishi also recommended methods making use of implements like a hard, half –cylinder pillow, design to keep the cerebral vertebrae in the ideal position from a structural standpoint and a flat sleeping platform (flat board) designed to do the same for the vertebrae of the spinal column. His ideas resonate with many of today’s practices in the somatic arts and New Ergonomics, reinforcing the fallacy of modern, overstuffed, over-built furniture, and how lack of movement leads to degenerative health. For instance, there are several “inversion therapy” devices on the market, including the Om Gym and the slant board. Many therapists recommend elevating the legs regularly—that means propping them on a pillow or chair while lying on the back. Restorative yoga uses many examples of inversion, including the one shown in the illustration to the right. And the buckwheat pillow—which has become popular in recent years–supports the contours of the head/neck without pushing the head out of alignment, similar to Nishi’s wooden half-cylindar pillow.
Sciatica is characterized by a shooting pain going up one or both legs. It is caused by some form of pinching of the sciatic nerve. Sciatica can be from mild to excruciating and has prevented many people from sitting. There are several approaches to dealing with sciatica.
1–Check your piriformis muscles. Bring knees to chest while
lying on your back and turn out one leg to rest your ankle over the knee
of your other bent leg and pull your knee to your chest. This stretches
the piriformis muscle.
2–Sitting cross legged (Indian Style) and leaning forward and to the left and right over each knee while leaning forward. Sometimes the Sciatica nerve splits the bundle of muscle we call the piriformis and if the piriformis is tight, your low back and sciatica will be sore.
3–Get someone to massage deep up along your inner pelvis muscles through your operator foramen (on either side of your anus area) and feel for tight inner pelvis muscles. Experiment by sitting in a chair and leaning to one side of the other from your center sitting position. Notice if you have a habit of tightening your inner pelvic muscles (butt muscles-sit bone area) to keep your self centered as you lean over. If you do, then relax your butt muscles and move or lean from your waist area, from your belly, with your belly relaxed.
4–If you keep your wallet in your back pocket, take it out and put it in your front pocket instead, or get a fanny pack, so you don’t displace your pelvis with the bulky wallet in the way of sitting centered.
ARTHRITIC TYPE PAIN/ACHING OR JOINTS
The most common area people have issues with this type of pain is in the hips, knees, feet and ankles. First make sure no added pressure is on these parts. In Burmese position, do not cross the legs, but make sure one foot—or ankle—is in front of the other. In kneeling position, place a rolled up sock or other small object under the ankles so the ankles have a bend, instead of having them flatten out. A seat which is too low can cause pressure on the hips.
When knee pain happens, it is sometimes because the hamstrings are tight. Some gentle, yoga type stretching of these muscles—on a regular basis–can often relieve knee pain. Also, sitting in a sky position or easy pose—on a taller seat–places less bend in the knee. This is often a great way to sit with persistent knee pain. This often helps with the hips as well.
When kneeling, to avoid pain in the ankles, place a rolled up sock between your ankle and the sitting surface. This will keep your ankles at the same angle as if you were standing, with no pressure from an extreme bend in the ankle. Also, hanging the feet off the back edge of the zabuton can work as well.
Arthritis can be caused by many factors: past injuries, heavy metal poisoning from dental amalgams and immunizations, and poor diet to name a few. This pain can prevent many people from natural sitting, and in this case will need to be handled from a nutritional and medical angle. Here is a great article on arthritis and what can be done to prevent and reverse the condition.
http://www.litalee.com/
If mild pain arises while sitting, sometimes a shift of position is all that is needed, such as extending one or both legs out for a few minutes. See illustrations for examples of ways to alter your position without completely disrupting your sitting. Sitting on either a Tilt Seat™ or other similar chair–or on a zafu placed on a stool–is a great solution for people with limited flexibility and pain when getting up and down to the floor.
With natural sitting, the benefits of exercise and movement can be extended from the yoga mat and gym into everyday activities. to bring new possibilities in health and well being.
Here’s an excerpt pulled from a blog:
Correct posture: ear should line up with shoulder, hip, and ankle when standing comfortably. Common muscle aches (knots in the upper back) can be caused by walking with the head forward. The average human head weighs 8lbswhen aligned with the spine, your body doesn’t really feel that 8lbs. When you start putting that head forward, it puts strain on certain muscles in your upper back that have to constantly carry around those extra 8 lbs. The head supporting muscles never get a break, they’re constantly working out, much more than other back muscles. This leads to the head-supporting muscles (HSM) becoming significantly stronger than other surrounding and supporting muscles.
Since the HSM are then constantly working out- they’re in almost constant contraction, stretching out the other surround and supporting muscles that are no longer strong enough to counter the HSM contractions. In order to prevent tearing, the other supporting muscles go into a super contraction (ie knot) that can be very painful. Rounded shoulders are another symptom of poor posture. If you work out your chest and glamor shoulders (the front part of the shoulders) without also working out the back and supporting shoulder, you get a similar problem to the knots in your back. Basically your chest/shoulder muscles become too strong for the muscles in your back and supporting shoulder to keep your shoulders aligned properly.
When laying flat on your back, with your right arm at your side, the distance between the ground and the point part of your shoulder (where the collar bones meet), should be 1 inch. The most common rounded shoulder weak muscle group are the ones that pull you shoulder blades together. Rounded shoulder posture leads to a lot of shoulder grinding problems (things aren’t aligned properly, your joint cartilage suffers). Carrying around a heavy backpack naturally leads to both of these problems. As kids and through puberty you begin to walk with your head forward and naturally round your shoulders, and start associate this with “natural.” Realize its a problem now, look in a mirror, and start walking correctly. It will feel weird (really weird) the first day. After 3 days you’ll still slouch and whatnot, but it shouldn’t feel weird to walk correctly. Within a week, I’ve started noticing I’m naturally correcting my back almost without thinking. Be ready though, my back was really tired for the first 3 days (I suppose using muscles that I rarely use will do that).
Long plateaus in lifting (for the weight lifters), is ALMOST ALWAYS as a result of weak stabilizing muscles. If your whole shoulder is in shape, you can lift more with any specific part of it compared to part of your shoulder being weak and trying to lift that same weight
A meditation cushion or bench puts you in a relaxed but alert position where breathing, circulation, and life energy (a.k.a chi, prana, shakti or kundalini) flow optimally.
We recommend three basic positions:
1–Sukhasana (a.k.a Easy Pose and Perching)–usually using a Sky Bench™ or Tilt Seat™— is an asana similar to sitting in a simple cross-legged position.While opening the hips and lengthening the spine, the posture’s relative ease on the knees makes it easier than Siddhasana or Vajrasana for people with physical difficulties or limited flexibility.
2–Siddhasana (a.k.a. Burmese)–traditional cross-legged position–usually using a Zafu or Smile Cushion™.
3–Vajrasana (a.k.a Seiza or Kneeling)–usually using a Peace Bench™.
However, other positions are appropriate for some situations. The lounge position or Shavasana (laying flat) can actually be better at times when you are too tired to sit. Eco Backrest™ can be the perfect lounge chair for those times.
The positions are not necessarily product-specific, although certain products lend themselves to specific sitting methods.
Each person is built differently and will find her or his own individual meditation seat or combination of seats. Many people prefer to alternate between different sitting positions and different seats.
Sukhasana (a.k.a. Burmese and Cross-legged)
The legs are crossed in front, with the knees on the mat, and one foot in front of the other. This position offers the most stability, with three points touching the ground or cushion, creating a tripod effect.
The Smile Cushion™ is the most popular–and most ergonomically suited–cushion for this position. However, the Zafu is the traditional cushion for this. A Peace Bench™ works well for this too, if the bench is one size smaller than the size used for kneeling. This position is similar to the ‘lotus position”, of yogic origin. However, the lotus position can create stress on the knee joints and cause damage from cumulative effect. Sidhasana generally requires more flexibility than the other two positions, but is also more stable. If you desire to sit this way but don’t yet have the flexibility, we recommend starting with the Sukhasana. Gradually your leg and hip muscles will loosen and you will be able to ease into the true Burmese Position, with knees all the way down on the mat. This process can be enhanced by starting a gentle stretching routine for legs, hips and back. If taking this approach, you will probably need a support cushion to provide extra height for the sky position.
The Kneeling Position (a.k.a. VIJRASASA and SEIZA) on a Peace Bench™
Sitting on Tilt Seat with feet in front.
The SKY POSITION on a
SKY BENCH™
SHAVASANA or Lounge Position on the YOGA LOUNGE™
Sitting on Tilt Seat™ with feet in back ankles resting on lower bar.
The SKY POSITION on a
PEACE BENCH™
Sidhasana using a Zafu
Sidhasana using a Smile Cushion™
Vijransana (a.k.a Kneeling and Seiza)
The Peace Bench™ is normally used for this. A zafu or smile cushion™ turned on the side also works. Some people even prefer placing a zafu on top of another zafu and kneeling like a saddle, or alternatively, a smile cushion placed with tips facing down, with a support cushion under it.
Generally, the Kneeling Position requires less flexibility than the Burmese Position.
Sukhasana (a.k.a Perching and Easy Pose)
The knees are in the air–yet lower than the hips. This is a hybrid between the cross-legged and kneeling positions. This position is useful especially for those of us with limited flexibility.
The sky position requires a higher seat. If using a Smile Cushion™ or Zafu, place a Support Cushion under it to raise the height. Some people place one Zafu on top of another and find a good height that way. Others use a Peace Bench™. For this, a person would need a bench one size taller than the one they would use when kneeling.
The Tilt Seat™ also achieves this perching effect, and has the advantage of being at the height of a regular chair.
The lounge position (Shavasana)
This position is used for complete relaxation and resting of the back. This position is excellent when one is too tired to meditate sitting up. It can also be used for eating, reading, and laptop computer.
Meditation Seats Compared
1–If you like sitting in the cross legged (Burmese) position then you are probably better off with a Smile Cushion™. The Smile Cushion™ provides more surface area for your tush, which helps alleviate legs falling to sleep. The weight extends beyond the buttocks down the thighs. The Smile also provides more height than any other cushion we offer–if you want it. (Remember the height is adjustable). See below for a discussion of the different stuffing options.
2–If you like sitting in a kneeling position, then the meditation bench (Peace Bench™) is most suited for that. Meditation Benches or Seiza Benches, provide a way to sit in meditation posture without sitting cross-legged. Some people have problems with the type of leg stretching and flexibility required for sitting cross-legged. We offer four sizes to help you customize your sit. (Note: if you fall on the size cusp and your legs are longer than average for your height, go with the next size up. You need enough room beneath the bench so your ankles do not touch it. A bench cushion is also available separately which velcros securely with straps. This makes the bench experience much more comfortable. Some people like to buy two Peace Benches™–a smaller size for the kneeling position and a size or two larger for the sky sitting position.
3–The “Sky” position is a hybrid between the kneeling and the cross-legged (Burmese) position. The knees are in the air a few inches off the ground, yet lower than the hips. The best seat for this position is either 1) a meditation bench larger than what you would use for kneeling or 2) a smile cushion™ with a smile support cushion under it (to raise the height). Since this position requires less bending of the knees and legs than any other position, it works very well for people with special needs which limit flexibility. It is a perfectly balanced position and can be used by anyone. The Tilt Seat™ puts you in a sky position that is the height of a chair, or a bit higher. This is great for working at a table or computer as or meditating when getting up and down to the floor is an issue.
