Thursday, October 01, 2009

Meditation: Choosing the Right Meditation Pillow

By Chris Le Roy

Whether you realize it or not choosing the right meditation pillow can make a huge difference to the success of your meditation session. Most people when starting out on learning the technique of meditation will simply sit on the floor and try to meditate with no support at all. However, trying to maintain the right posture for any period of time is quite a challenge and will simply lead to an unsuccessful meditation session.

Before choosing a meditation pillow you must first understand where you are going to be undertaking the meditation session. For example, you will need a different style of meditation pillow for soft grass to meditating on wooden floors or on concrete.

If your meditation session is to be undertaken on grass then you simply need a light weight pillow which has a soft inner fill. Generally a nylon based fill for this type of session will suffice. It is also worthwhile getting a meditation pillow that is machine washable as well because if you are sitting on this pillow on the grass it will get dirty and if you do not wash it, you may find that the grass stains will not wash out after a while.

If you are meditating on harder surfaces like wood or concrete, I recommend using a two stage pillow. Essentially, the base of the pillow is a solid style foam, with the top part of the pillow being made of either duck down or a soft synthetic inner fill. You will find that if you use a normal pillow on harder surfaces for any period of time that you will find it difficult to get up or more so, a sore rear. If you are not comfortable during your meditation session then the bottom line is that you will focus on the discomfort rather than the meditation.

If you find sitting up straight on the floor difficult to do, you can purchase from quality meditation suppliers, meditation pillows that also include a back support as well. The meditation pillows that contain this are almost like chairs for the floor. The key advantage of this style of meditation pillow is that by keeping your back straight, during the meditation session you will be helping ensure that you control your breathing more effectively.

I certainly encourage you to try out your meditation pillow before you buy. Ensure that when you sit on the pillow that it supports your weight and that you are not sitting directly on the floor. Make sure also while you are sitting on your pillow that it does support your back and that you do not naturally slump over on the pillow.

For an effective meditation session, you need to ensure that you have a well structured posture, that you are comfortable and that you can relax without any niggling pain or pressure. Be aware that if you feel an unusual pressure as you sit that this is the first warning sign that you are about to experience pain in that area.

5 comments:

Unknown said...

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I channel a Seraphim Angel by the name of Saron.
His main purpose to put people on or keep people on the pathway to ascension or enlightenment.

You can find my blog here:
http://saronguardian.wordpress.com/

Thank you for being an extension of the divine!

Erik

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A Place To Breathe said...

Our meditation studio has Organic Meditation Cushions similar to the 2 stage pillow you mentioned. The larger cushion is made of organic latex and coir (coconut shell fiber) and has two levels of firmness, one on either side. The coir is quite firm, while the latex has a softer feel. The smaller cushion is also made with organic latex and provides great support. Both are encased in organically grown cotton.

They have been very popular with those who use them in the studio and who have bought them to use at home!

Steve Gillman said...

Some good tips. A larger pillow for use on grass is nice, though. Just have a cover for it so you can wash the cover instead of the whole pillow.

Fashion Blog Outfit said...

A very well written blog. Very informative and helpful.
Meditation Pillows are very important but choosing the Best Meditation Pillow is also very important if you don't want to get a back pain problem.