Zafu Meditation Cushions

Zafu or Smile Cushion™ (Cresent Zafu)

* A Meditation Cushion is your place to take a break from the world and explore your inner landscape or just relax.

* Meditation cushions make meditation more effective and make it possible where otherwise it might be a struggle

* Meditation cushions align the spine and open breathing to increase 'prana' or 'life energy' or 'chi'

* Choose from the traditional roundish ZAFU or the crescent zafu which is called a SMILE CUSHION™.

* Removable covers, sold separately, help keep your meditation cushion easy to clean.

* Support Cushions are used under a zafu or smile cushion by those who need a higher seat. They can also be used anywhere you need an extra prop.

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See our related articles:

Which Cushion is for You?
A guide to choosing the best meditation sitting arrangement.

Meditation Basics: The Art of Natural Sitting

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Za'fu
The traditional roudish "sewn seat" orginally stuffed with cattail down in Japan. We stuff them with either buckwheat hulls or kapok fiber. Some people prefere the pleasing roud shape for visual appeal.

Smile Cushion™
A crescent shaped zafu--we could have called it a watermelon or banana cushion--provides more surface area which is generally more comfortable than the zafu and can help alleviate legs falling asleep.

Support Cushion is used between the Zafu or Smile Cushion™ and the Zabuton or floor. It raises the Smile Cushion™ about one inch (for people over 6' 1", and others who want a taller sit.

Shown above the left with a Smile Cushion™ on top.

Customer Testimonials

"I saw someone using a zafu at a retreat and I thought: Wow! this is the greatest thing anyone has invented since the wheel." Soyun Kim (Passionist Lay Missioner)

I just received my zabuton and smile cushion, and I wanted to let you know that it was well worth the wait! I've been struggling with my meditation practice for a while due to hip pain. Now I know I just didn't have the proper equipment. From the instant I sat on my lovely lavender cloud I felt comfortable and eager to practice. Thank you for making such beautiful, safe and comfortable products!

Sincerely, Rebecca Lanning.

Excerpt from Wikipedia:

Although 'zafu' is often translated as 'sewn seat' in American English, the meaning of the Japanese 'kanji' is different. 'za' means 'seat' and 'fu' means a seat stuffed with Typha (the fluffy, soft, downy fibres of the disintegrating Typha heads). The Japanese zafu originates in China, where these meditation seats were originally filled with Typha. Today, that is no longer the case in Japan or China.

An alternate translation of zafu is 'cushion for sitting' or 'sitting cushion', where za means 'sitting' or 'sit' and fu means 'cushion'. The words zabuton, zafuton and futon are closely linked. The word 'zazen' meaning 'seated meditation' or 'sitting meditation' is also closely linked. In western terms, colloquially speaking, 'zafu' refers to a meditation cushion, and 'zabuton' refers to the cushioned mat on which a zafu is placed.crescent shaped meditation cushion with more room for the tush!

Provides more surface area for your tush, which -helps alleviate legs falling to sleep.

Fully adjustable. Stuffing can be added or removed through the hidden opening.

This size and shape and sloping angle has been said to be "perfect" by our customers.Removable covers, sold separately, help keep your smile cushion™ easy to clean.

Support Cushions are used under a smile cushion™ by those who need a higher seat. Other uses of the support cushion are 1) placed under one or both knees by those sitting in the 'sky' position, and 2) placed in a regular chair with buckwheat pushed to back to create a forward sloping tilt.

One size fits all. Some people like to reduce the height by taking out some of the stuffing, or add height by using a support cushion

Zafu

Smile Cushion™

Inflatable Zafu

Peace Bench™

Sky Bench™

Zabuton Japanese Sitting Mat

Eco Backrest™