Joy is within You!
Have you ever taken a long drive and slightly adjusted the angle or height of your seat to make yourself more comfortable?
We believe our meditation bench is more comfortable than any other available. Turiya has a history of severe lumbar and cervical spine pain, and has been diagnosed with degenerative disc disease. After years of trial and error, and careful refinement, he has developed a meditation bench that allows him to sit for hours in comfort. He believes that this bench can instantly improve your experience for any length of meditation.
Almost every person that has tried this bench has purchased it!
We teach meditation full time and have worked personally with hundreds of meditators and no other bench or sitting prop has been so universally loved as "The Perfect Fit Meditation Bench." Even people who never dreamed they could sit comfortably in any position love this bench. Most people say it's more comfortable than sitting in a chair. People actually hug their bench to their chest after trying it, as if it's their best friend.
Hand made of solid pine in our own shop. Finely sanded, rubbed, and sealed with a beautiful golden turmeric stain reminiscent of India.
Our benches are ultra light at 2.5 to 3 pounds depending on size, which makes them perfect for travel. They slip easily into gym bag with plenty of extra room for what you might take to a group meditation or yoga class. For air travel just lay it upside down in a suitcase and pack around it. Folding benches seem more convenient at first, but they also weigh twice as much as this model. For this reason we have discontinued our folding model.
The Perfect Fit Bench is designed to be the most functional and practical bench you will ever use. It's built to last a lifetime, and your satisfaction is guaranteed. If you are not happy with your bench for any reason, you may return it for a full refund.
Why is adjustability important?
-Newer meditators often need a bench that is taller, but after meditating regularly for some months they tend to prefer a lower bench. Daily sitting naturally opens the hips, ankles, and other joints as your body becomes accustomed to this new position. This bench gives you the flexibility you'll need because it has two different heights. Before we had this model it was very common for meditators who once loved their benches to return and ask us to lower the legs on them slightly. Usually about half of an inch was all that was needed but the difference they felt was remarkable.
-Our bench gives you two height settings instead of one. We stock four bench sizes, and each of them has two height settings. Your chance of being successful is 100% better with our bench. The legs are asymmetrical so that one side of the bench sits higher than the other by about half of an inch.
-Some days your body is stiffer, or you may have a minor strain or injury. You'll always have a choice depending on your needs.
-Enjoy longer/deeper meditation without physical discomfort. Even if you have the perfect angle and height bench, after some time your body will get tired of sitting in the same exact position. Now you can lean slightly forward and adjust the angle of your bench to change were the pressure lies in your spine and get a surprising amount of relief.
-For long meditations, a height adjustment can be even more helpful. Leaning forward and turning our bench around 180 degrees will lift or drop your sitting height by about half of an inch, and by adjusting where you actually sit on the large padded surface you can increase that difference even more. We use this bench ourselves, this trick really works.
What makes our bench more comfortable?
The seat area is a large 17.5 x 7.5 inches. It gives plenty of support for larger people and the extra room means you can further adjust the way the bench feels by sitting either forward, rearward, or directly in the center of the bench.
Our seat padding is unique because it's 1 3/8 inches thick and layered with different density foams. It's soft on top but underneath the soft layer is a denser cushion that further protects you from the feeling of sitting directly on a hard surface. People with less "built in padding" on the rear will notice the difference right away. Our special pad conforms to your shape yet offers solid support at the same time. Anyone who sits for long periods knows the "hard as rock" feeling that a bench or cushion can give. Our bench is different, it never feels that hard, and even after years of daily use it remains more comfortable than anything else because of our multilayered-multidensity pad system.
The angle of the bench is determined by you and your body instead of the bench itself. This means The Perfect Fit Bench fits more people. A basic understanding of geometry makes it clear that a "one size or one angle fits all" type bench is not going to fit everyone. It's amazing how many people with different body types and sizes can use our bench and feel that it's a custom fit, just for them, instead of a compromise.
