Inflatable Meditation Cushion

The inflatable meditation cushion allows travelers and other practitioners of meditation to stay centered in a busy, fast paced world. An inflatable meditation cushion will help you to achieve a deeper more relaxed state while meditating. An Inflatable meditation cushion allows practitioners of meditation and rumination to secure the advantages of traditional meditation furniture while remaining able to move and meditate wherever they choose. 

Meditation and contemplation help us to feel unity with the world and the rest of humanity. However, it can be difficult to reach this state of thought. Uncomfortable worldly distractions can prevent meditators from achieving the relaxed consideration needed to properly engage in reflection. Ordinary chairs can cause misalignment of the spine, making it difficult to relax completely. Traditionally, furniture such as meditation zafu pads, zabutons and seiza benches have been used to aid sitting without back support. The lack of support to the spine lengthens it and permits the bones to align correctly, deepening breathing and allowing for greater flexibility and deliberation. Sitting in this way can encourage natural, graceful movements even in everyday life. It is not always possible to keep specialized furniture on hand for this purpose, however. Because our lives are busy and we are always on the go, an inflatable meditation cushion can help to fill this vital niche.

These lightweight, portable pillows can fold up to fit into a coat pocket, yet become large enough to sit on when inflated by mouth. The traditional soft meditation cushion, called a zafu, is generally filled with buckwheat or kapok, providing a soft seat for the meditator. Air filled travel zafus make an excellent substitute, less bulky and easier to transport. An inflatable meditation cushion is made of a heavy duty latex insert within a handmade cover, usually of cotton. Inflatable meditation cushions were originally designed for those practitioners who suffer from hip, back, and leg pain while meditating. Because these zafus are filled with air, they distribute the body’s weight more evenly and minimize painful pressure on sensitive points.

After a moment or two, the light weight of the inflatable meditation cushion is forgotten – the meditator is literally sitting on air. Some people like this feeling so much that the inflatable cushions become their primary meditation pillow. Most use it for travel, however, making it possible to feel at ease when the usual zafu is not available. Inflatable meditation cushions take only a minute or two to inflate, and a similar amount of time to deflate and fold away, making them perfect for a quick meditation session to reduce stress. These pillows encourage healthy, unsupported sitting and make it easier to reach the desired state of peace when meditating. An inflatable meditation cushion makes a fabulous gift.

By Adam Santiago