A meditation cushion allows you to sit upright and comfortably, supporting you in meditation and yoga. Ideally, it should come from fair production with natural organic materials. Here you will find the best fair organic yoga cushions.
Meditation cushions help you sit in a comfortable and upright posture for long periods of time. The elevated sitting position relieves the intervertebral disc and the spine and prevents the muscles from cramping. Yoga cushions are mainly used for meditation, where you concentrate entirely on your breathing. You can also use the cushion as a “normal” seat cushion for other activities on the floor.
What height and shape should a meditation cushion have?
It depends a lot on your personal preferences and also on your physical requirements (flexibility, physical impairments due to injuries, etc.) which sitting position is most comfortable for you and which type of cushion you prefer.
The following is important: Your knees should be lower than the hip joints when sitting on a meditation cushion. Your pelvis should tilt forward in the seat. So you have the right basis for an upright sitting position in which your breathing can flow freely.
Beginners usually need a higher pillow than advanced users.
Cushion maker Frank Lippert recommends the right height for meditation cushions:
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Lotus position: up to ten cm
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Half lotus position: twelve cm
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Burmese seat: twelve to six inches
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Cross-legged: 15 to 21 cm (depending on height and flexibility)
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Heel seat: 18 to 27 cm (depending on height)
Tip: To find the right height for you, you can test the height at home with objects (tin can, wooden box, stack of towels, etc.). It is important that your dummy is as dimensionally stable as possible (a pillow, for example, is unsuitable).
Meditation cushion: round or crescent?
Meditation cushions not only come in different heights, but also shapes:
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Half-moon yoga cushion: The advantage of the half-moon cushion is that when you sit cross-legged, the area where your heels cross is free. That’s why many like to sit cross-legged or half lotus on a half-moon cushion – but this is not a must!
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Round meditation cushion: A round cushion is particularly suitable for the heel seat, as well as for people who like to sit cross-legged or Burmese seat due to limited flexibility.
- Anyone who wedges the pillow between their lower leg and thigh when sitting on their heels also has the choice between a half-moon pillow and a flat round pillow.
What distinguishes a sustainable yoga cushion?
Sustainable filling materials:
(Organic) spelled husks
The most popular filling material for meditation cushions is spelled husks. It is light, strong and dimensionally stable and has proven itself over decades with its supportive properties. That is why spelled husks are particularly recommended for high yoga seat cushions (round cushions).
Spelled husk refers to the shell of the spelled grain. This natural product is compostable and biodegradable. Some manufacturers also use organic spelled husks from organic farming. This is one of the best choices you can make when it comes to yoga cushion fillings, because organic spelled has not been treated with synthetic chemical pesticides and often comes from regional farms.
(Organic) buckwheat hulls
Alternatively, buckwheat hulls are used for smaller pillows. These are slightly smaller than spelled husks, which means that the cushion is softer and adapts better to the sitting position. Buckwheat hulls are also a natural product and available in organic quality.
kapok
Kapok is a plant fiber obtained from the pods of the kapok tree. The filling material is considered to be particularly sustainable, as the kapok tree is not cultivated but grows wild. It does not need to be felled and does not require synthetic pesticides or fertilizers to thrive. Since the kapok fibers are processed untreated, they are excellent for composting. Kapok is softer than spelled husks and is particularly suitable for crescent cushions or smaller seat cushions.
Sustainable upholstery fabric
Organic cotton is suitable as an environmentally friendly upholstery and ticking material. Ideally, this is certified with a recognized seal such as GOTS. In this case you can be sure that the cotton has been organically grown and that the dyeing is done without chemicals and dyes that are harmful to the environment and health. (Unfortunately, the use of seals is rare in the industry.)
Fair and local production
Where and how your meditation cushion was produced is also reflected in the price. There are cheap yoga cushions for 20 to 30 euros made of organic materials – but without transparency as far as the production conditions are concerned. Therefore, when buying a meditation cushion, we recommend that you pay attention to regional production, which not only guarantees fair working conditions, but also saves transport routes and CO₂. There is also the opportunity to support Fairtrade projects.
Height-adjustable yoga cushions from Bosiki
Frank Lippert works as a cushion maker for meditation cushions in Postfeld in Schleswig-Holstein. He uses natural organic materials, uses green electricity, ships in a climate-neutral manner and gives numerous tips on choosing the right pillow and using it. For beginners, Lippert recommends the “Step” pillow, which you can adjust in height yourself. So you can sit a little higher at first and later reduce the volume.
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Dimensions: 31 cm diameter, height: 14 to 27 cm
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Suitable for: Burmese seat, cross-legged seat, heel seat
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Materials: organic cotton, filling made from organic spelled husks (tightly filled), including additional filling material
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Production: handmade in Germany
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Vegan: yes
Buy: round pillows from around 40 euros (model Bio- “Step” from around 78 euros) at Bosiki. Frank Lippert also offers various upcycling cushions on Etsy.
Yoga seat cushions from southern Germany
Behind the HipHip Hurra company is a mother-daughter team in southern Germany that manufactures sustainable home accessories. You work with both organic materials and upcycled materials such as discarded jeans. When it comes to seat cushions, HipHip Hooray has the “seat giant” on offer.
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Dimensions: 40 cm diameter, height: 15 to 17 cm
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Suitable for: cross-legged
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Materials: organic cotton, filling made from spelled husks (from controlled organic cultivation)
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Production: handmade in Germany
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Vegan: yes
Buy: for 57 euros in the avocado store
Yoga Pillow Crescent by Allnatura
At Allnatura you will find a large selection of meditation cushions in different shapes and seat heights. The Asana Crescent Pillow is available in six different colors. The cover is washable at 60 degrees.
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Dimensions: 42 x 16 cm, height: 17 cm
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Suitable for: cross-legged, heel-seat
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Materials: cotton (organic), filling made of natural kapok
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Production: Made in Germany
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Vegan: yes
Buy: for about 44 euros at Allnatura
Fair meditation cushions from India
The Austrian company Traumschwinger has set up a factory in southern India for its products, which is characterized by fair working conditions. On the website you get a detailed insight and can get to know the individual employees. Under the name “Sense and Soul” there is a series of meditation cushions made from organic materials. The very flat “Zafuton” meditation cushion is suitable for advanced users.
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Dimensions: 80 x 80 cm, height: 6 cm
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Suitable for: lotus position, half lotus position
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Materials: organic cotton and kapok
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Production: fair in India
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Vegan: yes
Buy: 99 euros at Traumschwinger
By the way: On our voucher portal you will find current discounts for Allnatura and many other online shops.
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