Meditation Cushions

The meditation cushions we offer are authentically made according to cushions used in American and Japanese monasteries. We use very high quality 100% durable cotton twill and very high grade kapok (zafus) and cotton batting (zabutons and support cushions).

Kapok is a natural fiber from the seeds of the Ceiba tree that grows in the rainforest. It has tremendous resilience and can be easily pushed back into shape after sitting. Kapok zafus are light and very comfortable, and their firmness can be adjusted by taking out or adding kapok. They are used in most Zen Centers and monasteries in America and Japan. The kapok can also be easily removed from the twill shell and replaced when it becomes old (usually after 5-6 years).

The cushions are hand stuffed and hand tufted and can be easily cleaned with a damp cloth or a little soap and water. The zafus have a loft of 5 inches when sitting on them, and the zabutons have a 3 inch loft (three layers of cotton batting). We do not vary the loft of the zabuton because the ideal comfort needed to settle into meditation is not too soft and not too hard. If the loft is too soft, it becomes too comfortable in sitting, and it is difficult to focus. If the loft is too hard, then the discomfort is also a distraction in sitting. This comes from 35 years of meditation practice.

All of our cushions are double and triple-stitched to last for years. It is wonderful to offer to all beings this incredible opportunity (meditation) to settle into a deeper life, a life of wisdom and compassion and hopefully, these cushions will enable this process to happen more easily.