With proper care your zafu meditation cushion, zabuton or meditation bench will give you years of comfortable meditation practice. Many zafus and zabuton have a removable cover for easy cleaning or replacement. For most cushions it is recommended that you dry clean or spot treat any stains. For cotton covers you will be able to either machine wash or hand clean using a mild detergent and cold water.

Proper care for Kapok filled zafu and zabuton cushions
The recommended way to clean your kapok filled cushion or mat is to spot clean or dry clean. To retain the fullness of your kapok filled cushion it is important to plump your cushion after each use. The best way to plump the cushion is to turn the cushion on the side and hand massage the loft back into the cushion. Over time the zafu may compress from daily use. Most cushions have an opening for the addition of kapok as needed to replace lost loft.

Proper care for Buckwheat Hull filled zafu and zabuton cushions and pillows
A buckwheat zafu mediation cushion typically consists of a pleated cotton shell filled with buckwheat hulls. Adding or removing the buckwheat hull stuffing through a zippered opening adjusts the hardness or loft of the cushion. If cleaning of the cotton shell is required then you can empty the hulls into a container. It is recommended you hand clean the cover shell in cold water with a mild detergent. The cushion can also be dry cleaned or spot cleaned.

Proper care of cotton batting filled Zabuton cushion
It is important to avoid storing your zabuton mat while folded. Folding and then storing your meditation mat could cause a permanent crease in the cushion that will be uncomfortable during meditation. It is always a good practice to plump up the cushion on a regular basis. Most zabuton and yoga mats have a cover that is can be removed for cleaning or replacement. For cleaning it is recommended to use a mild detergent in cold water and line dry. Dry cleaning the cushion is also acceptable.

Zafu Meditation cushions are being used in houses and retreat centers all across the world. Zafu cushions are special meditation cushions used to reach a stable posture during meditation, and to sustain that posture for extended periods of time. Zafus are perfect for lotus, half-lotus, Burmese style sitting meditation, or any other yoga postures that have your knees down on the zabuton mat or in upright sitting poses. In employing a meditation cushion, be certain to pick a size that allows for both knees to touch the floor. A taller person will generally need a larger zafu cushion that compensates for their longer leg length. Although the zafu pillow is frequently thought of as a yoga cushion or meditation cushion, they have plenty of other uses. The meditation pillow is an ideal brace for stretching out the back, and it may be employed on a chair for ergonomic sitting.

Modern zafus are often round in shape and stitched from three pieces of heavy black fabric. The zafu cushion is composed of two round fabric swatches of equal size for the top and the base of the cushion, and a long rectangle fabric that is stitched with pleats between the top and bottom pieces. They are filled with either kapok or buckwheat hulls. Buckwheat hulls are a natural material that is lightweight, very malleable and able to conform to a person’s body when in the sitting meditation position. The buckwheat hulls also permit the meditation cushion to breath and help to reduce odors. A typical meditation zafu would be approximately 14″ in diameter and 7″ high and settle to about 5″ high when you sit on them. The zafu can have a carrying handle sewn onto them to permit you to move and store easily. Though they can come in numerous different colors and patterns, black is suggested is the recommended color, as it is the least distracting. Zafus are nearly always used together with a zabuton which is a rectangular cushion placed under the zafu for added comfort and support to your knees and ankles. A zabuton cushion is would generally be filled with a cotton batting material for comfort and durability.

For active folks on the go there also are inflatable zafus that let you continue your meditation practice even if you aren’t home. These portable meditation seats would weigh virtually nothing and would fit easily in a coat pocket when deflated. For more information read this related article Choosing a Meditation Cushion