Thank you. I am a 2nd black belt in karate and I always found it hard to sit like this. When i found this video i was happy because it helped and now I can sit in this style. Because of this I have subscribed and liked
I am continually surprised at how much more freely my ribs move at the sides when I do this lesson. (This may say more about my normal movement and tension patterns than anything else.)
This really helps out a lot! Before I watched this video , I always questioned,"how do people sit on thier knees so well without pain?" and afterward, I actually did it for a few seconds! Thank you!!
wow! lovely pacing and structure to the lesson, lovely calming instructor. I loved the personality of the instructor, the little funny moments and the small but powerful bits of wisdom, like treating your body like your friend. Thank you!
i love this step by step process, i do a little bit, then i shut off the vidio then i try again the next day and then little by little i am getting more flexible i don't force it and i don't push myself it is so humane
The magic of this lesson for me is the balance and strength that are developing. The lessons you teach, Alfons, are making it easier to be in my body. Thank you!
Mezmerizing. You got my stiff as a plank body sitting seiza for a brief bit after just thirty minutes. With some practice, my stamina will surely improve. It is amazing that adults like me have lost the ability to perform some basic natural movements. What looked easy in the video actually wore me out in a good way such as I was yawning and ready to get some deep sleep afterwards. In this modern world, we tend to overemphasize the logical side of our brain. These natural movements such as sitting on the floor really seem to provide some much needed harmony. Like many of the best teachers, you have an impressive ability to get one to let go and improve.
OMG. I have been practising this since many years. Went to therapists, yoga , and as U said everybody’s same advice practise stretches , do it everyday and see within a month you can sit. Now after practising this video of yours and doing it with U am sitting perfect.. OMG can’t believe. You are the person who just did it in just 10 mts. What are the degrees for? Can never forget and can never never think of not following U any time. Love You for helping me. Just thank U from the bottom of my Heart. God Bless U. Tremendous nd beautiful. 😍👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼😁👏🏼👍🏻🙏🏻Am so happy today and am Glowing.
I find this exhausting but with practice I am beginning (age 77!) to be able to sit Japanese style for quite a few minutes. Thank you so much Alfons. A great session. I love the idea that you don't learn to walk by walking. It's so obvious!
Oh joy! I practise kendo and have never been able to sit in seiza properly without pain. I shall begin your exercise regime immediately. Thank you so much for sharing.
🤣I know exactly how you feel. I'm only comfortable in seiza when outside on soft grass. I don't know how much of it has to do with not needing kneepads because the ground cushions vs needing them on wood floor to cushion boney bumps under knees. I'm looking forward to practicing these excersises more to help.
First day of doing this, I could barely get down to about 4 centimeters between my butt and my heel. Second day, my buff actually touched my heel. You, Sir, is a MVP.
It's a miracle! With just the beginning of this lesson and going only as far as is comfortable, I can walk now without medial knee pain for first time since May 1. I had fractured my patella and had surgery May 18. I do it several times a day whenever I feel pain. As long as I can find a cushion for my knee I can do the lesson anywhere--if onlookers give me a weird look I just think of your great humor. Thank you!
I recently discovered this sitting technique by watching a Japanese tv serial. I tried it and was impressed by the methods necessary to successfully sit correctly. I do it everyday at least twice for 5 minutes. I add onto it a bow, this bow is very long and I put some force into the fingertips. I exhale and stretch out the fingers. I inhale and prevent finger slippage. The next exhale creates a powerful gravitational stretch in the shoulders and upper chest. I like this because gravity assists in the elongation whereas when standing gravity impedes stretching the same locations. Of course the expansion of the thorax while inhaling does overpower gravities affects. Thank you well done video. Yes you do chat a bit but it is not troublesome. 😊
Hi Glen, thank you for your participation and comments! Think of me as making suggestions and offering ideas towards your own ownership of learning. We call proprioception the ability to sense the position, orientation, and movement of your own body parts; this sense can be improved and you can work with it. Mechanoreception is the ability to perceive mechanical stimuli such as pressure, touch, vibration, and tension... and so forth. You write about gravity, and you work with it, which is great. But instead of stretching and strengthening, how would you work to improve your sense of gravity, graviception? And thus improve your Japanese sitting, instead of using strengthening and stretching. I live in Vietnam, and here literally everyone can sit like this, with total ease. But literally no one (nobody, not a single one) has this ability because of stretching and strengthening. I wish you all the best with your explorations and discoveries!
@@ImprovingAbility well, I am in accordance with your reply. But the intention, or the spirit is within. The manifestation is without, therefore technique , methods and intensity ( mind + body ) have a measurable effect. I find that the opposite of compression, muscle contraction, is extension, from the core. This can be from the center outward or it can be outward toward center. As well it can be in two opposing directions simultaneously. As presented by oceanic wave action upon the shoreline. I understand your nomenclature but I seek functionality over other incentives. Best wishes G.
+Feldenkrais with Alfons Am back to practicing this sequence again. Feels gooood. Thank you for the inspiring work you offer and helping me look after and appreciate my body🤗
I have discovered that what was keeping me from sitting all the way back was my feet and ankles being so stiff. I am working on it. I love all the details you teach.
First half hour almost accomplished…….thanks….69 years young….SHAOLIN KEMPO….but neglected basic sitting routine..as when your young and athletic you just take for granted..now I know I cannot cheat…this will keep me honest in the martial arts pursuit of conditioning at all levels……
Thank you Alfons. I love your teaching and have used your instructions for back exercises. This lesson on Japanese sitting was excellent. I was able to “sit” at about 70-80 degrees at the end, but with practice I am sure I can master it. My toes are firing, warm; I lay totally flat like a pancake, too.. able to sit
Thank you very much. Great lesson. A knee injury (combined with psoas problem) made seiza almost impossible for me. Now getting back to being able to do it!!!
The longest I have ever sat seiza correctly was for an hour. Although I moved my arms and head I never moved my lower body to ease pressure. It was done on a hard wood floor, I wore gym pants a t-shirt and socks. Afterwards it took me about 15 min before I could get to my feet.
This time I said wait, how does Alfons get from lying on his back to all fours so fast? So I stopped the video and watched, ahhh sooo! Thank you Alfons!
