I sat on a zafu for years, until one day I felt an odd sensation in my right knee, like a zipper being opened. Yes; it was my meniscus tearing. I continued stubbornly to try and sit on the floor, even as my knee would lock up tight, and refuse to straighten with the bell. Sitting in a chair seemed a poor substitute, until I realized just how morbidly attached I was to form in lieu of substance. When I let go of my hubristic attachments to sitting "properly", my zazen righted itself like a well-ballasted boat. Nowadays a good chair is a blessing (I don't know about your neck of the woods, but here in the Saha world where I live, such dualistic distinctions are still useful as my hip is deformed by arthritis). The physical posture is important only in as much as it helped me understand what's truly important; the posture of my mind. Zen meditation in a chair
Just came off of a long stint of chair Tai Chi due to health reasons. While doing Tai Chi whilst sitting is still worthwhile and beneficial (especially when ill), it sure is nice to return to standing practice.
