Chattra Meditation Cushion Review

Chattra Meditation Cushion

By Emma Suttie D.Ac, AP

One of the things that I love about meditating is that it is the time that I get to give to myself,
as an investment into my health on every level.

I also thoroughly enjoy meditating as I feel great afterwards,
and I can feel the benefits ripple out into all aspects of my life.
A lovely supplement to all this goodness is creating a beautiful meditation space
where I get to spend my meditations every day.

The space I have created has, as its centerpiece, my beautiful Chattra meditation cushion.
Every time I look at it, it makes my heart so happy.

Chattra is a company that creates small-batch, hand-block and screen printed,
India inspired meditation (as well as yoga) gear.

Their products are made in ethical workshops in India that are
dedicated to preserving India's incredible textile heritage.

If you look through the Chattra shop, it is really a feast for the eyes.
Zafu and zambutons can be mixed and matched, and all their
cushions and bolsters are very well made with great attention to detail.

My Chattra cushion is also extremely comfortable.
Both zafu and zambuton are the perfect balance of density and firmness
as to provide support for your body while meditating, while also being soft enough
not to cause stiffness and pain (which can be a big problem when you are meditating).

My cushion is the perfect balance of beauty, practicality and comfort.

I am so very happy to support an ethical company who is supporting
a culture with wisdom and traditions that have positively influenced the planet,
as well as giving us all the ability to add beauty and style to our sacred spaces.

by Emma

SPOKO™ Meditation Bench Review

SPOKO™ Meditation Bench

By Emma Suttie D.Ac, AP

The tools that people use to meditate are highly personal. With things like meditation cushions and benches, the best way to see if you like or dislike a certain style is simply to try it. Everyone has different reasons for meditating and different techniques as well, so finding a cushion or bench that will help facilitate and support your practice is important.

After dabbling with meditation for many years I decided to go on a 10 day silent Vipassana meditation retreat. Here you spend 12 hours a day meditating for ten days straight. If there was ever a time to figure out how to make yourself comfortable while meditating, this was it. Everyone was assigned a cushion and there was a bin with cushions in it that anyone could use to supplement what they had. Never had comfort been so ever-present in my mind than those ten days sitting in silence. And ever since, it has fueled my choices so that I am not distracted by my body's discomfort, and can then focus on my meditation practice.

I had previously tried meditation benches and found that although many of them were beautifully designed in the minimalist Japanese style, none of them was comfortable. I had to keep adjusting my posture throughout my meditation which took away my focus and concentration. But, while doing some research I found SPOKO's meditation bench and began reading about it. The first thing I noticed about it was that it was beautiful. A designer at heart, I loved its elegant design, but I feared it would have the same problem as all the others I had tried. But as I kept reading about this small Canadian company, it turned out that its two co-founders had the same experience and set out to design a bench with comfort as the goal. I was intrigued.

When the bench arrived I had *just* had a baby a few weeks before and my body was not feeling great. I wondered if I would be able to sit on the bench at all and thought I might have to wait a bit until my body healed. When I sat down I found the bench to be *amazingly* comfortable. The seat is angled ever so slightly as to take the pressure off your joints and align your spine. I found that I could sit for long periods and not have to adjust my posture, and there was no pressure on my knees or ankles (which is so common when you are sitting). The design was even more beautiful in person and each bench comes apart (the legs come off) to make it easy to put into a backpack and take with you wherever your meditation calls you. This, to me, is also a huge bonus as I love to meditate outside and this bench is highly portable. It also comes in two colours, pure and moka cherry. I have the moka cherry.

This is what the seated posture looks like on the SPOKO meditation bench. Very comfy.

On the SPOKO website it explains that their meditation bench is certified by an osteopath and "posturologist" and that Jerome and Michel, the company's co-founders, spent a lot of time trying different dimensions, angles and curves to achieve the perfect design that yielded maximum comfort. The bench that I have is the third version (where they improved the way the legs are attached) and the bench is so popular that at present, they have completely sold out! You can preorder if you would like to get yours before Christmas.

All in all, I love my SPOKO™ Meditation Bench. I was pleasantly surprised that its elegant design combines politely with supreme comfort so I can focus on my meditation and not my aching body. I am also really happy to support a small company that is innovating and creating amazing products and helping us all meditate in comfort and style.