Different exercises, especially lifting the arms together with the legs was difficult for me as my elbows are not in good shape and giving trouble since last few months. Otherwise I was able to do most of them. Thank you Alfons for teaching with patience.
thanks again Alfons. Another lesson to repeat. With respect to your question, I did feel more like a pancake for the final rest. Very nice. I love the idea of 'neurological reorganisation', I will have to use that one. I love your comment that even if I could see you I wouldn't tell you whether the movement is easier. I do alot of Aikido so sitting is seiza is a commom position so I will be interested to see how it feels for my next training but my sitting at the end of this lesson felt easier than at the beginning so I am very optimistic. Working within our comfort zone is an interesting topic. Sometimes we think we are working there but only later, do we find when pain, tightness occurs that maybe we did too much. It is a personal challenge for me to do less and do it easy, perhaps I need to make it my mantra for this new year. Thanks again.
Very efficient, huge difference, Tension in upper leg was gone, while that was before feeling as a burning stretch. Feet are much better as well. Excellent investment of time like this, no strain, and also has a yoga like mind relaxation effect
This one goes on my repeat list! Even though I'm a relatively active person (some yoga, pilates, fitness) I was never able to sit all the way down like this, there would always be a gap and it would be very uncomfortable. And after doing this I was able to just melt down on my heels, amazing. Thank you for taking the time to make these valuable little gems available to everyone!
Soo.. I just saw a guy training muscle memory for sitting out of all things... I'm so gonna try this out! Especially because I'm like as little flexible as a person can possibly be.
This is great! I was able to do it 3 days after practicing but only right after I follow the steps. If I try a few hours without going thru the whole thing, it goes back to having a gap. :/
super that I have a nueromuscular condition that makes me short and tight in my muscles but that really helps I do martial arts classes and really struggled with that thanks for the advice
This is painful for my knees but I am getting better at it. Since you said work with whats comfortable and not do it if in pain, I will stick the parts that I can do with realtive comfort and not do the parts that hurts until my knees are more flexible.
Yes, very tempting to do more, but the remorse for any damage done will be long. Good to know you respect your limits! Also add in the mini squats/raises from my video "The best knee exercise ever" for stability. In addition you can also experiment with gentle massage/fascia release techniques around the knee/on the legs.
Thankyou for this lesson and all your lessons. I went from barely being able to sit on my heels to been able to sit on them quite comfortably to boot. I was wondering if there are any lessons that enable you to sit comfortably in squatting. I live in Japan and struggle with the Japanese sitting and the Japanese squatting toilets.
This is a wonderful delivery of a wonderful lesson! I don't do stretched for Aikido instead I use the parts of the Aikido techniques themselves and make tinny little studies from them. It ends up being similar to Feldenkrais lessons.
I am looking for well explained and safe stretches and exercises for some friends. Yours are well explained and safely performed. One question, why do you tilt your head backwards and open the mouth? I have always kept my teeth touching each other while tucking my chin. ( raise crown,lower sacrum ) I will try it and see what I discover.
I will have to keep practising this one, quite uncomfortable in many ways, wrists, foot cramps etc, but worth persevering I think. Will this help with sitting crossed legged on floor as this too is very uncomfortable and only achievable with my torso bent over, or can you recommend an alternative video for this problem. I am loving your videos, and your style. Best wishes to you. Jos from U.K.
Impossible to kneel on a hard surface, kneeling on a folded yoga mat, cannot sit too low, knees hurting badly, any advice what to do, want to do yoga, but major mobility issues with the hips, lotus pose impossible and sitting as you demonstrate either. I am following your hip mobility videos, much easier for me than this sitting pose. Please help with any tips as to why my knees are so painful. I am stretching regularly but cannot kneel without pain. Many thanks for your lovely and educational videos, I am a big fan. 👍
Hi Mia, thanks for reaching out here in the comments section. Moshe Feldenkrais is said to have once said “Nobody learned to walk by walking”. Things like balancing the head, employing the back extensors, etc etc eventually lead to walking. But even then walking it’s not the ultimate function, then there’s hopping, skipping, running, cutting... In the same spirit, focus on all my other videos, BUT on this one. Three thoughts: 1. Google “is stretching bad for you”, research deeply and really consider if you need stretching 2. NEVER work into your pain. Even if super beautiful/handsome young fitness instructors or motivational sayings push you there 3. May not apply to you, but why not look into this too to draw some inspiration: the most anti-inflammatory diet I’ve ever heard of is from Dr. John McDougall, as laid out in his newsletter “Diet, only hope for arthritis” I hope this could give you some fresh ideas, and I wish you all the best!
Back is pancake, knees are hurting... Excellent movements... Thank you!!! Can you suggest 5 minutes routine to do before meditation on low bench. Pain in my knees prevents long sitting.... Any suggestions are appreciated.... Thank you Alfons!!! Olga
Olga, good to see you're practicing consistently and working through my videos :-) Let me highlight some guidelines: a. Never go into pain b. Do less, but more often. Try my knee health exercises in my "hip joints, knees and ankles" playlist ruclips.net/p/PLcGwQrrRmOBC1FxtF1l2LAOfvazngJNlM and my "hip joints workshop" playlist ruclips.net/p/PLcGwQrrRmOBCDo8V1iG1EWTBfaDzTwxPS
took traditional karate for years and had to sit in zazen ( that's what this position is called) for several minutes. we were told that sitting like this and enduring the discomfort was good for discipline
lol ... that teacher probably had his own ways and humour, some kind of imperialistic japanese humour and special way to treat subordinates... probably learned Zazen the hard way himself... I would steer clear of such "teachers", there's so many compassionate, insightful ones, that will bring joy to your life... unless your looking to be disciplined of course 😉
I've been doing this lesson nearly every single day. I can guarantee it slowly gets better every time I do it again. But I do have to practice, otherwise I loose it, and my legs hurt.
yes, I also need to do parts if this (or similar) lesson every couple of days to keep the ability to sit on heels. The human body is like "use it or lose it".
Imaphantomfan ... I, too, do this almost daily and the result is similar to yours. My condition is slowly getting better. The operative word is SLOWLY. But, by golly I’ve come a long way in three months from being close to using a wheelchair to being able to get up from and down to the floor. For me, The Feldenkraus Method has worked miracles on me.
"Kneeling Posture" is an ancient Chinese etiquette. The correct way should go to China to find. Japan imitates everything in ancient Chinese. It has reserved this set of Chinese Han and Tang Dynasties traditions from the Chinese and Tang dynasties. Low -low furniture and kneeling posture have also become their unique national culture.