4–The zabuton (or sitting mat) provides essential cushioning for the knees, legs, ankles and feet. It also holds the cushion or bench more securely which results in a more stable and grounded posture. Many people buy the cushion or bench alone and use a folded blanket or similar cushion beneath in place of a zabuton. This is a good way to test the waters, but is not the best permanent set up. When you are ready for your very own zabuton, it is simply a choice of size. People less than six feet fit on a medium; six feet to six feet two inches use a large; and over 6′ 2″ use our Jumbo version. If you want a little extra room for your knees, order the next size up.
5–The support cushion is placed under the zafu or Smile Cushion™ to provide more height. It also can be used under a knee or placed on the lap to rest the hands on. It is especially useful for larger people needing more height than the zafu or smile provides, or those practicing the sky position.
6–For travel, either by foot, airplane, canoe or camel, the inflatable zafu is by far the easiest way to go. Only six ounces and the size of a paperback book when deflated, this small anomaly has baffled sages for ages. It’s there, but it’s not. What better thing to meditate on? You can have an instant zafu, but can you have instant enlightenment? It can be used in Burmese or kneeling positions. It also is perfect for lumbar support in airplanes, car seats, and chairs, when just barely inflated. It also works as a “wedge cushion” in chairs when barely inflated.
7–Our Tilt Seat is great for those who prefer sitting off the floor, but still have the ergonomic benefits that the floor devices give., which helps extend the good practices of autonomous sitting to other activities like computer or desk work. The Tilt Seat™ also serves as a meditation study table, alter, or reading/writing table. If you sit on a zafu, smile cushion™, or peace bench™, place the tilt seat™ in front of you with the low angle toward you, and place your reading/writing material on the surface.
FILLINGS
Organic buckwheat hull zafus and smiles are like firm beanbags. They move around a bit and conform to your shape, but offer a solid sit. Our buckwheat hulls are 2-3 sided, and each one has a slight spring or yielding quality. They also provide more height because they do not compress as much as kapok filled cushions. With a little effort, the hulls can be removed to machine wash the cover. Some people don’t like the extra weight (about twice as heavy as kapok) and there is a slight crunching sound when first sat on. It is a soft sound like someone walking on gravel and can be considered soothing, like gentle rain or leaves rustling.
Kapok stuffed zafus and smile cushions™ have the consistency of a sleeping bag stuffed into its stuff sack. Kapok is very fluffy when loose, but becomes firm, smooth, and solid when stuffed into a cushion. Kapok is the soft seed pod of the kapok tree and is harvested on plantations in Asia. Kapok fiber is naturally mold resistant and even floats (it is used to make aircraft seats and other flotation devices). Within a few months, a kapok zafu will loose some of its loft. But no problem–just add 1/2 pound of kapok to firm it up to its original height. Placing in the sun on a nice day or in a dryer on low will also fluff it up by extracting moisture.
Which stuffing creates a “softer”, or more comfortable sit? There is no answer to this, because there is no universally accepted definition of “comfort”. One big misconception of “soft” is that if it feels soft to the touch, it will feel soft when sitting on it. This is not true. When sitting, most of the body’s weight should be supported by the sit bones. If the cushion is too mushy, springy, (IE SOFT), there will be too much pressure on the leg muscles/buttocks and thus poor circulation and bruising.
In reality anything you sit on for a long period of time will eventually seem “hard”. Sitting or Standing or holding ANY POSITION too long can cause repetitive stress injuries. This technique of ‘natural sitting’ can make sitting more comfortable and possible for longer periods of time than a chair, but there are still limits. The reason for this is: the human body is designed for locomotion, not sitting. That’s why we offer so much information and instruction to help you get the most from your sitting experience. When it gets too hard, perhaps it’s time for a walking meditation, or a change of positions.
The good news is, with such a variety of options, we probably have a meditation seat just for you. And we have a great returns policy to help you fine tune your sitting environment.
I had wholly-debilitating symptoms of sciatica due to minor stenosis (@neural foramina) at L5/S1 that were so painful, I was prevented from pursuing employment as a massage therapist, let alone tolerate a car trip across town.
I was diagnosed with “degenerative disc disease,” but thankfully I met a surgical team who did not wish to cut on me to make me feel better for my particular pathology.
I originally purchased your chair [EcoBackrest™] with the intention of using it to help me recover from back surgery, as well as provide me a way to work on my computer in the only position that was comfortable at the time—laying prone and up on my elbows—but with the aid of my treatment team and my education. I chose the way of lifestyle changes and manual therapy.
I also implemented several changes suggested by the articles on your website: What’s Wrong with the Chair, Laptop Ergonomics, and The Chair-Free Lifestyle.
The EcoBackrest™ became an excellent tool to help educate my body on what exactly were beneficial positions of ease while relaxing, as well when it was time to get up and move again. It is also holding up well to much use. Since June, I’ve thrown out my sofa, sitting desk (replaced with standing desk,) & soft mattress, & soft pillows (replaced w/CM buckwheat pillows.) My only source of “lounging” seating in my home is the EcoBackrest™ chair. The rest are rolling stools and two hard, folding chairs which promote active sitting.
About Sleeping, after reading your article Sleep Ergonomics, Sweet Dreams on a Hard Surface
It took me about 6 weeks to transition from a thick, memory foam mattress to a 3″ pad on wooden slats. I had two beds going in my bedroom. I’d start the night on the pad on the floor and sleep until it was too painful to sleep, then finished the night on the old soft mattress. It took some time, but the structures in my spine eventually lengthened where necessary until I could go the whole night on the floor with the pad. This has corrected about 85-90% of the hyper-kyphosis I had going on in my thoracic spine. If I do too much heavy lifting in a day and my back is aching, I sleep on my back on the floor on a thinner pad to “fix” it by the next morning.
I also started walking 3mi, 3-6x week which helped my back pain tremendously.
There were unforeseen benefits to sitting on the floor too. It snuck in some strength training with getting up and down.
So last June I was in so much pain that I couldn’t stand or sit for more than 10 minutes before I had to lay down, ice myself & take drugs, and had no hope of pursuing my new massage career after graduating w/a 4.0. After all these body mechanics habits & lifestyle changes, ditching all prescription pain meds, plus using your chair, I’m able to massage again, am applying for work, and can go days without even thinking I need a tylenol for my back or foot pain. I still have positions that bring on the pain.
Losing lordosis in my lumbar spine will eventually bring it on… so no more poor body mechanics for me!
Now to share some information…
My Orthopedic Spine Surgeon, Dr. David Hanscom, is involved in a project of defining new non-surgical care protocols for the treatment of spinal injuries and back pain. It includes a program for people to participate in to eliminate their chronic pain called “Back in Control.” He has published this information “open source” so others may use it. I have been telling him about all my lifestyle changes I have made in addition to his treatment that have helped my pain just basically, evaporate. Dr. Hanscom has been quite surprised with my progress. I’ve responded quicker than most of his patients. I credit this greatly to the changes I made described above. Here is a link to a video where he speaks about how the term “degenerative disc disease” just needs to disappear. It is part of an interview with him on the myths surrounding spinal fusion surgery and the horrible statistics for prognosis afterwards, chronic back pain, and the role of the mind in the pain equation.
Here is a link to his “Back in Control” program. People do this on their own, at home. Those who actually perform the writing portion achieve the most success. http://www.drdavidhanscom.com/
In standard chair sitting there is NO COMFORTABLE POSITION that doesn’t create inflammation, joint stress, and repetitive use injury. Pressure points/ Inflammation shown in red.
Back pain is epidemic in America. It costs us over $4 billion each year and, aside from the common cold, keeps more people away from work than any other single cause. Diverse evidence from many cultures shows that sitting has been associated with numerous problems: back pain of all sorts, fatigue, varicose veins, stress, and problems with the diaphragm, circulation, digestion, elimination, and general body development. Ergonomic researchers believe if they could only invent the perfect chair, all this would be solved.
Dr. Galen Cranz’s, revolutionary book The Chair: Rethinking Culture, Body and Design offers another hypothesis.
After extensive research, she has reached the conclusion that no amount of ergonomic tinkering can correct the classic right-angle seated posture which is intrinsic in chairs. The problem with chairs, according to Cranz and other radical ‘somatic’ practitioners who practice ‘new ergonomics,’ is that we have been forced into a ‘table and chair’ culture, where many activities take place in a right-angled seated position. This position forces the body into a C-shaped slump and this places uneven pressure on the vertebral disks of the lower back. With time, the spine can become deformed and erode disks.
Dr. Cranz proposes all this effort could be better directed toward inventing an entirely new system to promote movement at work and at schools.
Native American girl in tipi with willow reed backrest.
When a person leans into the chair back, there is both a backward and a downward force. The downward force pushes the bottom of the pelvis forward. Eventually, the sitter finds himself sitting on his tailbone at the edge of the chair with the spine as a whole transformed into a C-shaped slouch. Of course the next step is to pick oneself up and lean back into the chair again. This only starts the whole process over again. ‘Sitting up straight’ has to be forced, and is probably worse than the slouch.
People in third world countries do not use chairs but sit on the ground or floor instead. These peoples have retained the ability to sit upright without back support–otherwise known as ‘autonomous’ or ‘active’ sitting. And history shows us evidence of autonomous sitting. Jesus’ last supper was actually not held at a table but in the typical Roman fashion of reclining in a U-shaped ‘triclinia.’ The host and guests ate while lying on their sides, propped up by a pillow. The term “sitting Indian style” comes from Native Americans who honor the earth by sitting on her. And the Buddha attained his enlightenment by just sitting (perhaps meditating) for several days with absolutely no back support.
So why is it so hard? Have you ever tried just sitting on the floor or ground? You must have noticed the body tends to fall down towards the back. You must have noticed that tremendous effort is needed to pull oneself forward to keep this from happening. A lifetime of using chairs and back support is all the difference. We are locked into a bad habit that saps energy, circulation, and strength. And on top of that, standard exercises can actually exacerbate the situation. The internal muscles of the pelvis and torso are toned only by using them in natural ways–e.g. active sitting, standing, walking, etc. Many callisthenic exercises such as sit-ups can create imbalance because all the muscles are not strengthened and toned evenly. In fact, the internal muscles may not be reached at all.
The Zen Office™ offers an alternative to Chair Sitting
The answer lies in re-educating the body to move the way it was designed. Simply by using the body properly, the muscles are toned and ‘autonomous’ or ‘active’ sitting can be regained. In America many people are now trying active sitting for meditation. It has long been known that active sitting can enhance the meditation experience. It does this by freeing circulation and breathing, which in turn helps induce relaxation. Back pain can hamper or even prevent one from meditation practice. People beginning meditation often encounter one or all of these challenges:
1) Being new to the ‘sport’, internal torso and pelvic muscles are atrophied and cannot support the body very long.
2) With meditation comes body awareness. A lot of people notice back pain where it might have been before but they hadn’t noticed it.
3) Improper ‘use’ of the body, or simply not having knowledge of good sitting technique, can cause worsening of a problem.
4) Sitting improperly with back support all day does not give the body much opportunity to learn new patterns.
5) A back that is out of alignment will be noticed once one starts sitting this way. Intervention such as chiropractic or rolfing may be necessary.
A “lumbar interbody fusion,” an operation in which the surgeon builds a metal cage around the spine. Very common injury and treatment which is easily avoided.
