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[MEGA] Meditation

Couple questions about meditation cushions and benches

I've been practicing Zen (without the Buddhism :)) for a few years now and have owned some cushions for a while also. I have a black zabuton and a zafu with the small square, support cushion.

I've been noticing that my practice is much better when my ass is more elevated after slipping a pillow underneath the zafu for more height, as opposed to the lower height I can achieve from just the zafu/ small support cushion alone. I can maintain a much better posture and am much more comfortable in the lotus this way.

So, I was considering purchasing a gomden, but I wanted to know if anyone has much knowledge or experience with them here. I know they are used to achieve a more elevated posture, but do they completely replace the zafu, or do they work as sort of a support cushion to go beneath the zafu?

I just want to hear if anyone knows anything about this or if they have the same trouble as I do with needing more elevation.

My next question is about kneeling benches, which I was also considering purchasing. I'm not going to substitude my zazen in it's entirety with kneeling instead of lotus, because I know lotus is the most beneficial and effective position to meditate in. I would just like some variation, and possibly a different position to transition into immediately after meditating in the lotus after I can no longer maintain the posture.

I'd like to know peoples opinions on that as well, and what the good benches to buy are, ie. pads, what height, etc?
 
I have a zafu and a zabuton, and I find I was able to get much better lumbar back support by standing the zabuton up like a wheel poised to roll forward of me, and sitting on it with the bony part of my butt (my ischial tuberosities, in medical terms). There is nothing necessarily unorthodox about this positioning -- I've seen it done at several serious meditation groups.
 
MyDoorsAreOpen said:
I have a zafu and a zabuton, and I find I was able to get much better lumbar back support by standing the zabuton up like a wheel poised to roll forward of me, and sitting on it with the bony part of my butt (my ischial tuberosities, in medical terms). There is nothing necessarily unorthodox about this positioning -- I've seen it done at several serious meditation groups.
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That's a decent idea. Don't you mean standing the zafu up, not the zabuton?
 
The lotus seating position makes you feel more "grounded" but I don't think it's good for your knees. I sit Burmese position. I make sure I'm elevated enough so that parts of my knees are touching the floor. This might not be the best position for your body type.

I think the benches are comfortable. I made mine with plans on the internet.
 
I do my lotus sitting on a nice, soft zabuton so it doesn't irritate my knees at all.

Tell me more about how your meditation practice using a kneeling bench is.
 
It's not the hardness of the floor that is bad for the knees. It's the extreme stretch of the position. The position could stretch out the ligaments or cause damage. There is alot of contradictory information on this. Alot of people also say the full squat is bad for people with knee problems while others think it is good for the knees.

I didn't feel as grounded but the bench works fine. I prefer my zafu and the burmese sitting position though.
 
I just tried burmese for the first time in a while today. I started off in lotus and transitioned into burmese when I couldn't handle the pain any longer. It wasn't quite as good as lotus but at least it was painless and could keep sitting fr basically as long as I wanted.
 
I like the corpse pose as well. It makes deep abdominal breathes very easy. Try laying down, and bending your knees. Take a deep abdominal breath and guide the sensation of the breath to the perenium or through your feet. When exhaling guide the sensation of the breath through the top of your head.
 
yougene said:
I like the corpse pose as well. It makes deep abdominal breathes very easy. Try laying down, and bending your knees. Take a deep abdominal breath and guide the sensation of the breath to the perenium or through your feet. When exhaling guide the sensation of the breath through the top of your head.
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Ehh I've tried shit like that, but for me personally, those subpar meditation techniques are quite ineffective. I just stick with zazen for true results.
 
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I think there is value in the traditional sitting prostrations. The zazen positions embody the attributes you are identifying with when meditating. Stillness, autonomy, etc... When you sit you are embodying these aspects of yourself and the posture is one expression of this embodiment. Doing things the traditional way also functions to pass down context of perspective from those that came before you.
With that said I don't think there is much special about the zazen positions in and of themselves. You can meditate anywhere doing anything.
 
You can reach a much deeper state of samadhi, much easier when you're seated with your spine in a straight, erect posture.
 
meditation

This may be hopefully of some help, to whoever reads it

The nearest thing to meditation that i can feel is if I use an analogy.
I am a valley, with water flowing through it.
Whatever is in that water, I just let it flow by.
If it rocks me, I do not fight it, but I do not focus on it neither.
I keep my focus on the whole of me, the valley, while the water, and
whatever is in, flows through.​

 
B9 said:
Of course man, I just don't get excited about cushions :)
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Excited? Who said anything about getting excited?

I made the thread to discuss meditation and techniques to try with cushions/ benches and alternative sitting postures to enhance practice, and was surprised at the lack of responses I got, so...

Again, what does anyone being "excited" about cushions have to do with what I said?
 
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