Thanks to your tips I feel I’m getting closer. I feel like my thighs and calves are so stiff from years of sitting in chairs all the time that they are resisting every step but I can feel my legs gradually loosening up.
Good observation, every time sitting upright in a chair with the feet on the ground creates stiffer legs and impaired blood supply. All the naturally super flexible Vietnamese here in Vietnam, at least that I know of, they literally never seem to sit in chairs like we Westerners do. They usually have one or both legs up on the seat, or at least sit wildly cross-legged.
Thanks a lot!!! It's reaaly great. I wonder if you have a session here to feel the back more flatten or even, as in my case, just flat. Thnk you so much, again.
thank you for your lovely feedback, appreciated ! :-) for your question: flat back ? did you try pelvic clock lessons? btw how can we know that when it's "flat", that it's actually neutral and not flexed? many questions in return ! ;-)
Thanks a lot Alfons for your time and your reply to my question. Aand your many questions that came back tome :))) Perhaps I've got -sort of- a lumbar lordososi. That's why I sense this kind of hyper lordosis which generates this slightly exagerated curve on my back. Thanks again and greetings from Buenos Aires.
Thank you for teaching this. I still struggle with sitting on my insteps, hard pressure and cramps. Anything special I can practise to get this better?
Start with my Getting better day by day series, especially the second half addresses the legs and how they connect upwards. Then come back to this lesson. Also add strength training for the VMO muscles of the knees (google knee over toes squats)
very interesting lesson, seems for me rather "dynamic" as for Feldenkrais. I did it only three times, so still learning and exploring moves, anyway last time I experimented with breathing during exercise and exhaling while siting is very interesting. could you tell me who invented this lesson - you have said in video that this is not your lesson?
+Grzegorz Korczyński Hi, thank you for watching and experimenting! For certified Feldenkrais Practitioners the official source for further research would be Moshé Feldenkrais, Alexander Yanai Series Nr 452, Toward japanese sitting
I'm going to Japan for the summer and my friend told me it would be useful to be able to do this... This is so fucking painful but I'm getting better at it
hello, I have a very importnat question and maybe you can help me a little bit (it looks like you have a big knowledge and experience) . I am studing design and I have a topic about wrong positins that may cause healht problems. Can sitting like that in Japan cause any healt problam ? like knee pain or venous varices? See we are used to sitting on the chairs and when we have to work in this position for 8h it may lead to a lot of health problems. The same with kneeling too long on the floor but the way Japanese sit is different from that and like you are showing the body waight is on your feets not knees and your spin is straight. And also by observing old people most of tham lost their flexibility with age and can no longer sit on the floor but when you look at old Japanese people even if thay are old they still can do it . But this that mean thay don't have any other heath problems by sitting all their lifes like that ?
Well first of all nobody will be admitted to the hospital because they lost flexibility (maybe they will have better luck at the Lost & Found office?). All the leading causes of death are strongly food related nowadays. And so is the illness before death. See for example Dr. Greger's work on this. Having that said: Chairs are the devil. They have a backwards reclined seating platform even though people have to lean forward to work on a table. That's a setup for failure. If you ask a healthy person (someone who used to spend most of his time outdoors, walking, standing, working) to sit on a chair for 8 hours, then this person will have many problems. Contrariwise if you ask an old office worker who did not sit on his heels even once in the last 50 years to sit on his heels, then this person will have many problems if he suddenly has to.
How do you get flexibility into the hip joint so you can lift the knee as you stand toes and go back on the opposite knee? It's at about 10:45 minutes in the video.
What is the longest time you can sit this way before you feel any discomfort? The standard for "no discomfort" (at least for me) is sitting in a regular chair. I can do that for 3 hours and no discomfort. Can you do this strange position for so long with no discomfort? In meditation practice many people endure enormous pain, and it's really very stupid, because meditation is intended to become aware of very subtle sensations which cannot be accessed when there is pain. So I really don't understand why so much effort was put into this stance, unless with proper technique will allow multiple hours with still no discomfort - otherwise I won't bother.
I think most westerners can sit 2-10 hours straight in a chair or sofa without discomfort. Problems start when someone tries to sit "pretty" or "straight" without any movement for minutes at a time. I think this has its place in military/police stand at attention, and might be used as punishment in schools by old school teachers, etc. Why there's literally millions of people meditating in such inertia is beyond me, but each to their own. That having said, I can spend an hour with japanese sitting often (while working), and have 3-4 sessions of that a day, but I hardly sit still and transition between positions frequently.
Hi unfortunately there is no general recipe. Also I don’t know why you can’t curl them like that. However, you can find some ideas in my “happy healthy feet” series. Furthermore you could stay with this question “How to do that easily?” as a set intention, and see what things and solutions life will bring up ...
@@ImprovingAbility I have Heriditary spastic parapersis which is similar to ALS but only confined to legs. I have muscle weakness and balance issues due to it
My calf muscles are too big and it really hurts trying to sit like this. i've made great improvement but actually relaxing I can't do. is there anything I can do?
do less, a lot less, don't go into end range, go slower, practice often, have patience, give it a few weeks :-) I will upload more videos with a similar topic
Are these exercises (also others related to knees) useful and doable for people with "o-legs" and with acute pain in the knee (inside)? I don't want to increase the pain or the damage, that's why I am asking ...
Not suitable. Only the very beginning is suitable. DO NOT SIT BACK. Do the exercise in my video "The best knee exercise ever" and variations thereof, you need to change your movement habits
the technical term is joint viscosity, the friction about a joint if it has not moved for a few hours for example. Stuart McGill writes in ”Ultimate Back Fitness and Performance", on Page 207: „We have measured the viscosity in the spine/torso, which is the friction or resistance to motion, and have found that only 6-10 cycles of motion are required to reduce the friction. More cycles do not reduce the viscous friction further.” So that's that, and maybe the combination of movements can do even a bit more. And maybe diet, lifestyle habits and/or genetics play a role too, but I have no research to quote for that. Keep on moving, in German we say "Wer rastet der rostet" (who doesn't move rusts away)
I think so I should try your different feldenkrais lessons , because this principle states that see the problem from different angles and solve the problem ,be playful with solving your problems
So I have been doing these exercises daily for 3 weeks but I still can't do it. I kinda can for like 10 seconds after I have warmed up by doing all the exercises you have shown but even then it hurts too much for me to sit seiza regularly. Do you have any advice for me? Should I continue to practice? The knee pain is too much. Thanks for taking the time.