Since the human body is designed for movement, it doesn’t fit in well with the many hours of sitting required for the average American lifestyle. Most back pain is caused by the repetitive activity of sitting. We sit at home, in the car, at work or school, in the movies, with bodies bent into a right-angled position.
When people begin to meditate on a zafu or kneeling bench they are often completely unprepared. Five or ten minutes can be difficult. Also, it can seem uncomfortable and the meditation can become a struggle just to keep upright. Yet, if we don’t make the transition to active sitting, we will be forever victims of the common chair, prone to medically untreatable and mysterious back pain, injuries and spinal deformities.
The Alexander Technique is a remedy for the problems caused by improper use of the body. Today the Alexander Technique is especially used in dancing, acting, and sports for coordination and efficiency of movement. However it is useful to all of us for re-educating the body about natural movement which doesn’t strain the back and neck– simple every day activities like bending, reaching, walking and sitting. The A.T. involves ‘lessons’ where the teacher helps reeducate the body/mind into ‘good use.’ The backbone (pardon the expression) of the Alexander Technique is how the head, neck and torso are used. More specifically, that the head should be held in such a way (forward and up) that the length of the spine and neck are not shortened or curved. This goes for any activity whether sitting, speaking, or reaching.
Sitting Easy Pose which is similar to cross legged position only the knees are in the air and this doesn’t take as much flexibility as actual cross-legged sitting.
According to Dr. Galen Cranz in The Chair, even ergonomics only perpetuates the problems and misconceptions of sitting. “Ergonomics researchers assume, like most of us, that right-angle sitting is rational, that we need back support, and that we all value comfort. These assumptions get them into trouble–spawning contradictory concepts, invalid research methods, and conflicting recommendations.”
The controversy perhaps begins with the fact that there is no universally accepted operational definition of ‘comfort’. In fact, there are two conflicting points of view. The traditional ergonomic researchers believe comfort is achieved when no muscles are working. Practitioners of the New Ergonomics (including A.T. practitioners) believe comfort happens when an equal amount of work is performed by complimentary muscle groups, also referred to as ‘tonus’.
The ‘no-work’ school is responsible for chairs that ‘cradle’ the body or otherwise force the spine into a C shaped slump. The ‘Tonus’ school hold the radical view that back support is not necessary at all. However, in order for this to work, the legs should be at an angle of 135 degrees to the spine. This keeps the pelvis and therefore the spine in a similar position as walking. At this angle the work of sitting upright is distributed between the front and back of the spine and along its length most evenly. In the early 1970’s Peter Opsvik created the Norwegian Balans Chair™ in response to this knowledge. It is the first chair which allows the 135 degree leg angle in the West. This chair and cheap variations are now seen in offices throughout America, mostly used for computer work. Heeding the call, there have since been some other backless chairs introduced, such as the Bambach Saddle Seat™ and the Shaker style Tilt Seat™ by Carolina Morning Designs. The Tilt Seat™ has the advantage of no pressure on the knees, the ability to shift positions, and to get up and down easily. A similar effect can be accomplished by placing a zafu on a standard flat surfaced wooden chair or stool.
STAND UP DESK using the Tilt Seat™ as laptop stand and Peace Bench™ as keyboard stand. Notice the reverse angle on the Peace Bench™ so wrists are at ease.
Asians have had a completely different approach to sitting and furniture. For centuries Orientals have designed homes and work spaces around floor furniture. We mostly think of Japan and their tatami mats and corresponding futons which get rolled up by day and tucked in closets. You may have seen Japanese sitting neatly in rows like we sit in auditoriums, only they are flat out kneeling on their knees and legs. They also use other furniture or sitting devices called zafus and zabutons. Zafu (za’foo) translates to ‘sewn seat’ and is an oval shaped cushion placed on a zabuton. Zabuton (za’boo tan) translated to ‘sitting mat’ (futon is ‘sleeping mat’). When using a zafu and zabuton, one achieves the desired 135 degree leg-to-spine sitting angle. Also, this is the best position to allow ease of movement, either to get up or to change the angle or direction slightly. The ‘seiza’ or kneeling bench also allows the 135 degree leg-to-spine angle only without the need to cross the legs. Today in America many people who have been introduced to these ‘devices’ or ‘furniture’ for meditation are finding them completely suitable for other purposes. We received an e-mail by someone who was fed up with his ‘table and chair’ lifestyle that was hurting his back. He wanted advice on creating a computer work station on the floor. “Respond quickly,” he wrote, “I am sharpening my saw to cut the legs off of my desk.”
The New Ergonomics calls for a complete rethinking of the way we design and use furniture. The aim is to incorporate movement and wise use of the body into every activity. Here are some principles and guidelines:
1) Practice sitting without back support. This will necessitate a forward sloping seat of some kind. Start a few minutes a day and increase gradually.
2) Start replacing furniture in the house using principles of the New Ergonomics. Planar surfaces instead of contoured, firm instead of overstuffed, a variety of chairs and benches to accommodate different sizes, places to lie down.
3) Whenever you are tired and begin to slump, lay down a few minutes to regain energy. Prop your feet up if possible.
4) Replace sitting with other positions whenever possible. Reclining is one of the best positions for reading or talking on the phone. Also, squatting, standing, and crawling are other alternatives. Walking is often a great way to have a meeting or think through an idea.
5) Incorporate movement into your sitting. Take a break at least once an hour. Stretch, walk, stand up, jump on a mini-trampoline, hang from a bar or do some pull ups, or change positions as often as possible. Instead of sitting for long stretches, break it up with other activities.
6) Convert regular chairs by placing a zafu in the seat to offer an incline.
7) Use a slanted writing or reading surface such as a drafting table to prevent tilting of the head and neck. The desk will need to be taller than a standard desk, because the seat is taller.
The Earth is negatively charged. It has an endless supply of negative-charged free electrons. Anytime you have two conductive objects and they make contact, such as your bare feet and the ground, electrons will flow from the place where they are abundant to the place where there are fewer of them. The electrical potential of the two objects will thus equalize. That describes grounding simply.
The land and seas of planet Earth are alive with an endless and constantly replenished supply of electrons. Since all life makes direct contact with the surface of the planet—the skin of our bodies touching the skin of the Earth–our conductive bodies naturally equalize with the Earth. Figuratively speaking, we refill the electron level in our tank that has become low. How do we know that the body absorbs those electrons? In the 2005 study listed above it was proved with a simple experiment. Mr. Applewhite showed a voltage drop across an in-line resistor, measured with an oscilloscope, provided ample evidence of an exchange of electrons between the Earth and the body during grounding.
In North America, the power grid produces EMFs vibrating at 60Hz. This frequency alone is way above the natural resonance of the earth and the brain. Existing wires inside the walls of our homes produce EMFs even when appliances are not connected. The potential for interference of our internal communication system in our bodies varies from person to person and in different locations, depending on the intensity of the fields and how electron depleted we already are. Within an ungrounded body, electrons and other charged particles react with the environmental EMFs present in the immediate surroundings producing unnatural molecular perturbations. When a person is grounded to earth, the body is shielded from these perturbations by the Earth’s electrons. The Applewhite study we just described showed that when the body is directly connected and ‘plugged’ into the Earth, it is essentially shielded from electropollution. An EMF has both an electric and a magnetic field, and the difference between the two and their effects on the body are determined by the bodies current energy supply of free electrons from food and their own ATP production in mitochondria.
The findings of a team of researchers from the Imperial College in London and the University of Washington’s Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, in a 2007 report, said that measurements in an office setting showed that the electrical energies people are exposed to indoors for large periods of time escalate the risk of infection, stress, and degenerative diseases, and reduce oxygen uptake and activity levels. And I quote, ‘The nature of the electromagnetic environments that most humans are now regularly exposed to has changed dramatically over the past century and often bears little resemblance to those created in Nature’. ‘In particular, the increased masking/shielding/insulation of individuals from beneficial types of natural electromagnetic phenomena, the presence of synthetic materials that can gain strong charge and increase exposures to inappropriate electric field levels and polarities have greatly altered the electromagnetic nature of the microenvironments many individuals usually occupy.’ These environmental signs of EMF are codified by the magnetic cells in all life’s suprachiamatic nucleus (SCN) to give the brain another dimension of time to time the biochemical reactions of life for survival. The brain uses natural EMF resonance with light and dark to tell time. It is our brains Rolex.
..Every electromagnetic field has its own vibrational (oscillations) pattern that dictates fluxes, kinetics, and biochemistry. This means how the EMF field interact with proton, electron, and neutrons in our cells . Once the EMF changes from its base state, the Schumann vibration, then it means all biochemical behavior must also change. This change causes molecular chaos in a system. We call that inflammation.
Flame retardant chemicals are in almost everything: Not only in our TV’s, clothing, furniture, carpets and electronic equipment; they are also in our air, water, food and our own bodies. Their levels are especially high in our babies and children, because children eat, drink and breathe more than adults. These chemicals disrupt our thyroid function, immune systems, brain development and can possibly cause cancers. Human blood and tissue levels of these toxins have been doubling every two and a half years in the USA.
What are these chemicals and what can you do to protect yourself and your family from their effects?The manufacturers aren’t required to put the fire retardant chemicals on the label. The most commonly used chemicals, and their health hazards are:
* Boric acid – Inhaling the dust can cause headaches, coughing, dizziness or difficulty breathing. Prolong contact may cause skin sensitization.
* PBDE’s – are prohibited in the European Union after high levels were found in breast milk. California has decided to phase out the use of two of these, penta and octa PBDE by 2008. PBDEs accumulate in the body tissues and cause thyroid hormone disruption, permanent learning and memory impairment, decreased sperm count, fetal malformations, behavioral changes, hearing deficiencies and possibly cancer. U.S. women have levels in their body tissues 50 times more than European women. (For more eye-opening information, click on the link at the end of this report to “Our Stolen Future” Website containing results of a study of PBDEs).
* Formaldehyde – the U.S. Consumer Product and Safety Commission states in a report on urethane insulation, “Many health complaints, including irritation of the eyes, nose, throat, and skin, headaches and shortness of breath, have been reported to CPSC over the last several years by consumers who have had UFFI in their homes. Less frequently reported symptoms include chest pain, diarrhea, nausea, fatigue, and sleep disturbance. Studies have shown that formaldehyde in liquid solution (and possibly formaldehyde gas) can, through repeated exposure, cause sensitization in certain individuals. When exposed to formaldehyde gas, sensitized individuals may exhibit allergic dermatitis or mild-to-severe asthmatic reactions.” This was talking about formaldehyde outgassing from insulation. The same effects would occur from exposure to formaldehyde outgassing while you are sleeping in your bed. CPSC considers formaldehyde to be a potential human carcinogen.
* Decabromodipheyl Oxide – is a developmental toxicant. Exposing mothers to it during pregnancy can cause the death of or disrupt the development of the fetus. It causes birth defects and low birth weight. Behavioral or psychological problems can appear as the child grows.
* Melamine – is a reproductive toxicant, which can cause premature menopause, decreases in male and female fertility, onset of puberty, and changes in menstruation, gestation time, and lactation. It is a development toxicant with all of the hazards of Decabromodiphyl Oxide mentioned above. It is a cardiovascular and blood toxicant. This affects the ability of red blood cells to carry oxygen, white blood cells to fight disease, abnormal heartbeat, decreased blood flow, and elevated blood pressure.
