Meditation Bench (NAT. White), Seiza, Sustainable Acacia Wood with Curved Bottom Edges for The Perfect Posture, Meditation Stool, Prayer Bench, Meditation Chair, Yoga Stool

About a month ago, I switched from a meditation cushion to a meditation bench with angled pedestal legs (a different bench, not this one). I had purchased this other bench about 15 years ago, but just started using it a month ago. (I stayed loyal to my meditation cushion until my knees prompted me otherwise). Right away, I noticed that my ability to elongate my spine, sit still and breathe fully improved. This inspired me to investigate the world of meditation benches. I learned that good variety of consciously created meditation benches are available now. The single new feature that stood out was rounded legs. I wondered about the pros and cons and came across this Q&A:Question: "Angled or rounded legs, which is better for your meditation bench?"Answer: "The angled legs will give your meditation bench a firm foundation as it keeps your bench at a fixed angle. The rounded legs give you the flexibility to have your meditation bench at whichever angle you choose."Essentially, this means that rounded legs offer improved capacity for extended sit times. (For example, for long duration sitting--such as a Vipassana retreat or 8+ hours of sitting per day--the rounded-leg bench was recommended). I meditate about 30-60 minutes twice a day. With the fixed angle bench I notice that after an hour my lower legs start to fall asleep. I suspect this bench by Meditation Designs may allow me to extend that. This bench compelled me for several reasons--including features, rounded and angled legs, quality, attention to detail, reviews, and price tag. It was an easy experiment to say "yes" to. I'm so glad I did!The bench arrived this afternoon and it's beyond what I imagined. It's well crafted--the perfect marriage of beauty and function. Both sides (the higher and lower) are an excellent fit for my 5'10" frame. It's sturdy, stable, and a pleasure sit on. I'm about to sit for my evening meditation after posting this. If, over time, I find that I can consistently extend meditation times, I'll endeavor to remember to update this review.THANK YOU, Meditation Designs. I love this exquisite bench. Sincere gratitude! Very best wishes always and blessings to all who read this.

I like this meditation bench. I recommend reading through all the reviews and reading the instructions. It seems that many people don't know what to expect when they buy it. I have found this to be the best way for me to meditate. I can stay upright easier for longer than just on a chair and my legs don't take to cross legged poses and beyond. I've meditated up to an hour on it and the most sore part of me is my upper back and that's only because my back isn't yet strong enough to stay upright for that long yet and gets tired towards the end of my sessions. The cushion is ok. It feels much better than not having a cushion in my opinion. I've messed with the angle on both sides and still the seat doesn't hit my bottom quite right and hits the back edge. So, it could have a better shape for me and perhaps a bit more padding, but, really, once I'm settled, I don't notice any of that. Perhaps if it was 100% comfy I'd get sleepy more easily. Since I am angled forward on it, when I'm getting sleepy, I will start to fall forward, which I very much prefer to falling backwards which can happen when I'm in a chair. This is a good thing, because part of the reason for sitting up to meditate is to keep you awake. I was concerned about my knees, but I have no discomfort in them at all when I use this at the right angle for me. I folded two bath towels and laid them on the floor under this since I have no carpeting and this is sufficient. I also keep a towel or something behind it to lay over my feet and tuck under me when it's cold in the room. Sometimes I'll wear my robe and tie the belt loosely just below where I put my lands folded in my lap to keep them from sliding down my legs or I'll fold them and tuck them in the notch between my belly and my upper thighs if I'm wearing jeans. Sometimes they won't slide, but usually I need to keep them from sliding by putting a piece of cloth there or something, which I don't mind. This is so much more comfortable than using a chair and it keeps me awake, so I'm pleased. If you are doing a body scan meditation, I've found this angle on the knees is comfortable for that. I find some of the postures that feel more binding or out of alignment through me off in those and was concerned that might be an issue with this, but it isn't. This one is definitely worth taking a risk on. Take a few days to try to find the right angle for you and the right amount of padding underneath. I think it took me about a week to find my angle and for my knees to be happy with it and now they never both me. It does take me a few moments to find the right angle each time and it takes my body a few moments to settle in, but once I'm settled it doesn't distract me. I'm 5' 7" and have used it comfortably between 130 and 150 lbs on the shorter side of the bench.

You know, my ego was attatched to sitting on a cushion for a while... for some reason i thought it was “better” or more “authentic”...But once thise silly notions went away I decided to try one of the meditation benches at my temple... and as expected they are extremely comfortable when compared to a buckwheat zafu...It wven feels like cheating too... hahaha that’s still just part of my notions ... but anyway, this bench is amazing! It doesn’t only have 2 sizes, you can really rock it a little bit and get any height imaginable... I use it regular when not on zabuton and on the High mode when on zabuton... otherwise my feet would get crushed if I didn’t have that option! And it’s not a rough slanted plank... it’a nice and rounded and it locks into position... very stable!And when I do my Sutra Study I use it as my little table and sit on a cushion! (See pictures)If you are looking for a meditation bench aeriously look no further... this one rocks...If you are looking to enhance your meditation experience... aomething more comfortable and more stable than a buckwheat zafu. Than please try this bench!If your legs hurt and distract you from your practice this is the best option...I also recommend memory foam zafu’s rather than the traditional buckwheat, I always slide down with the buckwheat ones... very unstable. But yes, very happy with this bench! High quality, looks good, feels good... amazing!