Hi, there should be no pain. If you have pain please don't do this particular movement sequence. Please take good care of yourself. I say this many, many times in my videos. If you have pain you probably need somebody to see you and find out what's the problem, then see what exercises are suitable for your situation. A safe exercise might be my video "The best knee exercise ever" but there's no way of telling without a consultation. Take good care of yourself, and stay away from pain.
@@ImprovingAbility Thing is most of my friends also have pain in their knees when they sit like this. Only a couple can sit seiza naturally so I thought the pain was normal until you get your body adapts.
Alfons, I know that as of yet, we aren't close friends. Therefore it might be presumptive on my part to engage you in a deeper way, nevertheless, I'm hoping you will accept these comments in the manner in which they are intended: the insight of someone who values what you put in the world and wants only to support a wider perspective in what your doing. I know you are not fond of yoga and I believe I understand why. While yoga is only one of the teaching formats I employ professionalyl with my students, I suspect you may not be fully aware of all of its more diverse practices----far beyond just "stretching." It may be helpful, for example, to point out that the neurological reflexes you are employing with the eyes, mouth, and tongue in this ATM, are actually deeply encoded in yoga. I say this not to suggest that Somatic forms of movement are any less valid, I use somatics for yoga students on auto-pilot frequently. However since the work of the somatic pioneers is roughly 50-70 years ol-- and even modern day yoga predates this-- it might be possible that some of what Feldenkrais and the other somatic luminaries refined and scientifically formulated could have come through the lens of earlier movement formats. The eye movements for example correspond to tratakam and the tongue to Simhasana. Those movements themselves may be closely linked to the six traditional cleansing practices, called Kriyas, in yoga. Thanks for allowing me to share my thoughts with you brother. Keep up the great work!
dear +Yogi p , thank you for your comment. Thank you for your trust, sharing and gentle approach. I don't know how to respond properly. Maybe with a little back story: I was strongly into Yoga at the age of 14-25. I practiced daily. I would get up at 4 o'clock in the morning and practice 1/2 hour in sitting, 1/2 hour in supine. I was student of a private ashram in Vienna, guided by the (within the community) famous Alfred Ballabene aka Vaju. However, by the year approximately 2000 something happened to Yoga. There was a huge shift of consciousness. Yoga changed from a spiritual practice to religious treachery, pure gymnastics, young women barely dressed doing questionable (and often spine damaging) stretching exercises and traditional western gymnastics, and fit looking men, many of them with a background of weight lifting and stretching and body weight training. And lots of businesses trying to make money with the gullible, despaired, hurt, lonely and sick. I became deeply disappointed by modern postural yoga aka „Yoga”. On the other hand: whenever I was going to satsangs, chanting evenings, meditation circles, full moon prayer parties etc, back in the 90ties, I always wished that there were people my age. Therefore, in some way, my wish came true. Only that I'm in my 40ties now, and not 20 anymore :-(
Feldenkrais with Alfons I love reading your responses, and your story. Yoga is a sham...It is not anything to do with its original intent. Yoga in the west is all that you say it is..I wish people would wake up to the fact, however I do not see that happening. I am drawn to Zen life. And not the western idea of that. Your teachings are wonderful and I am very grateful to you.
Thank you. I am a 2nd black belt in karate and I always found it hard to sit like this. When i found this video i was happy because it helped and now I can sit in this style. Because of this I have subscribed and liked
I keep coming back to this video and each time it is a treasure trove of movement to unpack!
I am continually surprised at how much more freely my ribs move at the sides when I do this lesson. (This may say more about my normal movement and tension patterns than anything else.)
This really helps out a lot! Before I watched this video , I always questioned,"how do people sit on thier knees so well without pain?" and afterward, I actually did it for a few seconds! Thank you!!
forgot how lovely this lesson was to do. Feeling much happier in Seiza.
10/10 this has been added toy stretches and workout stuff for when I wake up thanks a bunch!
wow! lovely pacing and structure to the lesson, lovely calming instructor. I loved the personality of the instructor, the little funny moments and the small but powerful bits of wisdom, like treating your body like your friend. Thank you!
i love this step by step process, i do a little bit, then i shut off the vidio then i try again the next day and then little by little i am getting more flexible i don't force it and i don't push myself it is so humane
sounds great ! I like your approach a lot :-) thank you for sharing
it's spelled video ♥
which means "I see" in latin!
I am learning this lesson. Gentle. How to be gentle.
The magic of this lesson for me is the balance and strength that are developing. The lessons you teach, Alfons, are making it easier to be in my body. Thank you!
Mezmerizing. You got my stiff as a plank body sitting seiza for a brief bit after just thirty minutes. With some practice, my stamina will surely improve.
It is amazing that adults like me have lost the ability to perform some basic natural movements. What looked easy in the video actually wore me out in a good way such as I was yawning and ready to get some deep sleep afterwards.
In this modern world, we tend to overemphasize the logical side of our brain. These natural movements such as sitting on the floor really seem to provide some much needed harmony. Like many of the best teachers, you have an impressive ability to get one to let go and improve.
thank you for your encouraging and deep feedback, for putting your feelings and experience into words, much needed! ❤️
OMG. I have been practising this since many years. Went to therapists, yoga , and as U said everybody’s same advice practise stretches , do it everyday and see within a month you can sit. Now after practising this video of yours and doing it with U am sitting perfect.. OMG can’t believe. You are the person who just did it in just 10 mts. What are the degrees for? Can never forget and can never never think of not following U any time. Love You for helping me. Just thank U from the bottom of my Heart. God Bless U. Tremendous nd beautiful. 😍👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼😁👏🏼👍🏻🙏🏻Am so happy today and am Glowing.
Revisiting this video and instantly worked and helped loosen up my knees , feet ankles and hips.❤❤❤
I find this exhausting but with practice I am beginning (age 77!) to be able to sit Japanese style for quite a few minutes. Thank you so much Alfons. A great session. I love the idea that you don't learn to walk by walking. It's so obvious!
your 79 now right?
My quads are so tight! I’m going to work on this daily. Thank you! I subscribed.
