Meditation pillow

Meditation Pillow, Cushion, Mat or whatever you want to call it

The meditation cushion (also known as meditation pillow) should consist of 2 parts: Zafu and Zabuton. The first part Zafu is where you place your behind (pillow) and the second part is called Zabuton, which is the mat/cushion on which you place the the Zafu pillow. If you got a nice comfortable carpet then you can do with Zafu only, otherwise you will need the Zabuton meditation cushion to protect the side of your fibula bone (bone sticking out from the side of your upper toe).

I remember how I tried to find cheap alternatives to a genuine meditation pillow only to end up with a horrible back pain. In the end I switched to the genuine Buckwheat Zafu and Zabuton Meditation Cushion Set (2pc) and glad that I did.

Whenever you're out shopping for a good meditation cushion you should keep several things in mind:

• Covers have to be easily washable
• Thick enough to comfortably accomodate your fibula bone
• Sturdy material (don't buy the cheapest brand only to replace it in 2 weeks time)
• Zafu and Zabuton should be detachable (each with a seperate color)
• Try to get a neutral color (the meditation cushion will spend most of it's time on the floor)
• It shouldn't be too big (you're not buying furniture)
• Should be comfortable (good filling)

I'm hard to please when it comes to argonomics. For example I went through 5 computer chairs before finally settling on my final pick. With buckwheat I guess I got lucky, it's the first one that I bought (I took my Yoga teacher's recommendation) and it turned out to be good a good purchase. I've had it for 3 years now and it's yet to show signs of wear and tear, probably because it's double stitched. Zafu is filled with Buckwheat hulls which is better then feathers (with feathers the ends sometimes stick out and you have to beat it into shape). It's feels sturdy and soft at the same time.

The zabuton is filled with Kapok which has an interesting texture, it doesn't have to be very thick in order to make the feet comfortable. These natural materials are better then the foam we're used to having (like the memory foam), I'm sure the zabuton would have to be 10 times thicker if it was made of memory foam.

I got the right meditation pillow, now what?

How to sit:

• Do not slouch and sit up straight. Try to keep the head, neck and back in a straight line, this is good for breathing and makes you least tired.
• Draw the chin in a little bit. The ears should be on the same line as the shoulders and the nose should be on the same level as the belly button (this does not apply to people who have very big bellies).
• Relax the body (this includes your face, tongue, jaw and the upper body, back neck and shoulders) the more you practice the relaxation the easier it's going to be for you to sit up straight. Tension often leads to bad posture
• Keep your eyes closed. Once you improve your meditation technique you may open your eyes and concentrate on one spot during the meditation.

Page 2 Meditation Timer »