Laya's Favourite Chair

This unique chair belongs to my friend Laya. She is a meditation and yoga teacher living near me on the Far North Coast of New South Wales. She can sit cross legged and straight backed for hours in a way I am sure only someone who has dedicated their life to yoga and meditation and spiritual enrichment can. For someone like me who has a bad back I find it impossible to imagine she could be comfortable, but she assures me she is. I am truly jealous.While Laya bought the chair from a local furniture importer, this piece of furniture originally comes from India. This type of chair is traditionally used by women, who during the day use it to sort grain. At night a cushion is placed inside and it becomes a chair.

Laya, or Layananda, is a swami of Dashnami order. She studied for 30 years under Paramahansa Satyananda of Rihia, India, a master of the ancient yogic traditions.

To find out more about Laya check out her website www.laya.com.au

My Favourite Chair

This is my chair. My favourite chair.

It was given to me about 12 years ago by friends as a part of a 3 piece club lounge. I think it dates from around the 1930's or 40's.

As you can see, it's very worn and torn and in need of some tender loving care (ie re-upholstering!), but it's mine and I love it. The springs are still okay, thank goodness, so it's really comfy. I can rest a cup of tea or glass of wine on the wooden arm rests and snuggle up and read the paper, a book or watch the telly.
My favourite time of the day is after the dinner has been cooked, the washing up done, all stuff for the next day has been sorted out and done, and then I can sit down, relax and escape into a book or watch the telly or balance the laptop on its wide, accomodating arms.
It's a perfect winter chair. You can wrap yourself in a blanket, turn the heater on and forget all your worries and cares.


Infact it was soooo cold the other night (4 or 5 degrees, but that's freezing for the North Coast!) I had two pairs of socks on, I was wrapped in a blanket and as you can see, just about sitting on top of the heater. But I was warm. Snug in my chair.









In the coming weeks I'll be visiting friends, family and interesting folk I come across, to chat to them about themselves and their chairs and how they ended up together.

WELL HELLO!

Welcome to My Favourite Chair, my blog about people and their chairs. Sitting in your favourite chair is like a hug from a loved one. It is welcoming, familiar, reassuring. It is a fortress, a solace, a solitary place. It is part of a community, it is open, it is yours. It can be expensive, one of many, tired and ragged or sentimental. Chairs are as unique as the people who own them.