After struggling with pain across the top of my feet in the Japanese sitting position, what I learned in this lesson helped a lot. Many thanks!
Alfons, I learned something new and forever . 😊
Merci, merci. ♥️🌺👏
Revisited this lesson and it worked again😊😊😊
Thank goodness for the rest intervals
Oh joy! I practise kendo and have never been able to sit in seiza properly without pain. I shall begin your exercise regime immediately. Thank you so much for sharing.
🤣I know exactly how you feel. I'm only comfortable in seiza when outside on soft grass. I don't know how much of it has to do with not needing kneepads because the ground cushions vs needing them on wood floor to cushion boney bumps under knees. I'm looking forward to practicing these excersises more to help.
Had some chronic stiffness in the left knee and quads. Doing this lesson once and it's 80% less. WOW tnx so much !
First day of doing this, I could barely get down to about 4 centimeters between my butt and my heel.
Second day, my buff actually touched my heel.
You, Sir, is a MVP.
Thank you that was fun I have a granddaughter in Japan so the next time I go your lesson will be very useful😊
Thank you for this video! I returned from a backpack trip yesterday and this lesson helped loosen my hips, back and feet.
nice! it's also part of my post-hiking/running routine, quick to do and very necessary
It's a miracle! With just the beginning of this lesson and going only as far as is comfortable, I can walk now without medial knee pain for first time since May 1. I had fractured my patella and had surgery May 18. I do it several times a day whenever I feel pain. As long as I can find a cushion for my knee I can do the lesson anywhere--if onlookers give me a weird look I just think of your great humor. Thank you!
I recently discovered this sitting technique by watching a Japanese tv serial. I tried it and was impressed by the methods necessary to successfully sit correctly. I do it everyday at least twice for 5 minutes. I add onto it a bow, this bow is very long and I put some force into the fingertips. I exhale and stretch out the fingers. I inhale and prevent finger slippage. The next exhale creates a powerful gravitational stretch in the shoulders and upper chest. I like this because gravity assists in the elongation whereas when standing gravity impedes stretching the same locations. Of course the expansion of the thorax while inhaling does overpower gravities affects. Thank you well done video. Yes you do chat a bit but it is not troublesome. 😊
Hi Glen, thank you for your participation and comments! Think of me as making suggestions and offering ideas towards your own ownership of learning.
We call proprioception the ability to sense the position, orientation, and movement of your own body parts; this sense can be improved and you can work with it. Mechanoreception is the ability to perceive mechanical stimuli such as pressure, touch, vibration, and tension... and so forth.
You write about gravity, and you work with it, which is great. But instead of stretching and strengthening, how would you work to improve your sense of gravity, graviception? And thus improve your Japanese sitting, instead of using strengthening and stretching. I live in Vietnam, and here literally everyone can sit like this, with total ease. But literally no one (nobody, not a single one) has this ability because of stretching and strengthening. I wish you all the best with your explorations and discoveries!
@@ImprovingAbility well, I am in accordance with your reply. But the intention, or the spirit is within. The manifestation is without, therefore technique , methods and intensity ( mind + body ) have a measurable effect. I find that the opposite of compression, muscle contraction, is extension, from the core. This can be from the center outward or it can be outward toward center. As well it can be in two opposing directions simultaneously. As presented by oceanic wave action upon the shoreline. I understand your nomenclature but I seek functionality over other incentives. Best wishes G.
Great teacher. Charming.
Hi i watch and follow along daily almost for hips and knees and so engrossed will be talking replying laughing with you. Namasthe.
Amazing! Body feels long and aligned and at end more ease in sitting Japanese Style! Thank you.Definitely one to make a regular practice.
+Ntathu Allen , thank you for your feedback :-) I'm a big fan of re-visiting lessons, or even making a regular practice of them (for a while)
+Feldenkrais with Alfons Am back to practicing this sequence again. Feels gooood. Thank you for the inspiring work you offer and helping me look after and appreciate my body🤗
I have discovered that what was keeping me from sitting all the way back was my feet and ankles being so stiff. I am working on it. I love all the details you teach.
Thank you I really appreciate this I’ve always wanted to learn Japanese sitting
First half hour almost accomplished…….thanks….69 years young….SHAOLIN KEMPO….but neglected basic sitting routine..as when your young and athletic you just take for granted..now I know I cannot cheat…this will keep me honest in the martial arts pursuit of conditioning at all levels……
Thank you Alfons. I love your teaching and have used your instructions for back exercises. This lesson on Japanese sitting was excellent. I was able to “sit” at about 70-80 degrees at the end, but with practice I am sure I can master it. My toes are firing, warm; I lay totally flat like a pancake, too..
able to sit
Thank you very much. Great lesson. A knee injury (combined with psoas problem) made seiza almost impossible for me. Now getting back to being able to do it!!!
Thank you Sir, u r a born teacher
You are really positive person 😇 thanks for the video!
That was great, very helpful! I love your sense of humor :))) i feel happy, thank you :)))
Merci. Vos vidéos sont toujours une grande aide ☺
The longest I have ever sat seiza correctly was for an hour. Although I moved my arms and head I never moved my lower body to ease pressure. It was done on a hard wood floor, I wore gym pants a t-shirt and socks.
Afterwards it took me about 15 min before I could get to my feet.
I can't go over 10 minutes... Good job bro...
An hour? Wow. Good job
Why would you do that? It seems like that would be bad on the knees. I’m actually curious
Loved this! I am a flexologist at Stretch Lab in Hudson OH, and will use these techniques with my clients! Thank you!
Stretch Lab? That sounds wonderful, I wish there was one in my neck of the woods!
This time I said wait, how does Alfons get from lying on his back to all fours so fast? So I stopped the video and watched, ahhh sooo! Thank you Alfons!
Different exercises, especially lifting the arms together with the legs was difficult for me as my elbows are not in good shape and giving trouble since last few months. Otherwise I was able to do most of them. Thank you Alfons for teaching with patience.
thanks again Alfons. Another lesson to repeat. With respect to your question, I did feel more like a pancake for the final rest. Very nice. I love the idea of 'neurological reorganisation', I will have to use that one. I love your comment that even if I could see you I wouldn't tell you whether the movement is easier.
I do alot of Aikido so sitting is seiza is a commom position so I will be interested to see how it feels for my next training but my sitting at the end of this lesson felt easier than at the beginning so I am very optimistic.
