commit 51509c41bff814a56a9d0110c14f204ad4224b7c
parent 11187b315b4b1f98dc2d90cc56ea134681910031
Author: alex wennerberg <alex@alexwennerberg.com>
Date: Sun, 9 Apr 2023 16:27:13 -0400
writing about chairs
Diffstat:
4 files changed, 162 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)
diff --git a/src/now.html b/src/now.html
@@ -3,4 +3,4 @@
<p>moved to brooklyn NY</p>
<p>working in tech</p>
<p>mostly doing computer stuff in my free time</p>
-
+<p>Now reading: Anti-Oedipus: Gilles Deleuze and Felix Guattari (part of a reading group). Saving Time -- Jenny Odell</p>
diff --git a/src/writing/chair.html b/src/writing/chair.html
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+<h1>chairs and chair alternatives</h1>
+
+<p>In 2020, I read Galen Cranz's book <a
+ href="https://wwnorton.com/books/9780393319552">The Chair: Rethinking
+ Culture, Body and Design</a>, and it had a strong effect on me. Galen Cranz
+argues that sitting in a 90-degree angle chair is fundamentally unstable and at odds with the human body.
+"Good" posture is essentially impossible to maintain in a
+chair, which throws the body out of balance. She studies chairs through an
+anthropological and historical lens. For example, during British colonial rule
+in India, workers in a factory would squat on the ground while working, and
+chairs and stools were forced upon them. Prior to colonization, it would be
+normal for, say, a teacher to lead a classroom seated on the floor, adding
+chairs to a classroom became a way of bringing it and the colonial subjects
+closer in line with Western ideals.</p>
+
+<p>Chairs are associated with Western modernity and "development". We would
+consider it odd, to, for example, sit on the ground on the train, or a subway
+platform, in an office, or in a university lecture. Chair sitting is associated
+with being dignified, clean, professional, etc. Galen Cranz challenges these
+assumptions, encourages us to see them as dependent on a specific cultural
+context, and explore other ways of interacting with our environment through out
+bodies. I've tried to challenge chair-sitting and experiment with different
+ways of relating to my environment with my body in my work and recreation in my
+home.</p>
+<p>
+Some context: I am 5'11, able-bodied, male, cisgender, 155-165 pounds. These is
+in many ways, a highly normative body, and the physical environment of the
+world is rarely not designed for me. These experiments may, for whatever
+reason, not apply to you, they only reflect my experience, but I encourage your
+own exploration and experimentation in the context of your body. I would
+contend that this exploration would be only more valuable for people whose
+bodies deviate from the norm in some way. I am not a yoga practitioner,
+ergonomics expert, or anything -- this is not a prescriptive guide, but an
+invitation to exploration.</p>
+
+<p>A lot of this guide will be biased towards thinking about being at a
+computer, which is, unfortunately, where I find myself much of the time.</p>
+
+<h2>sitting</h2>
+<p>Chair sitting's inherent instability generally leads to people
+hunching over, putting strain on and weakening their necks and putting them
+into a posture that is difficult to maintain comfortably over time. This is
+because in a chair, the Pelvis is tilted upwards, forcing the spine to curve
+forward, pushing the neck forward.</p>
+
+<p><a href="https://sp-ao.shortpixel.ai/client/to_auto,q_glossy,ret_img,w_800/https://www.cmd-ltd.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/anatomy-of-a-silhouette.jpg">"Good"
+ ergonomics</a> tells you that the solution is to sit up straight, with a natural
+curve in the spine. However -- have you ever seen someone sit stably like this
+for a long period of time? Have you ever been able to? Galen Cranz argues that
+the 90 degree angle of the chair necessarily pushes the pelvis forward on the
+chair, making it almost impossible to maintain this posture without strain.
+When I sit in a chair such as the $2000 Herman Miller Aeron chair depicted in this
+image, I generally have some sort of dynamic, fidgety, twisted posture, and no
+matter how hard I try, I find myself hunched forward, and I'm sure anyone
+observing an open plan office will observe something similar.</p>
+
+<p>Alternative, more 'stable' seating generally involves something that puts your
+pelvis at an angle other than 90 degrees. Something like, sitting on a <a
+ href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kneeling_chair">kneeling chair</a>, the
+edge of a stool (I have a rocking stool with a cushion on it) or the lip of a
+sloped chair. However, this requires strength and flexibility that you may not
+have. I myself have been able to maintain a "pelvis-forward" sitting
+posture for only a relatively short period of time. I'd be interested to see
+whether practice and strength training changes this. Still, this posture
+does feel constructive to me, it feels like it's something I could get better with in
+time. </p>
+
+<p>I also sometimes sit in a reclined chair. Currently, I'm in <a
+ href="https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/pello-armchair-holmby-natural-70078463/">this
+ chair</a> writing this. In this position, I'm very relaxed and leaning back,
+with my laptop or a book on a pillow on my lap. I type on my laptop in this
+position, but it's difficult to take professional calls seated like this, given
+the position of the camera relative to my face. However, I've found a laptop
+keyboard that is comfortable to type on for long periods of time, so this works
+quite well for me. I never, ever work on side or personal projects at a desk or in an
+office chair -- I would find this unbearably unpleasant, like an extension of
+work.</p>
+
+<h2>standing</h2>
+Standing desks and sit-stand arrangements have become very popular in recent
+years. I do stand sometimes for work and find it nice to pace around while on
+meetings, etc. I used to have a standing-only desk, but I get tired quite
+easily. Standard for a while definitely takes practice and may require
+developing some strength. I stand on a yoga mat.