The Perfect Fit Bench is completely stable and perfectly comfortable for the widest range of users. The meditators thighs, shins, and the bench itself form a solid triangle. This is the most stable shape of all. It's more stable than a flat legged bench that doesn't have the correct angle, or height for it's user because that bench "wants" to tip to adjust for the difference, but the flat legs cause it to resist the adjustment your body is needing.
Our bench legs have a traction grip surface texture that prevents slipping and allows a wider range of adjustment angles.
Inspiration, Support, & Supplies for Deeper, Sweeter, Meditation.
The "Perfect Fit Meditation Bench"
Tips for healthier posture, and happier meditating. Click here to view our "How to Sit" videos.
Focus on your foundation first and work up from there.
Begin by kneeling on a folded blanket or soft wool asan. Lean forward and place the bench on your bottom and hold it in position as you sit down. This is a good way to start and usually sets up the bench perfectly. If needed you can also adjust the angle of your bench until you feel that your lower spine is in a neutral position. This means your navel is not spilling forward from an excessively curved lower back, and you are not rolling your weight rearward onto your tailbone causing your spine to become rounded. Work between these two extremes to see what feels best, and remember that it's ok to adjust the bench angle as needed. Smaller adjustments are usually better than large ones.
Now imagine that your spine is like a straight rod supporting your upper body from within, allowing your outer muscles to relax. The large outer muscles are not the ones we want to use while meditating. Good posture comes from within, and with practice will become very comfortable. Balancing the spine vertically is key to your success, but you must also use some energy to feel that you are "relaxing upward from within." Try to strike a balance between effort and relaxation.
Feel light in the spine. A feeling of heaviness suggests that you are becoming too passive. A feeling of tension suggests you are not relaxed enough.
If kneeling on a bench you'll need a place to rest your hands that supports the weight of your arms. I use a blanket that is wrapped around the lower portion of my body and make a pouch to place my hands in with my palms facing upward. Adjust the blanket so that your arms are near your hips and are supported well enough that you don't feel their weight pulling down on your shoulders. Or try putting your hands inside of a sweater, or in the pockets of a "hoody" type pull-over. Whatever you use, it should fully support the weight of your arms. Having the hands separated helps to open the chest by pointing the elbows rearward slightly. This helps to reduce the tendency to slouch forward while stimulating the energy of the heart chakra. A small amount of tension between the shoulder blades also helps to slightly open the chest. Do not arch the spine, but feel inwardly that your heart area wants to gently rise upward.
Most of us need to slide the head rearward to bring the head over the shoulders. Keep your chin level with the floor. You might want to have a friend look at your posture from the side and ask them to see if your head is centered over the shoulders and that your shoulders are centered over your hips.
Don't use what "feels comfortable" as your only guide. People often feel awkward when the spine is in alignment if they are used to having poor posture. Have a friend compare your posture to the images on our website and explain to you what they see. This will help you learn how to feel your way into good alignment on your own.
Low Back Pain Solutions
For years I suffered with extreme low back pain. I could not drive a car more than an hour or two because it was impossible for me to get comfortable. I had to lay flat and be driven for longer distances. A two hour drive often meant an evening spent laying on an ice-pack and possibly a day or more of recovery. When I started meditating I really had a hard time with lumbar and cervical pain, and pain down beneath my neck between the shoulder blades. Sitting for meditation often felt like torture. I really had to consider if I even wanted to try to get into it, because my body protested so much. You can see why I take my meditation seating so seriously!
I gained valuable understanding of my body from an exceptional physical therapist. He helped me understand the needs of my spine and spent some time working with me on how to sit in my vehicle. It turned out that after much investigation all he had me do was fold a small towel into a flattish shape and place that behind my sacrum to prevent by body from slouching too deeply into the seat. This tipped my pelvis slightly forward. It was amazing to me, how this slight alteration to the angle of my pelvis could make me so much more comfortable.
But after about 30 minutes, what at first felt great became uncomfortable. So he then had me move the folded towel up and down an inch or two at a time and this allowed my spine to stay comfortable longer. Each time the pad was placed in a new position it altered the angle of my pelvis sightly.