* Antimony – The Australian Government Department of Environment and Heritage says of antimony,” Antimony compounds show toxic properties similar to those of arsenic. This depends on how much antimony a person has been exposed to, for how long, and current state of health. Exposure to high levels of antimony can result in a variety of adverse health effects. Breathing high levels for a long time can irritate eyes and lungs and can cause heart and lung problems, stomach pain, diarrhea, vomiting, and stomach ulcers. Ingesting large doses of antimony can cause vomiting. When eaten by mold or mildew, antimony releases a poisonous gas called stibine. This gas has caused epidemics of deaths in the past.
These are a few of the chemicals used as fire retardants. Polyols, toluene diisocyante, amines, siloxanes, styrene, limonene, benzene and many others are also used. If you find any chemicals listed on your mattress label, you can search the web for more information. Write the chemical in the search box adding a comma, then write “health hazard.” But you can’t trust the label, because by law therre is no requirement to list any or all of the ingredients.
Respiratory Toxicity of Mattress Emissions in Mice
SOURCE: Archives of Environmental Health, 55(1):38-43, 2000
“Groups of male Swiss-Webster mice breathed emissions of several brands of crib mattresses for two 1-hr periods. The authors used a computerized version of ASTM-E-981 test method to monitor respiratory frequncy, pattern, and airflow velocity and to diagnose abnormalities when statistically significant changes appeared. The emissions of four mattresses caused various combinations of upper-airways irritation (i.e., sensory irritation, lower-airways irritation (pulmonary irritation), and decreases in mid-expiratory airflow velocity. At the peak effect, a traditional mattress (wire springs with fiber padding) caused sensory irritation in 57% of breaths, pulmonary irritation in 23% of breaths, and airflow decrease in 11% of breaths. All mattresses caused pulmonary irritation, as shown by 17-23% of breaths at peak. The largest airflow decrease (i.e., affecting 26% of the breaths occurred with a polyurethane foam pad covered with vinyl. Sham exposures produced less than 6% sensory irritation, pulmonary irritation, or airflow limitation. Organic cotton padding caused very different effects, evidenced by increases in both respiratory rate and tidal volume. The authors used gas chromatography/mass spectrometry to identify respiratory irritants (e.g. styrene, isopropylbenzene, limonene) in the emissions of one of the polyurethane foam mattresses. Some mattresses emitted mixtures of volatile chemicals that had the potential to cause respiratory-tract irritation and decrease airflow velocity in mice.
Kapok (Ceiba pentandra) is a tropical tree of the order Malvales and the family Malvaceae (previously separated in the family Bombacaceae), native to Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean, northern South America, and (as the variety C. pentandra var. guineensis) to tropical west Africa. The word is also used for the fibre obtained from its seed pods. The tree is also known as the Java cotton, Java kapok, or ceiba. It is a sacred symbol in Maya mythology.
The tree grows to 60-70 m (200-230 ft) tall and has a very substantial trunk up to 3 m (10 ft) in diameter with buttresses. The trunk and many of the larger branches are densely crowded with very large, robust simple thorns. The leaves are compound of 5 to 9 leaflets, each up to 20 cm (8 in) and palm like. Adult trees produce several hundred 15 cm (6 in) seed pods. The pods contain seeds surrounded by a fluffy, yellowish fiber that is a mix of lignin and cellulose.
We have completely eliminated COTTON BATTING from our cushions. Cotton batting is one of the most chemically laden crops. 25% of all pesticides used in the world are on the cotton crop alone. Since the advent of synthetic fibers, kapok has virtually been eliminated as a mattress stuffing material, although this was traditionally the practice in Asia. For more info on the damaging effects of cotton, scroll down.
Conventional Cotton Statistics
Of all insecticides used globally each year, the estimated amount used on traditional cotton: 25%.
Five of the top nine pesticides used on cotton in the U.S. (cyanide, dicofol, naled, propargite, and trifluralin) are KNOWN cancer-causing chemicals. All nine are classified by the U.S. EPA as Category I and II— the most dangerous chemicals.
In the U.S. today, it takes approximately 8-10 years, and $100 million to develop a new pesticide for use on cotton. It takes approximately 5-6 years for weevils and other pests to develop an immunity to a new pesticide.
600,408 tons of herbicides, insecticides, fertilizers, fungicides, and other chemicals were used to produce cotton in 1992 in the 6 largest cotton producing states. (Agricultural Chemical Usage, 1992 Field Crops Summary, USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service)
Number of pesticides presently on the market that were registered before being tested to determine if they caused cancer, birth defects or wildlife toxicity: 400. (US EPA Pesticide Registration Progress Report, 1/93)
Amount of time it takes to ban a pesticide in the U.S. using present procedures: 10 years. (US EPA Pesticide Registration Progress Report, 1/93)
Number of active ingredients in pesticides found to cause cancer in animals or humans: 107.(After Silent Spring, NRDC, 6/93)
Of those active ingredients, the number still in use today: 83.(After Silent Spring, NRDC, 6/93)
Number of pesticides that are reproductive toxins according to the California E.P.A.: 15. (After Silent Spring, NRDC, 6/93)
Most acutely toxic pesticide registered by the E.P.A.: aldicarb (frequently used on cotton). (After Silent Spring, NRDC, 6/93)
Number of states in which aldicarb has been detected in the groundwater: 16. (After Silent Spring, NRDC, 6/93)
Percentage of all U.S. counties containing groundwater susceptible to contamination from agricultural pesticides and fertilizers: 46%. (After Silent Spring, NRDC, 6/93)
The Sustainable Cotton Project estimates that the average acre of California cotton grown in 1995 received some 300 pounds of synthetic fertilizers or 1/3 pound of fertilizer to raise every pound of cotton. Synthetic fertilizers have been found to contaminate drinking wells in farm communities and pose other long-term threats to farm land.
One of the commonly used pesticides on cotton throughout the world, endosulfan, leached from cotton fields into a creek in Lawrence County, Alabama during heavy rains in 1995. Within days 245,000 fish were killed over 16 mile stretch. 142,000 pounds of endosulfan were used in California in 1994.
In California’s San Joaquin Valley, estimates are that less than 25% of a pesticide sprayed from a crop duster ever hits the crop. The remainder can drift for several miles, coming to rest on fruit and vegetable crops, and farm- workers. One year more than one hundred workers fell ill after a single incident of such drift onto an adjacent vineyard.
In California, it has become illegal to feed the leaves, stems, and short fibers of cotton known as ‘gin trash’ to livestock, because of the concentrated levels of pesticide residue. Instead, this gin trash is used to make furniture, mattresses, tampons, swabs, and cotton balls. The average American woman will use 11,000 tampons or sanitary pads during her lifetime.
The problems with clothing production don’t stop in the field. During the conversion of conventional cotton into clothing, numerous toxic chemicals are added at each stage— silicone waxes, harsh petroleum scours, softeners, heavy metals, flame and soil retardants, ammonia, and formaldehyde— to name just a few.
The search for nontoxic cotton –
includes related article on minimizing textile toxicity
The process of manufacturing cotton clothing often includes the use of chemicals that can affect not only the environment, but the consumer as well.
Nylon, the first manufactured fiber to be sold commercially, made its debut in the form of stockings at the 1939 World’s Fair. Now, 53 years later, manufactured fibers–most notably, polyester, acrylic, and nylon–account for well over half of all textile fibers purchased in the United States.
Before the introduction of synthetics, people all over the world had dressed in, slept under, and eaten off of textiles made from natural fibers –primarily cotton, wool, silk, and linen. Globally, cotton remains the most utilized fiber. And despite the relatively recent popularity of synthetic-fiber textiles, which are actually plastics derived from petrochemicals, United States consumers desiring purity in a natural fiber continue to seek out cotton.
How Pure Is “100% Pure”?
Conventional cotton cultivation and manufacturing are very unnatural processes. Conventionally grown cotton sprouts from seeds that are routinely treated with one or more fungicides to forestall seedling rotting; at planting time, additional fungicides are often applied to the soil. To control weeds, cotton farmers use preemergent herbicides at or before planting time, and postemergent herbicides while the plants are growing. Crop dusters spray chemical defoliants on cotton fields prior to harvest so that the leaves will not stain the white fibers during the mechanical picking process. If a second growth appears before the harvest, farmers use chemical dessicants to kill the plants. Some cotton farmers spray their crops with chemical insecticides as a matter of course; others use pesticides only when insects multiply into numbers they consider dangerous.
All over the world, cotton is one of the crops most heavily treated by chemicals. And whereas many of the “heavy” pesticides–such as DDT –have been banned in the United States, they are still used in other countries, and they are used on cotton crops. Other pesticides used in cotton growing both here and abroad are also considered highly toxic. Moreover, as pests become resistant to these chemicals, greater quantities and more powerful varieties are used.
Cotton-growing practices in Third World countries have been implicated in ecological destruction as well as unjust treatment of laborers. Furthermore, conventional cotton farming worldwide, aside from using huge amounts of chemicals, requires vast quantities of fossil fuels to produce the chemicals and, particularly in the United States, consumes vast amounts of topsoil and water in irrigating the fields.
If all this isn’t enough to make you sweat and squirm in your 100 percent cotton duds, consider what happens to cotton after it’s picked and ginned to remove the seeds: the fiber is washed in various detergents, bleached, dyed, then treated with any number of chemicals, including those used in lye baths, sizing, and formaldehyde finishes.
What Are the Dangers of Wearing Cotton?
“I have no reason to believe that there’s any direct danger from pesticide residue to the consumer who buys and wears cotton,” says Debra Lynn Dadd, author of Nontoxic, Natural & Earthwise. “However, I am concerned about the effect of pesticides on the environment. I am also concerned about the effects–on both consumers and the environment–of some of the chemicals used in manufacturing and processing cotton.”
Environmentally, chemical fertilizers and pesticides have great staying power and an unnerving tendency to travel long distances–at times showing up far from the origin of spraying. Pesticide residues have been found in coral reefs around the world, as a result of runoff into water systems. And drift (a process whereby chemicals, particularly those that are sprayed, travel by air) often causes pesticide residues to land on organically grown fruits and vegetables. “Unfortunately, because of drift, organic does not necessarily mean pesticide-free,” says Brian Baker, technical director of California Certified Organic Farmers in Santa Cruz, California.
Pesticides can affect human members of the ecosystem as well. Cotton farmers and their families–indeed, anyone living near a community where cotton is grown conventionally–experience concentrated exposure to all the chemicals used before and during the growing process. “Absences from school due to sickness and general reports of ill health go way up during cotton defoliation season in California’s San Joaquin Valley,” notes Baker.
Similarly, chemicals used in processing and manufacturing cotton can have determental effects on the environment. As the by-products of these procedures pass into the effluent, their chemical content, temperature, and pH can disrupt the ecosystems into which they flow. One particularly problematic example is the by-product dioxin, which results from the use of chlorine in the bleaching of cotton fibers. In response to this problem, many manufacturers have switched to hydrogen peroxide as a bleaching agent. The by-products of hydrogen peroxide bleaching–specifically, hydrogen and oxygen–are less toxic than dioxin; however, possible problems associated with temperature changes and altered pH, and the unknown impact of introducing anything foreign into a given ecosystem, have convinced some environmentally conscious producers of cotton clothing to abandon the bleaching process altogether.
All round insecticides with many side effects
Endosulfan was used as an active ingredient in many pesticides as early as 1956. It has a wide range of use as an insecticide and plays an especially important role in cotton cultivation, as cotton in conventional production is particularly susceptible to pests and disease. In particular, endosulfan is used against one of the main cotton pests, the boll weevil Helicoverpa armigera.
