Are meditation cushions worth it?
The first time I went on a meditation retreat I was heavily armed with every conceivable bit of kit you can imagine. Meditation benches, padded mats, shawls and enough cushions to start my own souk. But the question is, are meditation cushions worth it?
I knew that sitting for extended periods of time was going to take equipment, and plenty of it. I got some curious looks as I noticed askance that some people had arrived with nothing. Nothing!
Over the course of ten days I wriggled and shifted, rearranged my gear and my posterior a thousand times, and never really found a comfy way to sit. Meanwhile, on the other side of the hall, were folk with a simple yoga block, their legs concertinaed beneath them to form some kind of perfect sitting platform. Their eyes closed and a peaceful hue around them, they looked exactly as I had hoped to feel when I signed up.
Where had I gone wrong?
The honest answer is that I had done nothing wrong. Going from barely sitting at all to sitting all day on an intense meditation retreat would challenge anyone. But the truth is that we do not need a ton of kit to be comfy.
In fact, I can guarantee you that you have exactly what you need in your home already to support your posture for any period of meditation, whether that is ten minutes or ten hours if you’ve signed up to something a little more extreme!
How to get comfortable for meditation
The key to finding comfort is through a relaxed body, and a relaxed mind. Not so easy I know. But one can follow the other. Find a way to be that encourages the breath to sink down into your tummy. To do this your spine needs to facilitate room in the belly, so we ideally don’t want to be slouched or crooked. For an absolute beginner you can achieve this most easily by standing or lying down.
If you’re looking to establish a seated position on the floor, raise the back of your bottom and encourage the pelvis to tilt forward. Any handy cushion or pillow, or meditation cushion, is your friend here, and the key is to perch on the edge rather than land in the middle of it.
If you’re new to meditation, starting a new habit can involve rituals and routines. And you may decide that having a lovely handstitched zafu meditation cushion will not only inspire you but look good too. I certainly like to sit in the same place, on the same special cushion, at roughly the same time every day. And whilst buying any new equipment is not necessary for your practice, I’d encourage anything that will help you to get to the start line!
Check out @funkyzafu for bespoke meditation cushions that look great, are super comfy, and won’t break the bank.