Meditation Cushions: Choosing the Right Zabuton

Zabutons and Their Use in Mediation

The zabuton is a Japanese sitting cushion. It’s long been used as a meditation cushion in the Zen tradition, and you’ll see it in many places where mindfulness is practiced. The zabuton is humble yet essential, protecting your knees and ankles from the hard floor. Typically, you place it under your zafu, as such:

Traditionally, you’ll form a tripod with your seat on the zafu as one point and your knees as the other two points. For more about how to sit comfortably in the tripod position, check out our Sitting Tips. Or check out our guide to choosing the right zafu.

At Still Sitting, our zabutons are made locally using high quality cotton duck fabrics and cotton batting or foam. Each one is finished in our Vashon Island workshop, where we put care into creating cushions that will serve you for years.

How to Choose the Right One?

You’ll notice that our zabutons come in three sizes (small, medium, and large), and two thicknesses (thick and regular). Choose the right size for your body, noting that the small is recommended for people under 5’6″ or if your practice is mostly kneeling; the large is for folks over 6’2″; and the medium is for everyone in between. We find that the medium works for most folks.

Folding, Regular or Thick?

Our regular zabuton has about 3″ loft. It provides plenty of support while being easy to carry back and forth to your meditation group or to retreats. It’s also a good option if the surface you sit on is already somewhat soft, for example, if you have carpeting.

The thick zabuton has mitered corners to hold even more cotton batting – we pack ours to about 4″ loft. It’s thick, sturdy, and built to last with plenty of cushion for your knees. This zabuton is a good choice for anyone looking for a comfortable seat, as well as those with knee problems and those who sit in a kneeling position. All zabutons will flatten down over time, but this one will continue to offer a lot of cushion, even after frequent use over time.

Our folding zabuton is our easiest to store and travel with, it’s 1 3/4″ loft is thin, but sturdy. It is ideal for anyone without a dedicated mediation space.

Folding Zabuton

• 1 3/4″ loft
• Easy to store
• Ideal for travel
• Only comes in one size: 33″ x 33″
• Foam fill

Regular Zabuton

• 3″ loft
• A good balance between comfort and portability
• Available in 3 sizes
• Cotton batting fill

Thick Zabuton

• 4″ loft
• Stands up well to frequent use
• Provides more padding and comfort
• Available in 3 sizes
• Cotton batting fill

Standard or Deluxe?

There’s one last choice in selecting your Still Sitting zabuton – standard or deluxe.
Our deluxe cushions feature removable, machine-washable cushion covers. These are great for cushions that travel, those that get used heavily, or those exposed to pet hair or the stuff of everyday life.
The deluxe option is also a great way to bring a new color to old cushions – our covers fit over all current and vintage Still Sitting zabutons.
The standard option gives you a basic yet high quality meditation cushion. Without the removable cover, you’ll want to simply spot clean these as needed.
We hope you found this guide helpful. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to email, give us a call, or visit us as stillsitting.com.  Our team is here to help you find the perfect meditation cushions for you!