Endosulfan is introduced to the environment via many retail products, (Thiodan being the most well-known worldwide), which are used on farms and cultivation areas. Apart from the previously mentioned use in cotton cultivation, the active ingredient is also used on tea and coffee plantations or in vegetable cultivation, as well as in fruit growing and in forestry. It is also used as a wood preservative.
Due to its broad-band effectiveness against insects and mites it is universally used as a form of contact poison or stomach insecticide. In addition, as its patent has now run out it is cheaply available on the market.
Therefore, as it is less expensive endosulfan is still used, especially in poorer countries.
As endosulfan is not aimed at a particular type of insect, other non-target organisms are also endangered. However, endosulfan is mainly associated with the many cases of poisoning which occur every year, mainly in developing countries.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has classified endosulfan as moderately dangerous due to its poisonous effects (Danger Class II); the American Environmental Agency EPA classifies endosulfan as highly dangerous.
PAN Asia and PAN Africa have long been campaigning for a worldwide ban on endosulfan due to frequent cases of poisoning. The substance is too dangerous for people in developing countries who are frequently illiterate and often do not have protective clothing.
Variety of poisoning possibilities
Pesticides do not only enter the body by using them directly. Many cases of poisoning occur due to contaminated drinking water and food which contains residues of endosulfan. Even smoke from a cigarette, the tobacco of which contains residues of endosulfan, can lead to poisoning as can contact with contaminated ground.
Realities in developing countries ignored
Pesticide manufacturers recommend the use of gloves, glasses, long clothing and a breathing mask when handling pesticides. However, in developing countries reality is sometimes very different. Under conditions of poverty, pesticides are usually handled without any protective clothing whatsoever. The climatic conditions also make the wearing of protective clothing in high temperatures a torment. Recommendations given by manufacturers are not suited to the conditions in tropical countries and are therefore unrealistic for many of the countries affected. Moreover, many of the users who only speak the local language are usually not able to understand the handling instructions, which are usually written in a European language, or they cannot read them at all.
International responsibility
According to a study by the Fraunhofer Institute in 2002, between 10,000 and 50,000 tons of endosulfan are produced each year in the EU. In the year 2003, in Germany alone, between 250 and 1,000 tons of endosulfan were exported. European and German concerns must therefore also take responsibility for poisonings in Southern countries
What happens in the body?
The exact mechanism of endosulfan in the body has not been completely researched. However, various studies have shown it to be extremely toxic and that it has a direct effect on the central nervous system. Many investigations prove that Endosulfan has a damaging effect on the skin, as well as on the mucus membranes of the breathing tract and the eyes. Additional symptoms of poisoning in humans are vomiting, diarrhoea, headaches, dizziness and restlessness which can increase and lead to disorientation and end in cramping attacks. As well as hyperactivity and twitching, symptoms such as breathing difficulties, lack of coordination in movement and lack of balance were observed. For those with a low protein diet, the effects of endosulfan are even more drastic. This is especially the case in many of the poorer countries where many people have to deal with the problem of malnutrition and undernourishment.
Although acute poisoning is the main problem, there are also possibilities of chronic effects on people who were exposed to small doses of endosulfan over a long period of time. Animal studies show that it affects the liver and kidney, as well as unborn foetuses. The animals examined also showed lack of resistance to disease.
Small amounts with great effects
The WHO, in cooperation with the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations), lays down the ADI values (Acceptable Daily Intake) for dangerous substances. The ADIs define the maximum amount of a substance which a person could consume on a daily basis during the whole of their life, without it resulting in any damage to their health. For endosulfan the value is 0.006 mg/kg body weight. An adult weighing 65 kg could therefore consume 0.36 mg of endosulfan a day without endangering themselves. Such a dose, taken over a period of 50 years, would result in the low risk amount of 7.12 g. This is the equivalent of two lumps of sugar. An unbelievably small amount in comparison to the production figures of the active ingredient.
Endosulfan also has an immense effect on the environment. Just small concentrations of endosulfan in water can cause lasting damage to plant and animal life.
Bans and new approvals
Endosulfan is no longer approved as a pesticide due to its toxicity in only four countries worldwide. It is completely banned in Sri Lanka, Norway, Belize and the Netherlands. Another four countries have limited its use. This is also the case in the German Federal Republic. The registration of the active ingredient ran out in West Germany on 26.11.1991, and in the newly-formed German states it didn’t run out until 1994 because of an interim arrangement. At present, a revision of older pesticides is being carried out at EU level within the framework of the pesticides authorization Directive 91/414. Endosulfan is already undergoing the reviewing process.
While some countries are trying to get endosulfan banned and others have already succeeded, in other parts of the world it is still used. In some West African countries it was re-approved for the Endosulfan Pestizid Aktions-Netzwerk e.V. (PAN Germany) 1999/2000 season and marketed by Aventis, whose agricultural branch has since been taken over by Bayer. Previous to this, the cotton crop had seriously declined as some pests had developed resistance to other pesticide active ingredients. In Senegal, the crop yield fell from 50,576 tons in the 1991/1992 season to 11,623 tons in the years 1998/1999. In the 2000/2001 season altogether 29,331 litres of Endosulfan were sprayed. The re-utilization of endosulfan led to many deaths. OBEPAB (Organisation Béninoise pour la Promotion de l’Agriculture Biologique) registered 37 deaths in the Borgou area in Benin during the 1999/2000 season. Another 36 people suffered serious poisoning. The total number of pesticide accidents was probably much higher. These examples illustrate just how hazardous endosulfan is.
Endosulfan in West Africa
In January 2001 until July 2003, PAN UK investigated the effects of various pesticide products on humans, in cooperation with PAN Africa, OBEPAB and some smaller African NGOs. This study was carried out in Benin, Mali and in Cameroon. In all three countries most of the pesticides used contained endosulfan. Blood probes were taken from farmers and tested for traces of endosulfan. In the Koutiala region in Mali a total of 28 cases of poisoning were reported. In Fana, Mali, 78 farmers from six villages were questioned. Here there were 19 poisonings. Most of those poisoned were illiterate adults, of whom only a few allowed themselves to be treated in hospital.
Carolina Morning Designs is a pioneer in the Organic Furniture movement. We have searched out the most eco-friendly materials we can find and always strive to improve in this area. We invent things you can use to replace the everyday toxic objects we have in our homes and work places.
Our products are made from meticulously sourced organic, eco-friendly, and/or recycled materials including Organic Cotton (with the option of conventional cotton for some products), Eco Wool®, kapok fiber, buckwheat hulls, beeswax, and flax seed. We use 100% recycled wood non-toxic Medex® for our benches and EcoBackrests™, and sustainably harvested poplar wood for our EcoSquares™. All of our wood products are finished with a whey-based non-toxic wood finish. We buy domestically produced and local/regional as often as possible.
Below is a discussion of each material and the facts around it.
BUCKWHEAT HULLS
Buckwheat is grown without herbicides and pesticides because this crop is not bothered by pests. Buckwheat is able to grow in poor soil without a problem. Buckwheat actually enhances the soil where it grows.
Our chemical-free buckwheat hulls are sustainably grown as a combination “green manure” or cover crop, and a crop producing Kashi – a roasted buckwheat cereal. There are two main milling processes for buckwheat that produce very different hulls. With the ROASTING process, dust is burned off instead of using water, and makes a clean, sturdy hull that smells like, well, roasted buckwheat. The other buckwheat milling process is to mill the hull WITHOUT ROASTING it first. This produces an inferior hull which requires washing to remove dust. The ROASTING method, in our experience, produces a better, longer lasting hull. However, there are no ROASTED hulls which are certified organic. We have chosen the ROASTED hulls because we feel the certification process is minor in this case, since this buckwheat is grown totally without pesticides, herbicides or other chemicals. Click here for research on the buckwheat growing process.
KAPOK
Kapok is soft, smooth, hygienic, non-toxic, hypoallergenic and environmentally friendly. It is breathable, allows air circulation and has healthful benefits. It can be reused for generations, without developing mold or decaying. It even floats!
Kapok is one of the few sustainable rainforest crops. It is grown without herbicides and pesticides because this crop is not bothered by pests. Kapok actually enhances the soil and ecosystem where it grows.
Kapok fiber comes from the seed pod of the majestic kapok tree. Kapok, an ancient treasure, has for centuries, represented a prized possession and historically used by gurus, saints and spiritual masters who marveled at its unique characteristics such as its ability to shape to the body with rebounding instantly to its original fluffy shape.
Kapok (Ceiba pentandra) is a tropical tree of the order Malvales and the family Malvaceae (previously separated in the family Bombacaceae), native to Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean, northern South America, and (as the variety C. pentandra var. guineensis) to tropical west Africa. The word is also used for the fibre obtained from its seed pods. The tree is also known as the Java cotton, Java kapok, or ceiba. It is a sacred symbol in Maya mythology.
The tree grows to 60-70 m (200-230 ft) tall and has a very substantial trunk up to 3 m (10 ft) in diameter with buttresses. The trunk and many of the larger branches are densely crowded with very large, robust simple thorns. The leaves are compound of 5 to 9 leaflets, each up to 20 cm (8 in) and palm like. Adult trees produce several hundred 15 cm (6 in) seed pods. The pods contain seeds surrounded by a fluffy, yellowish fiber that is a mix of lignin and cellulose.
We have completely eliminated COTTON BATTING from our cushions and replaced it with kapok. Since we live in the south we noticed cotton batting has a tendency to mold from simple humidity in the air. Cotton is also one of the most chemically laden crops. 25% of all pesticides used in the world are on the cotton crop alone. Kapok has been used for centuries as stuffing material for sleeping and sitting mats and mattresses. Since the advent of synthetic fibers, kapok has virtually been eliminated as a mattress stuffing material.
POPLAR WOOD
Eco Squares™ and railings are made from sustainably harvested poplar wood grown and milled in our own Appalachian Mountains.
MEDEX
Our Tilt Seats™, Peace Benches™, Sky Benches™, and Eco Backrest™ frames are all made from Medex. Medex is an eco-friendly, sustainable, moisture resistant, medium density fiberboard (MDF), utilizing a formaldehyde-free adhesive system and 100% post-industrial recycled wood fiber.
This recycled wood fiber is a by-product of other wood manufacturing processes, and includes the resultant waste such as sawdust, veneer backer boards, peeler cores.
Eco Wool is used in our futons as the ‘barrier’ layer. That means it is surrounding the outer boundaries of the futon and is itself encased in an organic cotton fabic. Eco Wool Felt Barrier Cloth adds a nice resiliency or spring to the futon and at the same time protects the futon from becoming a fire hazard.
The name “Eco Wool” is the signature product of Woolgatherers Carding Mill.
Eco Wool® batting is made from a blend of wool from different sheep breed. Each wool grower must ensure that fleeces come from healthy sheep raised on sustainably managed lands. They pay collaborating wool growers a premium for the best fleeces from their flocks. Fleeces are then cleaned and carded on a full wool card line, which produces the finest known woolen batting available.
Our growers ensure:
PROPER GRAZING METHODS: Adequate field rotation to decrease soil erosion and to reduce the risk of sheep acquiring internal parasites.
PREDATOR FRIENDLY: Growers are encouraged to use trained sheep guardian dogs (not trapping or shooting) and the inclusion of other larger animals, such as llamas, to guard the flock.