Working within our comfort zone is an interesting topic. Sometimes we think we are working there but only later, do we find when pain, tightness occurs that maybe we did too much. It is a personal challenge for me to do less and do it easy, perhaps I need to make it my mantra for this new year. Thanks again.
Very efficient, huge difference, Tension in upper leg was gone, while that was before feeling as a burning stretch. Feet are much better as well. Excellent investment of time like this, no strain, and also has a yoga like mind relaxation effect
You are a genius and a miracle
he's funny and informative, I like the long intro! im a talker too
I'm gonna start this today!!
This one goes on my repeat list! Even though I'm a relatively active person (some yoga, pilates, fitness) I was never able to sit all the way down like this, there would always be a gap and it would be very uncomfortable. And after doing this I was able to just melt down on my heels, amazing. Thank you for taking the time to make these valuable little gems available to everyone!
This is wonderful for ankle rehab long long time after sprain. Huge ‘clunk’ from lift knee while toes flat and then talus starts to work again!
Walking and standing definitely better after doing this. It's a good foot exercise.
Great lesson!
Soo..
I just saw a guy training muscle memory for sitting out of all things...
I'm so gonna try this out! Especially because I'm like as little flexible as a person can possibly be.
Thanks for sharing this vajrasana
Definitely effective at mobilizing the jaw :D
Alfons, I do Love the step by step movements. They teach me and I learn a lot. It gives me pleasure and ease in moving. Thanks!
This is great! I was able to do it 3 days after practicing but only right after I follow the steps. If I try a few hours without going thru the whole thing, it goes back to having a gap. :/
super that I have a nueromuscular condition that makes me short and tight in my muscles but that really helps I do martial arts classes and really struggled with that thanks for the advice
This is painful for my knees but I am getting better at it. Since you said work with whats comfortable and not do it if in pain, I will stick the parts that I can do with realtive comfort and not do the parts that hurts until my knees are more flexible.
Yes, very tempting to do more, but the remorse for any damage done will be long. Good to know you respect your limits! Also add in the mini squats/raises from my video "The best knee exercise ever" for stability. In addition you can also experiment with gentle massage/fascia release techniques around the knee/on the legs.
I will do that thanks.
Thankyou for this lesson and all your lessons. I went from barely being able to sit on my heels to been able to sit on them quite comfortably to boot. I was wondering if there are any lessons that enable you to sit comfortably in squatting. I live in Japan and struggle with the Japanese sitting and the Japanese squatting toilets.
This is a wonderful delivery of a wonderful lesson! I don't do stretched for Aikido instead I use the parts of the Aikido techniques themselves and make tinny little studies from them. It ends up being similar to Feldenkrais lessons.
This is so helpful! Using it daily now. Do you have a lesson for sitting cross legged? I find my hip flexors and quads to be the limiting factors....
Cross legged as in "Indian style?" Lotus?
Butterfly stretches?
I am looking for well explained and safe stretches and exercises for some friends. Yours are well explained and safely performed. One question, why do you tilt your head backwards and open the mouth? I have always kept my teeth touching each other while tucking my chin. ( raise crown,lower sacrum ) I will try it and see what I discover.
Super healpful
I will have to keep practising this one, quite uncomfortable in many ways, wrists, foot cramps etc, but worth persevering I think. Will this help with sitting crossed legged on floor as this too is very uncomfortable and only achievable with my torso bent over, or can you recommend an alternative video for this problem. I am loving your videos, and your style. Best wishes to you. Jos from U.K.
10 thumbs up!
Hurray for Alfons and Feldenkrais1
Impossible to kneel on a hard surface, kneeling on a folded yoga mat, cannot sit too low, knees hurting badly, any advice what to do, want to do yoga, but major mobility issues with the hips, lotus pose impossible and sitting as you demonstrate either. I am following your hip mobility videos, much easier for me than this sitting pose. Please help with any tips as to why my knees are so painful. I am stretching regularly but cannot kneel without pain. Many thanks for your lovely and educational videos, I am a big fan. 👍
Hi Mia, thanks for reaching out here in the comments section. Moshe Feldenkrais is said to have once said “Nobody learned to walk by walking”. Things like balancing the head, employing the back extensors, etc etc eventually lead to walking. But even then walking it’s not the ultimate function, then there’s hopping, skipping, running, cutting... In the same spirit, focus on all my other videos, BUT on this one. Three thoughts:
1. Google “is stretching bad for you”, research deeply and really consider if you need stretching
2. NEVER work into your pain. Even if super beautiful/handsome young fitness instructors or motivational sayings push you there
3. May not apply to you, but why not look into this too to draw some inspiration: the most anti-inflammatory diet I’ve ever heard of is from Dr. John McDougall, as laid out in his newsletter “Diet, only hope for arthritis”
I hope this could give you some fresh ideas, and I wish you all the best!
Back is pancake, knees are hurting... Excellent movements... Thank you!!! Can you suggest 5 minutes routine to do before meditation on low bench. Pain in my knees prevents long sitting.... Any suggestions are appreciated.... Thank you Alfons!!! Olga
Olga, good to see you're practicing consistently and working through my videos :-) Let me highlight some guidelines: a. Never go into pain b. Do less, but more often. Try my knee health exercises in my "hip joints, knees and ankles" playlist ruclips.net/p/PLcGwQrrRmOBC1FxtF1l2LAOfvazngJNlM and my "hip joints workshop" playlist ruclips.net/p/PLcGwQrrRmOBCDo8V1iG1EWTBfaDzTwxPS
+Feldenkrais with Alfons big thanks for your advice !i will check everything! And I apologize for bothering so much with my questions....
Hola. Muchas gracias por el video. No entendí el nombre del lienzo que llamaste ecológico y con él que cubriste la masa. Saludos
I find it very easy to sit in this position , the problem for me is that after sitting like this for a while i get awful pins and needles
I'm curious what the jaw opening dose? And more about feldencrest method.
took traditional karate for years and had to sit in zazen ( that's what this position is called) for several minutes. we were told that sitting like this and enduring the discomfort was good for discipline
lol ... that teacher probably had his own ways and humour, some kind of imperialistic japanese humour and special way to treat subordinates... probably learned Zazen the hard way himself... I would steer clear of such "teachers", there's so many compassionate, insightful ones, that will bring joy to your life... unless your looking to be disciplined of course 😉
Thank you! Just thank you
Top!