I eventually learned to move the towel/pad up or down BEFORE I started to get uncomfortable. Once I got into this habit I was able to drive for much longer periods. I could avoid having a painful low back by not allowing my position to stay in one place too long while sitting.
If you have low back discomfort this approach may help you to sit more comfortably on a bench or chair. At least it's worth a try. This is one way to use The Three Hour Bench. Make slight adjustments BEFORE you feel discomfort, and with practice you'll be able to avoid fatigue and go deeper in meditation.
Gently working to build strength in the abdominal's and flexibility in and around the hips and pelvis will go a long way to helping you be more comfortable.
Upper Back and Neck Pain Solutions
The best position for meditation is to have a long tall spine. If you were to view the body from the side, the canal of your ear should be nearly above the pivot point in your shoulder. This posture might seem un-natural if it's not the way you normally sit or stand, but in truth, it's probably the most healthy position for you to be in, and is what most yoga instructors or physical therapists would recommend.
Most people have relatively poor posture to begin with. Patience is the key here. It takes time and energy to get used to sitting with a tall spine. By the way, one of the benefits of meditation with proper posture is that it develops good postural habits that you'll take into the non-meditative part of your life, reducing the occurrence of spinal injury or discomfort caused by excessive curvature of the lumbar, thoracic, or cervical spine as you age.
One main reason the neck becomes strained is because many people habitually allow the head to come forward from the position stated above. This makes the muscles of the upper back and neck work extra hard and will cause pain in these regions, and also headaches.
Another main reason for neck or upper back strain is not having enough support for the weight of the hands and arms. A good sitting position allows you to rest your hands and forearms on something so that all of their weight is supported and the upper back and neck muscles are allowed to rest. Use the suggestions above in our Tips for healthier posture section and double check that your arm weight is supported, and that you are not holding any tension there.
Getting the body warm via some form of exercise and gently stretching or practicing calm yoga postures will help a lot. Focus on releasing tension in the chest, upper back, and shoulders. Strengthen but do not over stretch the neck.
Custom Orders
We will do custom orders on benches at no charge except for special materials if needed. If there is a rush on your order, there may be a charge to put it ahead of other projects. Custom sizing and colors are available on benches.
Custom widths are available on AUM boards for a small fee, and removable elbow pads are coming soon.
Frequently Asked Questions
Bench Sizing
Heights change depending on which way the bench is turned. (measurements in inches)
Small-
leading edge height5.75 or 6.25This one is very low to the ground. Recommended for people 5'2" and under who are thinner, flexible and prefer to be as close to the floor as possible.
Medium-
leading edge height6.00 or 6.50Recommended for people about 5'6" and under.
Medium Large- most popular size
leading edge height6.25 or 6.75Fits most people very well. Up to 6'3".
Large-
leading edge height7.00 or 7.50Good for bigger people and those with less flexible knees, hips, or ankles.
"Finding and maintaining a comfortable upright position has always been a major stumbling block for me in establishing a consistent meditation practice.
Discomfort in my body always distracted and annoyed me and kept me from sticking with it and going deeper.
With this new bench all I have to do is sit down; and I am immediately upright and comfortable. It also allows me to sit comfortably for long periods of time. If one position becomes uncomfortable, the curved bottom allows me to shift easily into a new position without disturbing my meditation.
It has made meditation infinitely easier for me."
S. C.
“Never thought I’d be comfortable on the floor again”…
The moment I sat down on this bench, I literally said “aaah”…, and knew that this was my bench. The deep padded seat provides just enough cushion for comfort but also stability, and the rounded legs make it very easy to adjust, ever so slightly, during longer meditations. As someone with lingering back challenges from an accident, this has been the perfect transition from chair to the floor again, with better pelvic/spinal alignment (the slant and height are just right!) All of this has made my meditations MUCH more enjoyable and, as a result, that much sweeter! ~ Thank you, Turiya!
A. S.
If our bench is not right for you, here are other manufacturers we recommend. They offer very good benches, personal service, and each of them has a higher purpose in mind beyond financial gain.
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