HEALTHY VETERINARY PRACTICES: Only certain kinds of medications and supplements can be used to treat the sheep. Alternative caring methods are preferred to keep sheep healthy with fewer chemicals.
CHEMICAL CONTROL: Eco Wool opposes the use of herbicides and pesticides on fields that the sheep will be grazing in. We are able to determine if growers use these chemicals in our routine wool chemical testing.
SPECIFICATIONS FOR BREED, COLOR, STRENGTH AND MICRON-WIDTH: The Woolgatherer Carding Mill blend uses wool from six to eight different breeds, depending on availability. Eco Wool does not allow black wool and very little canary yellow wool in the ECO WOOL blend.
SKIRTING: Skirting is the process of removing less-desirable wool from the belly and back end of the sheep. This wool is separated on a skirting table and sold to other clients. In addition samples of wool are sent to two separate laboratories for chemical testing. A sample of the raw wool is sent to the University of Utah, and a sample of the batting is sent to Oeko-Tech Laboratory in Germany. The University of Mass-Lowell performed tests comparing Eco Wool batting to a competitorÕs for strength, resilience, flammability, and endurance. Their tests demonstrated that a mattress made with ECO WOOL batting would last twice as long as the competitor’s before flattening on top.
Common Wool Industry Practices That the Woolgatherer Carding Mill Opposes:
CARBONIZING: Destroying vegetable matter lodged in wool using harsh acid; leaving the wool dried and unnaturally crimped. This method is used with New Zealand wool, as it tends to contain more veggie matter (5%VM). DIPPING: Bathing sheep in chemicals to ward off pests and insects.
BLEACHING: Different chemical solutions can be applied to whiten wool during and after scouring.
CARELESS SHEARING: Shearers are often paid per sheep, encouraging the average shearer to hurry. This leads to small wounds on the sheep that can easily become infected.
OVER-GRAZING: Crowding too many sheep onto land destroys vegetation and leads to erosion. If a field becomes barren, the grower must bring in dry feed that can add additional veggie-matter to the fleece.
SPECIFICATIONS FOR BREED, COLOR, STRENGTH AND MICRON-WIDTH: The Woolgatherer Carding Mill blend uses wool from six to eight different breeds, depending on availability. Eco Wool does not allow black wool and very little canary yellow wool in the ECO WOOL blend.
SKIRTING: Skirting is the process of removing less-desirable wool from the belly and back end of the sheep. This wool is separated on a skirting table and sold to other clients. In addition samples of wool are sent to two separate laboratories for chemical testing. A sample of the raw wool is sent to the University of Utah, and a sample of the batting is sent to Oeko-Tech Laboratory in Germany. The University of Mass-Lowell performed tests comparing Eco Wool batting to a competitorÕs for strength, resilience, flammability, and endurance. Their tests demonstrated that a mattress made with ECO WOOL batting would last twice as long as the competitor’s before flattening on top. What Follows are some notes on the ecological and health impacts of the textile industry (natural materials vs. synthetic)
Common Wool Industry Practices:
CARBONIZING: Destroying vegetable matter lodged in wool using harsh acid; leaving the wool dried and unnaturally crimped. This method is used with New Zealand wool, as it tends to contain more veggie matter (5%VM). DIPPING: Bathing sheep in chemicals to ward off pests and insects.
BLEACHING: Different chemical solutions can be applied to whiten wool during and after scouring.
CARELESS SHEARING: Shearers are often paid per sheep, encouraging the average shearer to hurry. This leads to small wounds on the sheep that can easily become infected.
OVER-GRAZING: Crowding too many sheep onto land destroys vegetation and leads to erosion. If a field becomes barren, the grower must bring in dry feed that can add additional veggie-matter to the fleece. R
Conventional Cotton Statistics
Of all insecticides used globally each year, the estimated amount used on traditional cotton: 25%.
Five of the top nine pesticides used on cotton in the U.S. (cyanide, dicofol, naled, propargite, and trifluralin) are KNOWN cancer-causing chemicals. All nine are classified by the U.S. EPA as Category I and II— the most dangerous chemicals.
In the U.S. today, it takes approximately 8-10 years, and $100 million to develop a new pesticide for use on cotton. It takes approximately 5-6 years for weevils and other pests to develop an immunity to a new pesticide.
600,408 tons of herbicides, insecticides, fertilizers, fungicides, and other chemicals were used to produce cotton in 1992 in the 6 largest cotton producing states. (Agricultural Chemical Usage, 1992 Field Crops Summary, USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service)
Number of pesticides presently on the market that were registered before being tested to determine if they caused cancer, birth defects or wildlife toxicity: 400. (US EPA Pesticide Registration Progress Report, 1/93)
Amount of time it takes to ban a pesticide in the U.S. using present procedures: 10 years. (US EPA Pesticide Registration Progress Report, 1/93)
Number of active ingredients in pesticides found to cause cancer in animals or humans: 107.(After Silent Spring, NRDC, 6/93)
Of those active ingredients, the number still in use today: 83.(After Silent Spring, NRDC, 6/93)
Number of pesticides that are reproductive toxins according to the California E.P.A.: 15. (After Silent Spring, NRDC, 6/93)
Most acutely toxic pesticide registered by the E.P.A.: aldicarb (frequently used on cotton). (After Silent Spring, NRDC, 6/93)
Number of states in which aldicarb has been detected in the groundwater: 16. (After Silent Spring, NRDC, 6/93)
Percentage of all U.S. counties containing groundwater susceptible to contamination from agricultural pesticides and fertilizers: 46%. (After Silent Spring, NRDC, 6/93)
The Sustainable Cotton Project estimates that the average acre of California cotton grown in 1995 received some 300 pounds of synthetic fertilizers or 1/3 pound of fertilizer to raise every pound of cotton. Synthetic fertilizers have been found to contaminate drinking wells in farm communities and pose other long-term threats to farm land.
One of the commonly used pesticides on cotton throughout the world, endosulfan, leached from cotton fields into a creek in Lawrence County, Alabama during heavy rains in 1995. Within days 245,000 fish were killed over 16 mile stretch. 142,000 pounds of endosulfan were used in California in 1994.
In California’s San Joaquin Valley, estimates are that less than 25% of a pesticide sprayed from a crop duster ever hits the crop. The remainder can drift for several miles, coming to rest on fruit and vegetable crops, and farm- workers. One year more than one hundred workers fell ill after a single incident of such drift onto an adjacent vineyard.
In California, it has become illegal to feed the leaves, stems, and short fibers of cotton known as ‘gin trash’ to livestock, because of the concentrated levels of pesticide residue. Instead, this gin trash is used to make furniture, mattresses, tampons, swabs, and cotton balls. The average American woman will use 11,000 tampons or sanitary pads during her lifetime.
The problems with clothing production don’t stop in the field. During the conversion of conventional cotton into clothing, numerous toxic chemicals are added at each stage— silicone waxes, harsh petroleum scours, softeners, heavy metals, flame and soil retardants, ammonia, and formaldehyde— to name just a few.
The search for nontoxic cotton –
includes related article on minimizing textile toxicity
The process of manufacturing cotton clothing often includes the use of chemicals that can affect not only the environment, but the consumer as well.
Nylon, the first manufactured fiber to be sold commercially, made its debut in the form of stockings at the 1939 World’s Fair. Now, 53 years later, manufactured fibers–most notably, polyester, acrylic, and nylon–account for well over half of all textile fibers purchased in the United States.
Before the introduction of synthetics, people all over the world had dressed in, slept under, and eaten off of textiles made from natural fibers –primarily cotton, wool, silk, and linen. Globally, cotton remains the most utilized fiber. And despite the relatively recent popularity of synthetic-fiber textiles, which are actually plastics derived from petrochemicals, United States consumers desiring purity in a natural fiber continue to seek out cotton.
How Pure Is “100% Pure”?
Conventional cotton cultivation and manufacturing are very unnatural processes. Conventionally grown cotton sprouts from seeds that are routinely treated with one or more fungicides to forestall seedling rotting; at planting time, additional fungicides are often applied to the soil. To control weeds, cotton farmers use preemergent herbicides at or before planting time, and postemergent herbicides while the plants are growing. Crop dusters spray chemical defoliants on cotton fields prior to harvest so that the leaves will not stain the white fibers during the mechanical picking process. If a second growth appears before the harvest, farmers use chemical dessicants to kill the plants. Some cotton farmers spray their crops with chemical insecticides as a matter of course; others use pesticides only when insects multiply into numbers they consider dangerous.
All over the world, cotton is one of the crops most heavily treated by chemicals. And whereas many of the “heavy” pesticides–such as DDT –have been banned in the United States, they are still used in other countries, and they are used on cotton crops. Other pesticides used in cotton growing both here and abroad are also considered highly toxic. Moreover, as pests become resistant to these chemicals, greater quantities and more powerful varieties are used.
Cotton-growing practices in Third World countries have been implicated in ecological destruction as well as unjust treatment of laborers. Furthermore, conventional cotton farming worldwide, aside from using huge amounts of chemicals, requires vast quantities of fossil fuels to produce the chemicals and, particularly in the United States, consumes vast amounts of topsoil and water in irrigating the fields.
If all this isn’t enough to make you sweat and squirm in your 100 percent cotton duds, consider what happens to cotton after it’s picked and ginned to remove the seeds: the fiber is washed in various detergents, bleached, dyed, then treated with any number of chemicals, including those used in lye baths, sizing, and formaldehyde finishes.
What Are the Dangers of Wearing Cotton?
“I have no reason to believe that there’s any direct danger from pesticide residue to the consumer who buys and wears cotton,” says Debra Lynn Dadd, author of Nontoxic, Natural & Earthwise. “However, I am concerned about the effect of pesticides on the environment. I am also concerned about the effects–on both consumers and the environment–of some of the chemicals used in manufacturing and processing cotton.”
Environmentally, chemical fertilizers and pesticides have great staying power and an unnerving tendency to travel long distances–at times showing up far from the origin of spraying. Pesticide residues have been found in coral reefs around the world, as a result of runoff into water systems. And drift (a process whereby chemicals, particularly those that are sprayed, travel by air) often causes pesticide residues to land on organically grown fruits and vegetables. “Unfortunately, because of drift, organic does not necessarily mean pesticide-free,” says Brian Baker, technical director of California Certified Organic Farmers in Santa Cruz, California.
Pesticides can affect human members of the ecosystem as well. Cotton farmers and their families–indeed, anyone living near a community where cotton is grown conventionally–experience concentrated exposure to all the chemicals used before and during the growing process. “Absences from school due to sickness and general reports of ill health go way up during cotton defoliation season in California’s San Joaquin Valley,” notes Baker.
Similarly, chemicals used in processing and manufacturing cotton can have determental effects on the environment. As the by-products of these procedures pass into the effluent, their chemical content, temperature, and pH can disrupt the ecosystems into which they flow. One particularly problematic example is the by-product dioxin, which results from the use of chlorine in the bleaching of cotton fibers. In response to this problem, many manufacturers have switched to hydrogen peroxide as a bleaching agent. The by-products of hydrogen peroxide bleaching–specifically, hydrogen and oxygen–are less toxic than dioxin; however, possible problems associated with temperature changes and altered pH, and the unknown impact of introducing anything foreign into a given ecosystem, have convinced some environmentally conscious producers of cotton clothing to abandon the bleaching process altogether.