I've been doing this lesson nearly every single day. I can guarantee it slowly gets better every time I do it again. But I do have to practice, otherwise I loose it, and my legs hurt.
yes, I also need to do parts if this (or similar) lesson every couple of days to keep the ability to sit on heels. The human body is like "use it or lose it".
Imaphantomfan ... I, too, do this almost daily and the result is similar to yours. My condition is slowly getting better. The operative word is SLOWLY. But, by golly I’ve come a long way in three months from being close to using a wheelchair to being able to get up from and down to the floor. For me, The Feldenkraus Method has worked miracles on me.
@@deedavis9511 that's wonderful, I'm glad for you. I wish you the best with your therapy. What a great example you are.👏👏👏👏👏
"Kneeling Posture" is an ancient Chinese etiquette. The correct way should go to China to find.
Japan imitates everything in ancient Chinese. It has reserved this set of Chinese Han and Tang Dynasties traditions from the Chinese and Tang dynasties. Low -low furniture and kneeling posture have also become their unique national culture.
Faaabukous. Thanks, Alfons.
you're very welcome Hazel ! So glad to have you on board here on RUclips :-) +Hazel Goodman
+Feldenkrais with Alfons thank you. My brilliant teacher knows you! She lives in steamy nsw, Aus and loves her organic beef. Lol.
Now we just need tutorials on how to sit in a yogi position (lotus or half-lotus position) and and how to sit on a chair ;)
Fabulous, my wife has severe valgus right knee
Thanks to your tips I feel I’m getting closer. I feel like my thighs and calves are so stiff from years of sitting in chairs all the time that they are resisting every step but I can feel my legs gradually loosening up.
Good observation, every time sitting upright in a chair with the feet on the ground creates stiffer legs and impaired blood supply. All the naturally super flexible Vietnamese here in Vietnam, at least that I know of, they literally never seem to sit in chairs like we Westerners do. They usually have one or both legs up on the seat, or at least sit wildly cross-legged.
Thanks a lot!!! It's reaaly great. I wonder if you have a session here to feel the back more flatten or even, as in my case, just flat. Thnk you so much, again.
thank you for your lovely feedback, appreciated ! :-) for your question: flat back ? did you try pelvic clock lessons? btw how can we know that when it's "flat", that it's actually neutral and not flexed? many questions in return ! ;-)
Thanks a lot Alfons for your time and your reply to my question. Aand your many questions that came back tome :))) Perhaps I've got -sort of- a lumbar lordososi. That's why I sense this kind of hyper lordosis which generates this slightly exagerated curve on my back. Thanks again and greetings from Buenos Aires.
Thank you for teaching this. I still struggle with sitting on my insteps, hard pressure and cramps. Anything special I can practise to get this better?
Start with my Getting better day by day series, especially the second half addresses the legs and how they connect upwards. Then come back to this lesson. Also add strength training for the VMO muscles of the knees (google knee over toes squats)
remember always use the sitting position when dropping the soap and picking it up
very interesting lesson, seems for me rather "dynamic" as for Feldenkrais. I did it only three times, so still learning and exploring moves, anyway last time I experimented with breathing during exercise and exhaling while siting is very interesting. could you tell me who invented this lesson - you have said in video that this is not your lesson?
+Grzegorz Korczyński Hi, thank you for watching and experimenting! For certified Feldenkrais Practitioners the official source for further research would be Moshé Feldenkrais, Alexander Yanai Series Nr 452, Toward japanese sitting
I used a weighted west, it went good...but my toes hurt a little bit
I'm going to Japan for the summer and my friend told me it would be useful to be able to do this...
This is so fucking painful but I'm getting better at it
You will be faster if you are slower, if you know what I mean. Do gradual approaches. Practice daily.
hello, I have a very importnat question and maybe you can help me a little bit (it looks like you have a big knowledge and experience) . I am studing design and I have a topic about wrong positins that may cause healht problems. Can sitting like that in Japan cause any healt problam ? like knee pain or venous varices? See we are used to sitting on the chairs and when we have to work in this position for 8h it may lead to a lot of health problems. The same with kneeling too long on the floor but the way Japanese sit is different from that and like you are showing the body waight is on your feets not knees and your spin is straight. And also by observing old people most of tham lost their flexibility with age and can no longer sit on the floor but when you look at old Japanese people even if thay are old they still can do it . But this that mean thay don't have any other heath problems by sitting all their lifes like that ?
Well first of all nobody will be admitted to the hospital because they lost flexibility (maybe they will have better luck at the Lost & Found office?). All the leading causes of death are strongly food related nowadays. And so is the illness before death. See for example Dr. Greger's work on this. Having that said: Chairs are the devil. They have a backwards reclined seating platform even though people have to lean forward to work on a table. That's a setup for failure. If you ask a healthy person (someone who used to spend most of his time outdoors, walking, standing, working) to sit on a chair for 8 hours, then this person will have many problems. Contrariwise if you ask an old office worker who did not sit on his heels even once in the last 50 years to sit on his heels, then this person will have many problems if he suddenly has to.
I know this isn't the time nor place to say this but he packin
lol
awesome ! i never to do this ! my hip is locked! i follow the steps and make this no cracking knees! you have a exercise for hip?
thank you :-) I sure do have ! Just browse my Channel you will find plenty
How do you get flexibility into the hip joint so you can lift the knee as you stand toes and go back on the opposite knee? It's at about 10:45 minutes in the video.
With my Hip Joints workshop here on RUclips :-)
You can bet I'll get right to it! Thank you very much!
My toes hurt so much but it was worth it lol
What is the longest time you can sit this way before you feel any discomfort? The standard for "no discomfort" (at least for me) is sitting in a regular chair. I can do that for 3 hours and no discomfort. Can you do this strange position for so long with no discomfort? In meditation practice many people endure enormous pain, and it's really very stupid, because meditation is intended to become aware of very subtle sensations which cannot be accessed when there is pain. So I really don't understand why so much effort was put into this stance, unless with proper technique will allow multiple hours with still no discomfort - otherwise I won't bother.
I think most westerners can sit 2-10 hours straight in a chair or sofa without discomfort. Problems start when someone tries to sit "pretty" or "straight" without any movement for minutes at a time. I think this has its place in military/police stand at attention, and might be used as punishment in schools by old school teachers, etc. Why there's literally millions of people meditating in such inertia is beyond me, but each to their own. That having said, I can spend an hour with japanese sitting often (while working), and have 3-4 sessions of that a day, but I hardly sit still and transition between positions frequently.
