Hemp Meditation Cushions

A zafu is the round cushion you sit on. It lifts your hips above your knees so your spine stacks without effort. A zabuton is the flat mat that goes under it so your knees and ankles rest on padding instead of the floor. Most people who sit daily end up with both; a set is the cheapest way to get there.

What makes a meditation cushion worth buying

Four things, and most cushions sold online fail at least two.

1. Adjustable height. A zipper and loose fill, so you can take some out or add more until your hips sit above your knees.
2. Fill that holds a shape. Buckwheat hulls or hemp hurd stay where you put them; foam and fiber flatten over a long sit.
3. A washable cover. It unzips and goes in the machine; the fill never gets wet.
4. Padding that stays put. Hand-tufted zabutons keep their batting even instead of letting it drift to the edges.

Why hemp

The 17 oz hemp canvas on these cushions is upholstery weight. It takes daily dragging across a floor for years, resists mildew and bacteria on its own, and gets softer every wash. The 100% hemp zafu takes it further: hemp cover, hemp hurd fill, no cotton or buckwheat anywhere, and the only carbon-negative cushion we make. More on the fiber on why hemp.

Not a cushion person

Some knees don't want cross-legged sitting. The folding bamboo meditation bench puts you in a supported kneel with your legs free underneath; the Higher Ground chair is an adjustable-angle seat for people who need a chair but not a chair's posture. Both sit on a zabuton.