All round insecticides with many side effects
Endosulfan was used as an active ingredient in many pesticides as early as 1956. It has a wide range of use as an insecticide and plays an especially important role in cotton cultivation, as cotton in conventional production is particularly susceptible to pests and disease. In particular, endosulfan is used against one of the main cotton pests, the boll weevil Helicoverpa armigera.
Endosulfan is introduced to the environment via many retail products, (Thiodan being the most well-known worldwide), which are used on farms and cultivation areas. Apart from the previously mentioned use in cotton cultivation, the active ingredient is also used on tea and coffee plantations or in vegetable cultivation, as well as in fruit growing and in forestry. It is also used as a wood preservative.
Due to its broad-band effectiveness against insects and mites it is universally used as a form of contact poison or stomach insecticide. In addition, as its patent has now run out it is cheaply available on the market.
Therefore, as it is less expensive endosulfan is still used, especially in poorer countries.
As endosulfan is not aimed at a particular type of insect, other non-target organisms are also endangered. However, endosulfan is mainly associated with the many cases of poisoning which occur every year, mainly in developing countries.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has classified endosulfan as moderately dangerous due to its poisonous effects (Danger Class II); the American Environmental Agency EPA classifies endosulfan as highly dangerous.
PAN Asia and PAN Africa have long been campaigning for a worldwide ban on endosulfan due to frequent cases of poisoning. The substance is too dangerous for people in developing countries who are frequently illiterate and often do not have protective clothing.
Variety of poisoning possibilities
Pesticides do not only enter the body by using them directly. Many cases of poisoning occur due to contaminated drinking water and food which contains residues of endosulfan. Even smoke from a cigarette, the tobacco of which contains residues of endosulfan, can lead to poisoning as can contact with contaminated ground.
Realities in developing countries ignored
Pesticide manufacturers recommend the use of gloves, glasses, long clothing and a breathing mask when handling pesticides. However, in developing countries reality is sometimes very different. Under conditions of poverty, pesticides are usually handled without any protective clothing whatsoever. The climatic conditions also make the wearing of protective clothing in high temperatures a torment. Recommendations given by manufacturers are not suited to the conditions in tropical countries and are therefore unrealistic for many of the countries affected. Moreover, many of the users who only speak the local language are usually not able to understand the handling instructions, which are usually written in a European language, or they cannot read them at all.
International responsibility
According to a study by the Fraunhofer Institute in 2002, between 10,000 and 50,000 tons of endosulfan are produced each year in the EU. In the year 2003, in Germany alone, between 250 and 1,000 tons of endosulfan were exported. European and German concerns must therefore also take responsibility for poisonings in Southern countries
What happens in the body?
The exact mechanism of endosulfan in the body has not been completely researched. However, various studies have shown it to be extremely toxic and that it has a direct effect on the central nervous system. Many investigations prove that Endosulfan has a damaging effect on the skin, as well as on the mucus membranes of the breathing tract and the eyes. Additional symptoms of poisoning in humans are vomiting, diarrhoea, headaches, dizziness and restlessness which can increase and lead to disorientation and end in cramping attacks. As well as hyperactivity and twitching, symptoms such as breathing difficulties, lack of coordination in movement and lack of balance were observed. For those with a low protein diet, the effects of endosulfan are even more drastic. This is especially the case in many of the poorer countries where many people have to deal with the problem of malnutrition and undernourishment.
Although acute poisoning is the main problem, there are also possibilities of chronic effects on people who were exposed to small doses of endosulfan over a long period of time. Animal studies show that it affects the liver and kidney, as well as unborn foetuses. The animals examined also showed lack of resistance to disease.
Small amounts with great effects
The WHO, in cooperation with the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations), lays down the ADI values (Acceptable Daily Intake) for dangerous substances. The ADIs define the maximum amount of a substance which a person could consume on a daily basis during the whole of their life, without it resulting in any damage to their health. For endosulfan the value is 0.006 mg/kg body weight. An adult weighing 65 kg could therefore consume 0.36 mg of endosulfan a day without endangering themselves. Such a dose, taken over a period of 50 years, would result in the low risk amount of 7.12 g. This is the equivalent of two lumps of sugar. An unbelievably small amount in comparison to the production figures of the active ingredient.
Endosulfan also has an immense effect on the environment. Just small concentrations of endosulfan in water can cause lasting damage to plant and animal life.
Bans and new approvals
Endosulfan is no longer approved as a pesticide due to its toxicity in only four countries worldwide. It is completely banned in Sri Lanka, Norway, Belize and the Netherlands. Another four countries have limited its use. This is also the case in the German Federal Republic. The registration of the active ingredient ran out in West Germany on 26.11.1991, and in the newly-formed German states it didn’t run out until 1994 because of an interim arrangement. At present, a revision of older pesticides is being carried out at EU level within the framework of the pesticides authorization Directive 91/414. Endosulfan is already undergoing the reviewing process.
While some countries are trying to get endosulfan banned and others have already succeeded, in other parts of the world it is still used. In some West African countries it was re-approved for the Endosulfan Pestizid Aktions-Netzwerk e.V. (PAN Germany) 1999/2000 season and marketed by Aventis, whose agricultural branch has since been taken over by Bayer. Previous to this, the cotton crop had seriously declined as some pests had developed resistance to other pesticide active ingredients. In Senegal, the crop yield fell from 50,576 tons in the 1991/1992 season to 11,623 tons in the years 1998/1999. In the 2000/2001 season altogether 29,331 litres of Endosulfan were sprayed. The re-utilization of endosulfan led to many deaths. OBEPAB (Organisation Béninoise pour la Promotion de l’Agriculture Biologique) registered 37 deaths in the Borgou area in Benin during the 1999/2000 season. Another 36 people suffered serious poisoning. The total number of pesticide accidents was probably much higher. These examples illustrate just how hazardous endosulfan is.
Endosulfan in West Africa
In January 2001 until July 2003, PAN UK investigated the effects of various pesticide products on humans, in cooperation with PAN Africa, OBEPAB and some smaller African NGOs. This study was carried out in Benin, Mali and in Cameroon. In all three countries most of the pesticides used contained endosulfan. Blood probes were taken from farmers and tested for traces of endosulfan. In the Koutiala region in Mali a total of 28 cases of poisoning were reported. In Fana, Mali, 78 farmers from six villages were questioned. Here there were 19 poisonings. Most of those poisoned were illiterate adults, of whom only a few allowed themselves to be treated in hospital.
“I saw someone using a zafu at a retreat and I thought: Wow! this is the greatest thing anyone has invented since the wheel.” Soyun Kim (Passionist Lay Missioner)
I’ve been struggling with my meditation practice for a while due to hip pain. Now I know I just didn’t have the proper equipment. From the instant I sat on my lovely lavender cloud I felt comfortable and eager to practice. Thank you for making such beautiful, safe and comfortable products!
Sincerely, Rebecca Lanning.
Dear Friends at Carolina Morning Design,
Thank you for supporting City Dharma, a newly forming community here in Pittsburgh, PA .Here is a picture of our small yet committed group of Carnegie Mellon University staff and friends.
With bows of gratitude,
Rev. Jisen
I just purchased your Smile Cushion from Dancing Moon in Raleigh, NC this afternoon and couldn’t be happier!!I have horrible low back pain and numbness going down through my legs and haven’t had any all evening!!
My husband and I are looking forward to purchasing more of your products as we begin to streamline our life and getting rid of the excess “stuff”.
Thank you for making such a wonderful product and for being an ethically green and sound company.
Molly Austin, Raleigh, NC
Testimonials
I love that I can fluff/redistribute the kapok as needed. I could never do that when my last mattress started to dip. My husband had been sleeping on the floor for a year before we bought the futons. We are now, happily sleeping together.
–Ebonie Moore, Chicago, IL
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I can’t imagine sleeping on anything else. I think it has to do with the natural materials and how they relate to my body. I love this bed so much!
Timothy Redmond, Charlotte, NC
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You’re products made it possible for my wife and I to move to a small apartment in style. Never slept so good in years–even on an expensive bed. You have obviously put much talent and time into developing deceptively simple concepts that allowed us to walk in and buy off the shelf all that we needed to downscale, simplify, and green our abode. Moving was a breeze! Thank you so much!
Jon Towers, Boone, NC
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FUTON
I had been plagued for many years with constant low-back pain. I take care of myself and try to stay healthy, so this constant pain was getting in my way. Every now and again, I would even get sciatica pains to add to it. It came time to get a new mattress, and I decided to do some research. I was thinking about a futon…and I started reading about Japanese-style. Long story short, I decided to get one from Carolina Morning, and I am so glad that I did. It has been the most comfortable sleep I have ever had. I no longer have chronic low-back pain…and that is just from changing over to sleeping on this mat on the floor! I have not been to a chiropractor or anyone else, the result came strictly from sleeping on this futon. I have been telling people about it ever since! 🙂 Thank you!
Heather Hollywood, PA
“We had imagined a platform like your modular futon and planned to build one until I found your web site. We assembled it last night and the packaging and craftsmanship of the product are awesome. We are so excited about the quality of your product we ordered the backrest and a zabuton today. Great work!”
Adam Khalfalla
Toronto, Ontario
“In July I went to a 3 week intensive program at Shambhala Mountain Center in Colorado where they only have gomdens, high, firm rectangular cushions. Since I was packing for 3 weeks in a tent, I didn\’t have room for my zafu, so in desperation I ordered your inflatable zafu. It was fantastic. I used it all day every day. I didn\’t even have to add air to it. I was thrilled, and now I have a travel zafu for future use. Thank you so much!” – Judy, Dorchester MA
PEACE BENCH********************
stimonials:I just received my Peace Bench last night and used it this morning. It is amazing! Thanks so much. I have been meditating since 1993 and have graduated from a hard filled zafu, to buckwheat, to now a bench following a recent back injury (sciatica) that has made it difficult to sit cross legged, even now that the injury has healed. I have been kneeling with two cushions and decided to try the bench. I couldn’t be happier. It is so comfortable. I was able to sit very peacefully without uncomfortable pressure in my hips, knees, shins, feet or back. Bravo! I thank you very very much and will recommend this bench to my friends and mentors in my sangha in Los Angeles! I also have a body pillow which I love from your company. I love it so much that I took it with me on a meditation retreat to Thailand in October! Thanks for your great products.
Blessings,
Karen
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I just received my peace bench today, and I just wanted to thank you. I love it! The wood has such a nice feel, and I’m thrilled with how light, portable and handsome it is. And you sent it out so quickly too. Now all I have to do is get my family and friends into meditation, and I’ll have the perfect gift for them :).
Best regards,
Michael
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I love my Peace Bench. It has really improved my ability to focus because I am not sitting in an uncomfortable position.
Your products are great.
Chad
I received my Zen Office today and was amazed by how something so simple made such a difference in my posture, breathing, and overall comfort. I’m a bit on the heavy side and found the sky position to be the most effective and comfortable for my body type when using the Peace Bench. As for the Tilt Seat, it’s equally comfortable to sit on when I’m not using it as a laptop desk. I plan to take the Tilt Seat to work with me and banish my uncomfortable office chair to the storage closet!
Josiah
Dear Carolina Mornings,
I had lived with chronic back pain for twenty-five years. This pain has awakened me every single night since its inception when I was nineteen years old. I am now forty-four.
I have used inversion tables, physical therapy, stretching (which I still do), yoga (which I still do), special exercises (which I still do), hypnosis for pain, a variety of chiropractors and massage therapists, and even seening accredited “healers” in hopes of getting something more than slight transient relief of this chronic pain.
