A comfortable sitting posture is the foundation of our meditation. Before you start meditating, you should find a comfortable sitting position in which you can easily stay for ten minutes. A comfortable meditation cushion will help you with this.
Many of us find meditation difficult, especially at the beginning. The mind is restless and we struggle to sit still and find calm. If it then also pinches because our back hurts or we force ourselves into a sitting posture that is too advanced, the mind cannot settle.
Remember: Your seat (whether on the floor, on a chair or leaning against a wall) should never cause pain, and your lower back should always be upright.
A seat or yoga cushion automatically gives you more sitting comfort. It relieves the spine and the entire back. Above all, it ensures that the spine is naturally upright so that we don't slump so easily. This creates more space in the abdominal area and our breath can flow more freely and deeply.
Once you've found a sitting position, you should be able to stay in it comfortably. But especially as a beginner, you'll become aware of your body during a longer meditation. Don't hesitate then – briefly move the parts of your body that hurt. For example, gently loosen your legs and then return to your seat.
The most important criterion when buying the right cushion is you. In keeping with the motto “As you cushion yourself, so you meditate”, the right meditation cushion can be a key factor in whether meditation feels pleasant and right. Each of us has our own perception when it comes to sitting. This depends partly on the flexibility of the body and partly on the openness of the hips and the back.
The right cushion should support you in an upright, straight posture, relieve your pelvis and spine and create space to calm your thoughts. During meditation, your mind shouldn't be preoccupied with thigh pain, hip problems or your back, but should be able to settle.
There are no criteria that apply equally to everyone who meditates. Nevertheless, there are a few points you can bear in mind when choosing the right meditation cushion.
If you keep these points in mind, you'll quickly discover how useful a good meditation cushion can be!
Body height, flexibility and area of use are decisive for the height of the meditation cushion. At Lotuscrafts, we divide our meditation cushions into three size categories:
We recommend a cushion in the "Small" category with a seat height of approx. 10 cm if you are about 1.70 m tall and can sit comfortably cross-legged, in lotus position and on your heels. You should also have good hip flexibility (hip opening), and your knees should be healthy and resilient. By the way: small cushions like these also provide good support if you want to take it a little easier in yoga and don't want to or can't stretch too far.
The “Standard” category is suitable if you're looking for a versatile cushion with a normal seat height and, for example, have slightly longer legs but still want to sit cross-legged. The seat height of approx. 15 cm is ideal if you are over 1.70 m tall or have complaints in your leg muscles, hip joints or knees. If you meditate for longer periods, the standard cushion makes it easier to change your sitting position more often. The cushion height is also ideal for the kneeling position, where the cushion is between your legs. Your knees are at the front, your lower legs on the floor and your feet point backwards.
We recommend the “High” category if you have very long legs, are over 1.80 m tall, want to sit cross-legged and have less hip flexibility. This seat height is also well suited if you have complaints in your leg muscles, hip joints or knees and prefer the kneeling position. As you sit higher with this cushion, it's also easier to stand up. The cushion is also well suited as a flexible, slightly higher seat for therapy and seminar rooms.
In meditation, you bring body and mind into harmony and come to rest. Your seat should support you without you really noticing it, so that you can concentrate fully on yourself and your practice. Ideally, the filling material adapts ergonomically to the shape of your body.
Lotuscrafts round cushions have a circular seat and therefore support an upright and correct sitting posture. You can use these cushions for different sitting positions. All cushions are produced to high social and environmental standards and are GOTS-certified. This means that at every step, we pay attention to environmentally friendly processes, materials that are safe for health and social standards. This is important to us, because our products shouldn't harm anyone.
The heat-treated and particularly light organic spelt husks (from certified organic farming) that fill the cushions adapt perfectly to your sitting position and support a comfortable posture in which you can stay for a long time. Gradually your body relaxes and your mind comes to rest.
You can use the organic cotton cushions as meditation cushions for your meditation room, as seat cushions in the living room, in a therapy room or for your yoga studio.
We currently offer these cushion shapes:
Our meditation and yoga cushions are mindfully filled with organic spelt husks on site in our workshop.
Spelt husks are the shells of the spelt grain and are prepared accordingly to become “meditation cushion filling”. First the grain is removed, then the husks are washed, dried and dedusted. This ensures hygiene and a long shelf life.
We chose spelt husks as a filling material for several reasons:
Kapok is obtained from the pods of the kapok tree. This cotton-like plant fibre is particularly suitable as a filling if you want a soft, squashy cushion. Kapok is also ideal for allergy sufferers, as this plant fibre hardly attracts mites and is very breathable.