Decided to purchase a zeiza bench in March but prices were prohibitive so I purchased an adjustable kneeling chair instead. I've been using it twice daily for meditation; it works quite well. But when I was browsing zeiza benches last week I found this. Used my Amazon credits and placed the order. It arrived yesterday, as scheduled.This bench is as beautiful as described in previous reviews, but there turns out to be one glaring discrepancy with makes me question the validity of some reviews:The legs sit too low to the floor.I don't know what 5'9" man sat comfortably with this bench, but THIS 5'9" man sat on his heels for 15 minutes meditating on the possibility of his feet going numb.Which they did a little bit.I wasn't terribly disappointed...just a bit bewildered since most of the reviews made obvious points about user size. Size never occurred to me prior to these reviews. I thought it was like "one size fits all".It ain't.So I switched the bench out and continued my meditation session with my adjustable kneeling chair...(Highly recommended, by the way...)...and decided to store the bench away somewhere. Couldn't even muster up enough disappointment to send it back.I work up this morning with a plan. Maybe I could but a couple wooden blocks from Home Depot. Sit the bench on the blocks...more leg room!Cool! But I don't want to wait, so I grab a couple hefty books from my bookshelf to try.Ok, but slippery. Hmmmm.......how 'bout I wrap those suckers in blankets and pad the middle for my knees and feel.Perfect solution.***UPDATE***I'm learning that the knumbness I experience in my feet has less to do with the bench than me not being limber. Considerable practice seems required before this is no longer an issue.***UPDATE***I temporarily stopped using my bench as it required too much preparation to adjust for the inadequate length of the legs. As it happened, my wife has started meditating and we've started visiting a meditation center. I decided I wanted to take my bench, but I can't drag blankets to the center to adjust the height, so I purchased several durable exercise mats to substitute. Turns out these mats have removable end strips the exact width of the legs on my bench. I duct taped 2 strips on the bottom of each leg. It ain't pretty but I can now sit comfortably on the bench with no preparation.Solved the slippage problem too.

I’ve purchased this seiza bench twice now, and I’ll keep buying them if needed. They are comfortable and easy to use. They also encourage long Zazen sessions due to them being so comfortable.I’ve had other zafus and cushions in the past but none of them top this. If your a practitioner of zazen, get this bench and you’ll be happy with it.

As someone in my sixties, I find this meditation bench to be extremely comfortable and sturdy. It allows me to easily achieve the perfect posture for extended periods of meditation, which is especially helpful since I can no longer sit in the lotus position. With this bench, I can maintain an ideal upper body posture, and the padded seat provides great comfort.Although the bench itself is excellent, you may also want to consider purchasing a meditation mat to use with it. I personally chose the Florenze meditation mat, but your preferences may differ. Overall, this bench has greatly enhanced my meditation practice, and I highly recommend it for anyone seeking a comfortable and supportive meditation bench.

I unpacked my bench as soon as it arrived and am very happy! It's a great fit for me. I'm 5'6"; 115 lbs. The reviews that gave specific info on how the differences in the undersides of the bench legs help with creating an angle that's good for YOUR body as well as allowing for a height range of individuals was very helpful. As many have said, the bench is sturdy and nicely finished. There's a return policy that includes free return shipping. And the price is very reasonable.I've used the bench for about a week now. Am loving the fact that I can sit quietly for longer, over an hour, with my back at ease and comfortable overall. I love this sweet meditation bench! It will be my wonderful ally on a 10 retreat.The tall people have put their two cents in already and I'll agree. If you're pushing 5'10" or taller, you may find yourself having to return the bench. My husband was also eager to check my bench out right after it arrived, but, at 6'1", it's not a good fit for him. The description does say up to 5'11"! I had no second thoughts about it holding his 190 lbs. though!The predominance of great reviews are there for good reason. And I'm pleased to contribute one more to that.

The SMELL!!!! Omg. Such a shame because this is a beautifully made bench however, the SMELL is god awful and it seems to be coming from the foam/padding of the seat - not the fabric it is covered with and not the stain/sealant on the wood itself!!! It's like they soaked the foam in dead bodies or some horrific chemical or a combination of both. Very putrid overwhelming smell. As soon as I cracked the box open the smell hit me in the face and it got worse after it was fully unwrapped and then I left it sitting out for 24 hrs. hoping to God it would air out and stop stinking but to no avail! It is still awful. Makes me not even want to touch it let alone sit on it cause I question what was on that foam for it to smell like that and that thin piece of fabric they stapled over it to finish the seat isn't going to be enough protection from whatever that nastiness is. Literally makes my nostrils burn. Like I say such a shame - it looks good. Also, it took a long time to arrive but to be expected given it was made/came from India. I think I'm going to ask for a refund because it is stinking up my bedroom.

The cushion is comfortable and thick, but the bench wasn't as stable as I'd hoped, and I think this is one of those situations where the concept is good but the execution requires much greater control over manufacturing processes. I was never able to sit on the bench and feel stable or secure.But the two stars aren't on account of the product quality. It could be that another user finds the bench just right for their needs. I gave it two stars on account of the enormous difficulty I had in returning the product. It took me six interactions (four pick-up schedules canceled) before I was finally able to get rid of it. What should have been a simple return led to considerable hassle for no reason. I finally secured an advance refund and lo and behold,. the bench was picked up the next day. I've rarely had any problem with Amazon pick-up, so I don't think the issue is from Amazon's side.

Perfect to help me sit correctly while meditating. We'll made.

After 2 days of using the stool the part broke, reflecting poor quality of materials and construction. I would advise folks to look for some other option as I am going to be doing again.

I love this bench so much....the seat is nicely cushioned, and the rocker bottom allows you to position your hips/pelvis for optimal comfort and support. It makes my morning meditation/prayer practice much more enjoyable when my body is comfortable. It is well constructed, well-packaged, and it even smelled really good when I unpacked it, like it came from a store where they burn incense or diffuse essential oils...it made me smile.

Great meditation bench keeps spine aligned at correct angle