5- Benefits of a Meditation Cushion or Pillow
The wonders of modern day meditation are plentiful, with many benefits to the body, mind, and soul, the right accessory can help elevate your meditation experience to a whole other level.
With the correct application and use, you too can drastically improve your meditation with little to no effort at all. Now enter the meditation cushion…from comfort to portability and benefits to your health, here are five reasons why you should use a meditation cushion or pillow in your meditation sessions today.
1. Supports your lower legs and glutes
The feeling of pins and needles is quite uncomfrotable and can be a pain to deal with. Without the right support, it is easy to hinder the blood flow from your legs and glutes. This causes many to cut short their meditation sessions due to the discomfort that comes with.
2. Fun, whacky and portable
A meditation cushion is easy to carry around and pack for travel. This makes it much easier to move about and use anywhere at your convenience. The fun thing about it is their size! You can stuff them in your suitcase or backpack with ease. Weighing almost close to nothing, they are light enough to carry without feeling the stress of its weight. Some come in different variations featuring more advantages. Inflatable cushions can be easily folded and stacked away without taking any room at all.
3. Improves body posture and asymmetry
It can be easy to lose yourself in a blissful state of meditation only to find yourself poised in a bad posture soon after. With the right meditation cushion, you too can experience a whole difference in posture. They help elevate the spine from the ground thus stretching out the discs as you maintain an upright seated posture. It can take some time to get used to, but by implementing a cushion into your regime, you will gradually witness a change in your posture. A true sense of refreshment and alignment in your internal frame.
4. Relieves pain from joints experienced in seated meditation
While staying stationary in a meditation pose for a few minutes or hours may begin to feel strenuous, sitting down on a cold hard floor or thin mat makes it even worse. A meditation cushion or pillow makes it comfortable to sit on for an extended amount of time without suffering from strain and joint pain. They help make the meditation session much more pleasurable and delightful. The comfortability provided helps deviate the mind away from mental thought and background distractions thus enhancing your experience.
5. Can serve another purpose as a yoga prop
The meditation cushion or pillow is versatile and can substitute for a yoga prop that allows for the use of yoga poses without having to actually equip yourself with the necessities. With the correct use, your meditation pillow can double up as a yoga bolster helping you achieve a variety of yoga poses with ease.
When it comes to selecting the right meditation cushion or pillow for you, ensure to bear in mind the qualities and trait you desire. Many cushions come in a variety of materials from polyester, cotton, wool, and specialties such as Kapok fiber. There’s something for everyone. Get into the healthy lifestyle of utilizing a cushion today and experience a whole new world of growth in your meditation life
5 Factors in Choosing a Meditation Cushion
One critical tool used during the process of meditation is the meditation cushion. Whether you are a novice who’s just getting started or a guru who’s been meditating for years, you’ll realize that using the ideal choice of a meditation pillow goes a long way to make your meditation experience all the worthwhile. But given the numerous brands and types available in the market, finding the most suitable cushion to mediate with can be a confusing exercise. The following are 5 factors to consider when choosing the appropriate meditation cushion.
1. Posture: Maintain Proper Alignment
There are different positions you can assume when doing your meditation. Some people meditate while sitting while others prefer to kneel or even lie down. Whichever the posture you meditate in, this should guide to select a meditation pillow that supports and maintains proper alignment of your body. Choose a pillow that best suits your meditation posture.
2. Comfort Comes First
Your comfort should always come first whenever you want to begin meditating. And meditation pillows are one of the best ways of achieving comfort during this exercise. In fact, most people who cut short their mediation schedule do so due to the physical discomfort experienced after a few sessions. Therefore, you want to select a meditation pillow that properly aligns your body and allows you to breathe easily. This way, you’ll be able to focus on the mind without getting distracted by physical distress.
3. Fillings: Hard, Soft, Contour?
There are different materials that are used as fillings in your meditation cushion. Generally, the main materials used include kapok fiber, cotton, polyester, wool, and Buckwheat hulls. All these materials come with unique features that offer distinct benefits. For instance, kapok fibers are used in firm cushions that will hold your body in position whereas Buckwheat hulls result in heavier pillows that can be contoured to suit your sitting posture. The final choose of fillings you make should reflect what your preferences are as far as mediation is concerned. You may need to try cushions with different fillings before you decide which one is best suited for you.