+
+<h2>the floor</h2>
+When is the last time you sat on the floor for an extended period of time? I
+recommend trying it and seeing where your body goes, what does it find
+comfortable, uncomfortable, etc? Here are some ideas for floor sitting and
+postures to experiment with.</p>
+
+<p>A <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zafu">Zafu</a> is a round cushion that
+elevates the hips, similar to the 'sitting' postures discussed above. When I'm
+sitting on the floor for an extended period of time, I'm generally Sitting on
+it took me some practice, but now it is quite comfortable for me. For a while,
+this was the main position that I did work in, and I still work on my computer
+sometimes on the floor , but it is relatively static and non-relaxed, so it's
+difficult to maintain all day. You probably want to put your Zafu on some sort
+of soft mat, like a yoga mat or <a
+href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zabuton">Zabuton</a>.
+</p>
+<p>Some ways of sitting on the floor:</p>
+
+<ul>
+ <li><a href="https://www.yogajournal.com/poses/easy-pose-3/">Sukhasana</a>, aka "Criss-cross applesauce"</li>
+ <li><a href="https://dharmanet.org/coursesM/36/images/position2.jpg">Burmese posture</a></li>
+ <li><a href="https://www.verywellfit.com/half-lotus-pose-ardha-padmasana-3567080">Half Lotus</a></li>
+ <li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seiza">Seiza</a> -- I generally do this with a pillow between my hips and feet.</li>
+</ul>
+
+<p>Learning to do a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Squatting_position">full squat</a>,
+where your full foot is on the ground, can be a valuable posture. Some people
+struggle with this, but it was never difficult for me. It may require
+developing some flexibility. In some cultures, this is a natural resting
+position people maintain for hours, I'm not able to do that, but I do sometimes
+do this squat when I'm waiting for a train/bus, extremely tired, and alone or in a mood
+where I'm unconcerned with people judging me.</p>
+
+<h2>lying down</h2>
+<p>I will often lie in bed or on a couch with my upper back elevated and neck supported
+and either have my legs straight or have my knees up and my laptop or a book on my knees.
+I have less to say about this, because most of us are used to lying down, but
+one comment I'd like to make is that I find lying down to be a very reasonable
+posture to work on things. Most of the code for <a
+href="https://flounder.online/">flounder.online</a>, I wrote supine. I often
+lie down while working at a laptop, and would encourage you to experiment with
+it.</p>
+
+<p><a href="https://alexanderteachingstudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/CRLauren1.jpg">Constructive rest</a> is a good posture for relaxing and listening to a podcast or something.</p>
+
+<h2>mindset</h2>
+The placement of your body probably also affects your thinking. In some
+positions, you may find certain kind of activity more natural. For example,
+stool-sitting, chair-sitting and standing, I associate with work, as in, my
+professional job, and tend to affect in me feelings of industriousness,
+productivity, diligence, professionalism, as well as anxiety and annoyance. I
+encourage you both to explore these associations and challenge them -- is there
+any reason why one couldn't do serious, professional work while supine?
+Personally, I've done it before, but my reservations are less about what being
+supine does to my work, but rather what doing work does to being supine, ie,
+there is this tension between doing work (disciplining myself into being
+productive towards specific ends) and lying down.
+
+<h2>conclusion</h2>
+Hopefully you found this interesting. I encourage you to try non-chair-sitting ways
+of moving your body when eating, reading, resting, working, etc. If you have
+input into designing a space, consider the ways in which it prioritizes chair
+sitting, and experiment with other forms of laying things out, e.g. more spaces
+for floor-sitting or lying down. If you have friends who are open to it, try
+setting up a nice space for hanging out or enjoying a meal on cushions on the
+floor. In my home, I have various spaces and vary between postures throughout
+the day, and I encourage you to do the same and find what works for you. If you
+search many of the topics discussed in this page, you'll find a lot of people
+exploring alternatives to chair-sitting. If you have any ideas or feedback,
+please email me at the link found in the footer, I may highlight comments here if you'd like
+as well.
diff --git a/src/writing/misc.html b/src/writing/misc.html
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+<h1>misc</h1>
+<p>Miscellaneous writing, may categorize this more as time goes on</p>
+
+<a href="/writing/chair.html">chairs and chair alternatives</a>
diff --git a/templates/header.html b/templates/header.html
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
<ul>
<li><a href="/poetry">poetry</a></li>
<li><a href="/blog">blog</a></li>
+ <li><a href="/writing/misc.html">misc</a></li>
</ul>
</section>
</section>