Within two hours of my first usage of the tilt chair and peace bench, I noticed a gradual relieving of the constant strained feeling in my lower back! By the time the first two hours were up, I reported 80% to 90% relief of all back pain and soreness, shoulder stiffness and soreness, and 80% relief of neck soreness, aching and stiffness.
I then tried a few gentle stretches, and my range of motion was increased! That night, after using the tilt chair and having my peace bench on my desk to hold my computer keyboard, I slept FOR THE FIRST ENTIRE NIGHT WITHOUT PAIN SINCE I WAS NINETEEN! I am amazed.
I am so grateful to Carolina Morning and Patrick (the designer) for these wonderful items. They are not advertised as miracle furnishings, but to me they are. I never expected anything like this. I have had no recurring back or neck pain since using the tilt chair and peace bench! I meditate with greater ease using the peace bench. My posture has improved. I feel much more energy! Feelings of fatigue and tension have dropped tremendously, since I don’t wake up in pain and discomfort anymore! I am done with putting chiropractor’s kids through graduate school, and I am tired of making mortgage payments for every so-called “healer” who has claimed they could help my back. I plan to be buried with my tilt chair and peace bench, cause I’m taking them with me forever! With my eternal gratitude,
Wilella Nelson, B.A., B.S.N., R.N.
Customer Testimonials
The EcoBackrest™ became an excellent tool to help educate my body on what exactly were beneficial positions of ease while relaxing. After the ‘right’ amount of lounge sitting, my body would be ready to get up and move again. It is also holding up well to much use.
Lara Sobel
Kirkland, WA
This chair is absolutely amazing! My brother was the first to purchase one and found it to be theÿþ ultimate. I was so impressed by his I bought one 1 month later. Love mine too! So big thanks to Patrick for inventing this chair.
The Nook Fan
I bought your Eco Backrest™ set because since I’ve started working from home, I’ve been switching positions at least a few times a day, but I’m finding that the ways I’m sitting and laying are far from healthy! I tried to rig up something like it with pillows I had around the house–but they’re just not cutting it. I also want something that I can move from my bed to my office floor and back easily. I’m super excited to put this to good use!! Thanks so much!
Anonymous
I originally found the article on the ergonomics of sleep when I was looking for a more ergonomic position to sleep in after replacing my old spring mattress with a used futon. I will definitely be saving up for your queen futon set! (And quite possibly 75% of everything else you sell, too! 🙂
I came back for the Eco Backrest set because since I’ve started working from home, I’ve been switching positions at least a few times a day, but I’m finding that the ways I’m sitting and laying are far from healthy! I came up with something similar to the yoga lounge with asome random pillows I had around the house–but they’re just not cutting it. I also want something that I can move from my bed to my office floor and back easily. I’m super excited to put this to good use!! Thanks so much!
Carolyn Eilola,
St. Regis Falls, NY
Yoga Lounge
I originally thought that I would send it back because I was hoping it would be wider, but after trying the mat I was amazed at how comfortable it is. I am housebound due to a chronic illness and spend most of the day lying down. I was using the couch, but now I have switched to the floor and spend most of the day on this mat. I highly recommend the mat. The fact that it is narrow makes it much more versatile since it is easy to reposition. It has settled some in the past two weeks since I have used it but it is still very full with lots of loft. Deconditioning is a real concern for someone like myself who is bed bound. Being on the floor allows me to move around more, stretch and even do some gentle yoga. I am getting more exercise and movement even while resting. I intend to make more purchases to complete my new seating arrangement.
The “Meditation Posture” is easily recognized, so much so that it has become an icon. Everyday in print media about any subject, advertisers find ways to depict people sitting in a somewhat cross-legged position. Usually the head is thrown back with neck jutting forward and the face has a fake and exaggeratedly blissed out expression. This position is neither healthy, nor sustainable. This is more of a pose than a way to sit. It takes so much effort to hold this pose that it won’t last a second longer than it takes to click the shutter. This false, popularized symbol for what meditation is supposed to look like is conceived by those who have neither practiced meditation nor plan to.
The reason: these people are sitting on a flat surface. When sitting on a flat surface, (unless you have been trained this way which is 1% of the population) it’s almost worse than sitting on a chair or sofa. The muscular of the front torso has to strain to keep the body from collapsing backward. If more people realized that there is a way to sit without back support that is not only practically effortless, but increases the power of concentration, lowers heart rate, decreases blood pressure, deepens breathing, and stimulates the ‘relaxation response’, they would probably give it a try.
The funny thing is, this ‘natural sitting’ technique from the outset looks almost like the first way of sitting described, which doesn’t work at all for meditation or anything else other than a pretty photo. Many of us go into meditation with preconceived notions about sitting and posture.
“Good posture” is not the military tightening of the shoulders with an erect back. That takes effort and unbalanced muscular activity. In fact, ‘posture’ isn’t even the word to describe the activity of meditation.
Meditation is an activity, not some static ‘holding’ of the body. In fact, holding the body is akin to ‘body armor’, which is just what we are trying to dissolve with meditation. Meditation is a ‘neutral’ state, it is a state of repose, looseness, relaxation, melting, zero, reset.
It is sitting with a relaxed body without pain, struggle or difficulty. That is: the physical body is trying to find a place where it can “let go”, so the mind, spirit, or emotions can work on whatever they have to, without being hindered or blocked by the body.
There is a koan or dichotomy in this ‘meditation posture’. By settling down the body in this consciously controlled way, the mind is freed from its constant distractedness. It is now has to face itself. By stopping the body’s outward movement, the mind is now able to find new levels of awareness, which is a form of movement. The reason “posture” isn’t the best word to describe meditation is because there is very much movement inside the sitting. The body is in a state of “tonus” which means there is an equal balance of work between complimentary and opposing muscle groups. The muscles involved from the front are working with and against those of the back. There is a constant interchange.
The reason this isn’t exhausting is because when the weight of the body is balanced evenly front and back, there is very little work left to do. Basically, it is a matter of maintaining that balance, the way a tree sways in the wind. The only way these muscles can be balanced between the front and the back is by either standing, or by mimicking the angle of the spine by sitting on a sloped surface. This sloped surface tilts the pelvis almost as it would be when standing.
There is one exception to this rule–the ‘lotus’ position, which is sitting on a flat surface in a true cross-legged stance. In true ‘lotus’, the pelvis is tilted mechanically by the extreme force placed on it from the legs which are stretched under the calves and rest on top of the thighs. However, this advanced yoga asana is only for a tiny minority who can achieve such an extreme stretching of the legs, and many people have caused personal injury–mostly to the knees–who have sat lotus for a long time.
There are several obstacles to finding this state of perfect repose. 1–Improper technique or knowledge of how the body works. 2–The body may be out of alignment. 3–Muscles used in sitting have atrophied from years of sitting in chairs. 4–Your sitting equipment may not fit you or have some other technical issue. Very often, some or all of these factors will cause a one problems with finding that mythical state of perfect equilibrium until one finally gives up and finds a chair.
Chair sitting is certainly possible for meditation, but it does not provide the potential of the “meditation posture”. Also, it can lead to other problems not only for meditation but for other aspects of life. 1–Improper technique: Chair sitting is completely unnatural and we have grown up in a culture that revolves around the chair. Most of our waking hours are spent in a chair. Parents force kids to sit in them. They strap them to chairs at an early age which deforms the skeletal and musculature systems, and dampens their instinctual knowledge of wise body use. (Indians strapped infants to a board to wear them on the back or hang in a tree–in standing position.) So we come to meditation with a lifetime of improper use and ideas.
Here is a very good video deomstrating the ideas in this article.
Read this website, read the books offered on this website, and find qualified instructors of the Feldenkrais Method. Yoga is very complimentary to a healthy back and can enhance meditation. Unfortunately, even yoga instructors usually do not understand the problems with chairs and the principles of wise body movement. They even use unhealthy backrests in the yoga classes for students to lean back on. These canvas floor seats are actually worse than chairs!
2–Alignment means the bones, joints and muscles are working smoothly together with symmetry and balance. It would be amazing if a person beginning this way of sitting wasn’t out of alignment. Our physical environment and the way we interact with it shapes our bodies. Chair sitting creates a condition known as “adaptive slumped posture” or “front loading”. The muscles in the front (shoulders, chest, abdominals) work harder than those in back, and sculpt a body that tends to pull itself unnaturally forward. This can then lead to problems in other areas of the body, like a domino effect. These problems can become severe and lead to joint degeneration from uneven wear. We have become adapted to chairs. Chairs support the status quo of a “front loaded” body. That’s why at first they may seem more comfortable and relaxing than autonomous sitting. It takes an open mind and a desire for balance, health, and the benefits of meditation for a person to want to change. The transition is not always easy. In order to make it work, other practices should be considered for increasing flexibility, balance and symmetry, such as yoga, chiropractic, rolfing, massage, craniosacral therapy, the Alexander Technique. Also, there are many self-therapies that are very useful, such as the Ma Rollerª, Miracle Ballsª, therapy balls. and others.
3–Muscles that have atrophied from sitting in chairs will get sore. Start autonomous sitting in small bits, and work your way to longer sits as you can. Practice plenty of stretching in-between sitting.
4–The seat must fit. If a seat is too tall, it may cut off circulation where the seat meets the thighs. If it’s too short, the pelvis isn’t tilted sufficiently and there will be slumping. In general, the wider the sitting surface, the easier it will be to sit, because the weight of the body is spread across more surface area to prevent bruising and circulation blocks. If your legs tingle and fall asleep, try another seat.
The principles of comfortable, healthy sitting can be applied to sitting in a chair. If the seat of a chair is tilted somehow, either by placing one inch blocks underneath the rear legs, or by placing a ‘wedge cushion’ (Tilt Seat™ cushion with stuffing pushed to the rear) on the seat, it becomes effective for autonomous sitting.
The floor cushions and benches have a few advantages–lower center of gravity, simple, easy for a large group, humble and ‘down to earth’– but some people have trouble getting up and down or assuming the positions which take greater flexibility. For this group, and others, we have created the Tilt Seat™. Also, somewhere between a Tilt Seat™ and a Zafu or Peace Bench is the “sky position”. The sitter is not as high as a chair or tilt seatª but not as low as a zafu or kneeling bench. The knees are lower than the hips, but still not touching the mat or floor. There is minimal stretch in the thighs and no pressure on the knees. Many have found the answer with this position, which can be achieved with either an extra large bench or a smile cushion or zafu with a support cushion under it.
“Wise Use” of the body starts with the head. The head should be positioned “forward and up”. That means the chin should be parallel with the floor, so you can easily look down at a 45 degree angle to the floor. (Many people make the mistake of bending the neck up. This throws the whole back out of alignment.) Correct positioning of the head should help you naturally align you back.
You should feel a slight arch in your lower back. Play with the balance until you find a place that feels comfortable. Do not strain. When done properly this way of sitting is comfortable and effortless. Your ears and your shoulders should be on one vertical line. Relax your shoulders, and push up towards the ceiling with the back of your head. Also to gain strength in your posture, press your diaphragm down towards your hara, or lower abdomen. This will help you maintain physical and mental balance.
Arms & Hands
You can place your hands on your thighs or on a small pillow on your lap. Hold your elbows freely and easily, and slightly away from your body. This helps keep your shoulders from slouching. If you would like further assistance, contact us for Meditation Tech Support.
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To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Functional
Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes.The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