4. Height Is Important
The height of a meditation cushion can have a significant effect on your meditation experience. Generally, these cushions vary from 2 to 9 inches and are designed for various mediation positions. For example, a sitting posture doesn’t require a high cushion as this causes your spine to bend forward. If you happen to feel that your cushion isn’t working, then the problem might just be the height. It’s possible that the cushion is either too high or too low for your body posture.
5. Choose a Color That You Love
There are many types of meditation cushions in the market. These come in a wide range of shapes, sizes, and even colors. It is always important to choose a cushion design that will enhance the whole mediation experience, even if it means going for a certain texture of fabric or a bright/dark color to improve the ambiance of your meditation space. Although this might not seem too important, some people prefer to choose pillow colors that blend in the color scheme of the meditation space.
Types of Meditation Cushions
A meditation cushion plays an essential role in keeping your body properly aligned and making sure that you remain comfortable throughout the process. There are different types of meditation pillows available in the market, but not all are the same. Each one comes with its own unique features that offer unique benefits and disadvantages. If you are thinking of getting into meditation, you might be wondering which type of cushion is best suited for you. Well, consider the following best meditation cushions for a smooth start to this incredible wellness practice.
Gaiam Zabuton Meditation Cushion
This Zabuton meditation pillow is specially designed with extra cushioning to enhance support and comfort. It is your best bet for easing pressure around the knees, ankles, and back and the cushion’s interior is body forming. You’ll be impressed by the large size it has and the exciting color options available that you can blend into the décor of your meditation zone. The Gaiam Zabuton pillow also comes with a microfiber cover which you can easily remove and wash to ensure that it remains fresh and clean every single day.
Mobile Meditator Inflatable Meditation Pillow
This a great option for both novice and experienced meditation enthusiasts. The cushion is inflatable, which allows you to adjust it to the preferred size and feel. It is ergonomically designed to be lightweight, compact, and fully adjustable for your ultimate meditation experience. The pillow also features two side chambers that conveniently support your thighs and hips. The central chamber adjusts to allow for optimal pelvic tilt, as well as great spinal support. The Mobile Meditator will serve you extremely well; whether you are backpacking, camping, or relaxing by the beach.
Alexia Meditation Seat
This fun meditation cushion is the closest thing to a seat you’ll find. It was tailor-made for meditation and supports your body from all the necessary angles, including your feet, knees, lower back, and your entire skeletal frame. The seat’s frame is made out of metal and stuffed with a silky-soft foam material. A nice leather material then covers the whole seat. And if you are a champion for animal rights; you can always go for their vegan-friendly design. You’ll find your Alexa Meditation Seat available in an array of cool colors, including orange and black.
My Zen Home Dhyana Meditation Cushion
This amazing cushion features 100% organic Kapok filling that makes it extra soft, but still long lasting. It comes in a square shape to offer additional support to ankles and knees. It also contains an in-built adjusting folding bolster that serves to provide more support and comfort. It is the perfect choice for anybody struggling with tight hips and soreness in the lower back. Its traditional sager color, combined with Thai patterns give it an endearing look that will have a calming effect as you meditate. My Zen Home meditation cushions boast excellent online reviews and promise to offer you a wonderful meditation experience.
Round Cotton Meditation Cushion
This cotton Zafu pillow will blend in nicely into your meditation space. It comes with a colorful design that includes a charming lotus flower intricately embroidered in the middle. Its round shape offers maximum comfort with a soft yet sturdy build for your meditation pleasure. The stuffing of the cushion is 100% cotton and was made to cater to all kinds of users. The YogaAccessories meditation pillow features additional colors and designs, other than the lotus flowered, that you can choose to suit your preferences
Additional Meditation Cushion Types
Hi Rhonda, Great information that is very helpful for me. I really like the Alexa Meditation Seat. I have had bilateral total knee replacements. This cushion looks like one that would make it easier for me to sit. Which one would you recommend for on who cannot sit cross-legged?