I can’t curl toes and flat like that. How to do that easily?
Hi unfortunately there is no general recipe. Also I don’t know why you can’t curl them like that. However, you can find some ideas in my “happy healthy feet” series. Furthermore you could stay with this question “How to do that easily?” as a set intention, and see what things and solutions life will bring up ...
@@ImprovingAbility I have Heriditary spastic parapersis which is similar to ALS but only confined to legs. I have muscle weakness and balance issues due to it
My calf muscles are too big and it really hurts trying to sit like this.
i've made great improvement but actually relaxing I can't do.
is there anything I can do?
do less, a lot less, don't go into end range, go slower, practice often, have patience, give it a few weeks :-) I will upload more videos with a similar topic
Are these exercises (also others related to knees) useful and doable for people with "o-legs" and with acute pain in the knee (inside)?
I don't want to increase the pain or the damage, that's why I am asking ...
Not suitable. Only the very beginning is suitable. DO NOT SIT BACK. Do the exercise in my video "The best knee exercise ever" and variations thereof, you need to change your movement habits
Thank you, Alfons!!
grande Alfons!! how are you?? so long time! :-*
Hi +Simona Argentieri ! Yes, I think 2013 ? Send you my greetings :-) xo
I am able to get full flexion of knee after this lesson but I again lose it the next morning
the technical term is joint viscosity, the friction about a joint if it has not moved for a few hours for example. Stuart McGill writes in ”Ultimate Back Fitness and Performance", on Page 207: „We have measured the viscosity in the spine/torso, which is the friction or resistance to motion, and have found that only 6-10 cycles of motion are required to reduce the friction. More cycles do not reduce the viscous friction further.” So that's that, and maybe the combination of movements can do even a bit more. And maybe diet, lifestyle habits and/or genetics play a role too, but I have no research to quote for that. Keep on moving, in German we say "Wer rastet der rostet" (who doesn't move rusts away)
@@ImprovingAbility thanks for the reply sir I'll take your advice
I think so I should try your different feldenkrais lessons , because this principle states that see the problem from different angles and solve the problem ,be playful with solving your problems
Japanese men our age use a little chair when they sit in seiza position.
Started watching this when I couldn’t get up because it hurt a tad
don’t sit fully back, do approximations, know your limits, stop early but practice often
My entire body wants to twist in only one direction. Always has, have not solved it.
So I have been doing these exercises daily for 3 weeks but I still can't do it. I kinda can for like 10 seconds after I have warmed up by doing all the exercises you have shown but even then it hurts too much for me to sit seiza regularly. Do you have any advice for me? Should I continue to practice? The knee pain is too much.
Thanks for taking the time.
Hi, there should be no pain. If you have pain please don't do this particular movement sequence. Please take good care of yourself. I say this many, many times in my videos. If you have pain you probably need somebody to see you and find out what's the problem, then see what exercises are suitable for your situation. A safe exercise might be my video "The best knee exercise ever" but there's no way of telling without a consultation. Take good care of yourself, and stay away from pain.
@@ImprovingAbility Thing is most of my friends also have pain in their knees when they sit like this. Only a couple can sit seiza naturally so I thought the pain was normal until you get your body adapts.
does the pain occur right away when you start to sit back on your heels or only after a few minutes?
@@ImprovingAbility It starts right away, but if I warm up it starts a few seconds later.
So that's something to be careful about then. Could be the meniscus. Both knees the same? Don't try to force yourself down. All the best! 🍀
Alfons, I know that as of yet, we aren't close friends. Therefore it might be presumptive on my part to engage you in a deeper way, nevertheless, I'm hoping you will accept these comments in the manner in which they are intended: the insight of someone who values what you put in the world and wants only to support a wider perspective in what your doing. I know you are not fond of yoga and I believe I understand why. While yoga is only one of the teaching formats I employ professionalyl with my students, I suspect you may not be fully aware of all of its more diverse practices----far beyond just "stretching." It may be helpful, for example, to point out that the neurological reflexes you are employing with the eyes, mouth, and tongue in this ATM, are actually deeply encoded in yoga. I say this not to suggest that Somatic forms of movement are any less valid, I use somatics for yoga students on auto-pilot frequently. However since the work of the somatic pioneers is roughly 50-70 years ol-- and even modern day yoga predates this-- it might be possible that some of what Feldenkrais and the other somatic luminaries refined and scientifically formulated could have come through the lens of earlier movement formats. The eye movements for example correspond to tratakam and the tongue to Simhasana. Those movements themselves may be closely linked to the six traditional cleansing practices, called Kriyas, in yoga. Thanks for allowing me to share my thoughts with you brother. Keep up the great work!
dear +Yogi p , thank you for your comment. Thank you for your trust, sharing and gentle approach. I don't know how to respond properly. Maybe with a little back story: I was strongly into Yoga at the age of 14-25. I practiced daily. I would get up at 4 o'clock in the morning and practice 1/2 hour in sitting, 1/2 hour in supine. I was student of a private ashram in Vienna, guided by the (within the community) famous Alfred Ballabene aka Vaju. However, by the year approximately 2000 something happened to Yoga. There was a huge shift of consciousness. Yoga changed from a spiritual practice to religious treachery, pure gymnastics, young women barely dressed doing questionable (and often spine damaging) stretching exercises and traditional western gymnastics, and fit looking men, many of them with a background of weight lifting and stretching and body weight training. And lots of businesses trying to make money with the gullible, despaired, hurt, lonely and sick. I became deeply disappointed by modern postural yoga aka „Yoga”.
On the other hand: whenever I was going to satsangs, chanting evenings, meditation circles, full moon prayer parties etc, back in the 90ties, I always wished that there were people my age. Therefore, in some way, my wish came true. Only that I'm in my 40ties now, and not 20 anymore :-(
Feldenkrais with Alfons I love reading your responses, and your story. Yoga is a sham...It is not anything to do with its original intent. Yoga in the west is all that you say it is..I wish people would wake up to the fact, however I do not see that happening.
I am drawn to Zen life. And not the western idea of that. Your teachings are wonderful and I am very grateful to you.
I love watching your videos. They are fun and very helpful. Thanks for showing us.