Meditation Cushions

A meditation cushion is a useful yoga prop that is perfect for improving alignment, helping you to maintain yoga poses for longer, and offering a comfortable resting space for meditation and other styles of restorative yoga. Zafu cushions are circular shaped, and zabuton pillows are square, and you can also have meditation bolsters, which come in various lengths and thicknesses in a cylindrical type shape. They all offer support in slightly different ways but are all comfortable and perfect for holding poses or sitting and lying down for extended periods of time. They tend to be a little bit firmer than a standard cushion you would find on a sofa or bed, which is why they are classed as meditation or yoga cushions. Using a standard cushion would probably not provide you with the same level of support that you can get from a meditation cushion.

Choosing the perfect meditation cushion depends somewhat on what you plan to use it for. For example, when we first start yoga, the flexibility of the hips can be lacking, and the round cushion or zafu is perfect for supporting the body when sitting cross-legged and performing other hip stretching poses and helping to open up the hip flexors. The square cushion or zabuton meditation pillow is better suited to support those who need extra padding around the ankles or knees when they are meditating. Meditation and yoga pillows also have a wide range of fillings, and this changes the support they offer. For example, buckwheat husks are excellent for contouring the shape of the body and also give you the option to add or remove some of the fillings to create the perfect level of support. Fibre-type filling, which may be cotton, kapok, recron or other material, is prefilled to be very firm and provide an excellent level of support for stop. This is great for ensuring you can maintain your seated pose whilst meditating. Unlike buckwheat cushions, you cannot change the amount of stuffing.

Meditation cushions are very versatile and can help you achieve and improve posture. It's important that your spine is supported, and if needed, your hips can be lifted off the floor to ensure there is no pressure. Yoga cushions are also perfect for meditation practice and provide a comfortable base in order to hold your positions for longer. Certain yoga practices, like Iyengar yoga, also use props, which include yoga cushions, meditation mats, and bolsters, to ensure that the correct alignment of each position is achieved. This is a safer way to practice, especially when Iyengar yoga is being practised, as this is all about holding positions for a longer period of time than you might be used to in other styles of yoga. Don't worry if you do not have your own yoga cushion at this stage because meditation cushions in UK yoga studios are very commonplace, and you will be able to get a feel for them in your class.

In some ways, the shape of the meditation cushion is down to personal choice; however, there are some recommendations that might help you decide what to purchase.
For those who may have flexibility issues in the hip area, then a crescent or round-shaped yoga cushion is often recommended. This will make it easier to raise your hips off the ground, which can relieve pressure.

It will bring your knees closer to the floor and maintains the natural curve of the spine, which will help with any back pain issues and ensure that you are not injured or straining anything further.
If you are completely new to yoga, then a zafu or a round yoga cushion is brilliant for meditation and restorative yoga.

For those looking to support their ankles and feet when sitting or meditating for longer periods of time, the square cushion or zabuton is the best choice. Of course, you're not limited to only choosing one style of yoga cushion in the UK; it's quite common practice to see people using different styles at the same time to create the correct level of support and comfort.

Crescent Shaped
Meditation Cushion

Round Shaped
Meditation Cushion

There is no one correct way to sit on a yoga cushion while meditating. A lot will depend on the style of yoga you are doing or if you are meditating or trying to learn a new pose. The round zafu meditation cushion is perfect for helping with the Lotus or half lotus position, which is a common meditation position that everyone starting out in yoga hopes to be able to achieve one day. Using a cushion to help support you is a great way to retrain and expand the muscles and flexibility of the hips. In full lotus, you are sitting cross-legged with your feet resting on the opposite inner thigh. This may seem impossible when you first start your yoga practice, but the more you do, the more you will increase your flexibility and make it easier to achieve any pose that challenges you. The beginning phase of the lotus is Sukhasana, which is often called the easy cross-legged pose. This is how we all sat as children in the assembly halls with our legs neatly crossed but feet resting on the floor rather than the more advanced pose of lotus where they must rest on the thigh. Again, your yoga meditation cushion is perfect for this exercise, and by sitting on it, you create more space on the floor for your legs to cross if this does not feel very natural at this point. If you have a square meditation cushion, you will find it perfect for supporting in positions where you are resting your weight on your knees or ankles. Experimenting with placing a cushion in various different roles will help you find the most comfortable way to support the body and therefore extend your yoga practice.

Meditation cushions are made with various fabrics. The most common construction is an inner cushion that contains the stuffing and then an outer cover that can be removed and washed.
However, not all meditation cushions have a removable outer cover. Cotton is a very common outer cover choice, as well as being suitable for the inner cushion.

You need to consider the fact that with some yoga poses, you may sweat, and therefore, it's a good idea to have a cover that is washable.

Upholstery material is often used because it is tough and designed to last. The only downside is that often, an upholstered material can only be dry cleaned. The outer cover often has a handle to make transporting your meditation cushion easier.

You will see some brocade or silk-style yoga cushions, but remember that these materials do stain quite easily and can be really tricky to clean.
However, the range of cotton-covered meditation cushions is so vast, and they come in so many different rainbow colours, but you are sure to be able to find something that works well in your Zen corner.

It is important that you like the feel of your yoga cushion, which is another good reason for popping down to your local yoga class to have a look at the types of cushions on offer.

Cleaning a meditation cushion really depend on what it is made from. As mentioned, many cushions do have a removable outer cover, and you can often machine wash these. However, you should always look for the manufacturer's washing instructions. Some cannot be machine washed and must be hand washed and lined dried, whereas there are some that can go in the washing machine and then tumble dryer. The inner generally cannot be washed, but you could refresh it by popping it on the washing line on a sunny day. If your cushion does not have a removable cover, then you won't be able to wash it in the same way. Also, some cushions that are made from upholstery-style material will need to be specialist cleaned by a dry cleaner. If you have a particularly hot and sweaty yoga class, it's important that you try and dry out your yoga cushion, especially if it has cotton stuffing to try and prevent any mould and mildew that you won't be able to see forming on the inside of the cushion.

Inside the yoga cushion, the stuffing can also vary. We've already touched on buckwheat holes, and these are perfect because they're organic; it's not a crop that bugs are interested in, so pesticides aren't required to grow it. This makes it renewable and environmentally friendly.

The husk of the grain would normally be discarded, but people have realised its value in stuffing things like pillows and cushions. It's a bit like a beanbag in that it conforms to the shape of the body, so it creates a nice unique cushion. Structured entirely for you. It's quite firm, which not everybody enjoys, so for a softer feeling yoga cushion, kapok, or cotton are good alternatives.
Kapok is also a very natural fibre and comes from the kapok tree, which is native to Indonesia and Thailand. The good thing about kapok is that it is naturally resistant to mould and mildew, so any sweat that passes into the cushion should not cause a problem.

Initially, a kapok cushion may seem quite firm, but once broken in, it becomes a little bit flatter and has a softer feel van the buckwheat husk. Cotton can be used as a filling, but it doesn't last as long. It soon squashes and loses some of its natural fluff.
Unfortunately, it's also incredibly prone to mould and mildew, but for some people, it's still a good option and is generally best for square cushions. Finally, some cushions are made from man-made synthetic stuffing, but this is potentially not the best idea.

However, if the person suffers from allergies, it may be the only choice, although an allergy to both buckwheat and kapok would be unusual. Cushions with a synthetic filling tend to be the softest on the market and are much like sofa cushions.
They will soon lose their plumpness and can form impression marks if regularly sat on at the same point.