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Looking for a new zafu/zabuton set-recommendations?
karasti
BreathingMinnesota Moderator
in Meditation
The set I have is ok, but the zafu is really kind of small and the zabuton isn't thick enough. At home it works well, but we have carpeted floors. The place we hold retreats and sangha meetings has slate floors though and my ankles get sore with the thinner cushion. Do you have any preferences or recommendations? I've looked online but there are a lot of choices of materials, fills, companies, and so on. Unfortunately, I'm not capable of making my own.
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I made my own, uh, or rather my wife made it. But I picked the fabric and stuff'n. I think it ended up costing about as much as one you could buy.
For the stuff'n I recommend kapok, over flax I guess.
Samadhi Cushions is probably your best bet.
http://www.samadhicushions.com/Gomden-Meditation-Cushion-s/30.htm
Most of the meditation centers around here use their cushions. Good quality.
Personally, I use cushions from Blue Lotus in New Mexico. Their Sangha Meditation Cube is brilliant.
http://www.bluelotusyoga.com/
And if you've never tried a zafu filled with buckwheat hulls, you MUST. Heaven.
You may find that the ankle soreness has got more to do with excess pressure on the ankles than how much cushioning you have. I have a meditation belt my wife wove that goes around my back and knees and relieves pressure on my ankles.
Thanks, @Nevermind. Lucky you having your wife be able to make it! I don't own a sewing machine, and the last time I tried one in 7th grade I ran over my teacher's finger! My grandma could probably make one but she'd ask what it was and then she'd be forever praying for my sins, lol.
I think the zabuton I have is just cotton, which is why it's gotten flat. My teacher has a thick (probably 5 inches) one that is stuffed with buckwheat and that seems to hold it's shape forever.
After doing the buckwheat shells, I'll never go back to cotton or anything else.
@Chaz said " And if you've never tried a zafu filled with buckwheat hull, you MUST. Heaven." .................... I'll second that!
Edit: I'm on my way out now...Later I'll post the link to where we ( hubby and I ) get our stuff....
Most Zabutons are filled with cotton. They start ut with a lot of loft, but with time smoosh down.
The Monastery Store offers a zabuton made with memory foam.
http://www.dharma.net/monstore/category.php?cPath=104_105
When we have our sangha meetings, they are only about 90 minutes and I rarely run into troubles with my ankles. But when we spend sometimes 6 hours a day for several days on the slate floor, my zabuton gets really flat and my ankles are sore for days afterwards. the stuffing shifts around and leaves it uneven, so one ankle might be padded well but the other will be less so.
I was looking at the Samadhi site, and I really like their options. They were one I was considering for sure. Thanks for the links, I will check them out!
My wife and I ran into the same thing. She could sew up a set of cushions, but buying them was a lot more reasonable.
Ok...here it is. You can see on the front what I was talking about trying to make before.
I want a zipper outer cover for mine, so I can wash it. I'm making them, though, since we already have them. Black ones, with one zipper, with shells inside....So I'm just going to make the outer 'shell' for the ones we already have.
http://www.dharmacrafts.com/100xZA/Zafu-Pillow.html
I haven't checked around for prices....we got our latest ones a couple of years ago....so I might check out the other links to compare things.
removable would definitely be a plus. My zabuton has a removable cover, but the zafu does not. It has a zipper, but no liner, so it's just filled with shells. Our boxer thinks my meditation cushions are her dog bed so it would be nice to be able to wash the whole set. Nevermind we have bought her ever type of dog bed under the sun and she won't use them. When I get a new set, she can have mine!
The zabuton...I gave up on the standard ones, to be honest.
Do you have to bring a certain one? Are they strict there about that?
I found a square floor pillow at a retail place that is thick as all get out. I'll take a pic....Oh, also, he got the mountain seat from here...
http://www.dharma.net/monstore/category.php?cPath=104_105
^^^ same link as Chaz...
Not at all, types, sizes and colors don't matter at all, it's just personal preference. One of the ladies sits on a yak rug.
I really like the taller cushions on that link. That would probably help my bad knee from getting tired. Though I also like gomdens, they look more comfortable. As I get older, it seems like my rear takes on the shape of the gomden more than the zafu...
I believe kapok is even better than buckwheat in firmness and retaining shape, at least in my experience.
Here is what my form/hips require ...
...
And yes, ...that's my clean sock laundry basket in the background.....hahaha...
nice ones in samyeling shop around £35
I just use a wooden stool...it's angled, and rocks forward when I sit on it.
My ex-H made it for me, according to a drawing I gave him.
It's so comfortable and I think materials cost less than £5.00
I get my stuff from http://www.dharmacrafts.com
Use buckwheat hull zafu.
The ones they make now have zippered outer covers and zippered inner lining to hold the buckwheat shells
Being an Englishman I sit on a chair...I also eat with a knife and fork except in a Chinese restaurant, and prefer Welsh Rarebit to tofu.
In other words..we don't need to be Asians...unless of course we are Asians.
I wish I could use a meditation bench. I have a chunk of missing cartilage right under my knee cap (injury from dislocating the knee cap) so kneeling for even a few minutes it too painful. On the plus side, it means someone else has to wash the floors when they need better cleaning than the mop can do
Thankfully, I am fairly flexible, so that at least works in my favor. I will have to try another cushion and see if I prefer the higher cushions, for sure. It never dawned on me to try!
I honestly don't like sitting in chairs or on furniture at all. I never have. I sit on the floor most of the time. We grew up mostly sitting on beanbags, so I think it comes from that. 90% of any sitting I do is either on my cushion or a yoga ball.
Also, @Vastmind if I took a picture of my cushion right now, my sock basket would be in it, too, lol. It's full to overflowing right now. Perhaps sock folding meditation is in order.
Being over 6 ft 2" and 230 lbs, and having osteoarthritis in my left hip narrows my choices.
I can perfectly well see why a chair would suit you best. And that to be perfectly honest, it wouldn't matter where you sit. it's what you do WHILE sitting, that counts.
You're saying that you need to be English?
Actually, that is a good point.... ~Smirk~
Cod and chips! [lobsterian swearing] lost my post here . . . ah well . . .
Great cushions guys. I have used books (too hard), pillows (too soft), folded blankets etc. Never owned or bought a 'meditation cushion'. My grandma used to make cushions as a hobby. Maybe I can find one, they were very firm.
I tend to sit in a chair at dharma centres were available, unless sitting in private or at home or no chairs. I don't like kneeling unless using a meditation stool or pillow between calves and thighs.
As for recommendations:
The real Mr Cushion is an old memory foam pillow. I find it very easy to sit on the floor. My laptop is on a bench and I sit on the carpet with some padding to lift buttocks. There is no virtue in cultural posturing, except in terms of stability and a minor sense of greater grounding. I use the tailor posture and occasionally a half lotus. I tend to find a blanket over the head, with head poking through and the blanket wrapped around gives me a sense of 'containment'. Does that make it a wooby? Sitting is not an exercise in sadomasochism. Be comfortable.