A Meditation Seat Built to Last a Lifetime (or Two) The Mountain Seat was designed by a group of modern-day monastics right here at Zen Mountain Monastery. We spend over 1,000 hours a year meditating, which is why we created such a comfortable and supportive cushion. Our cushions are hand-crafted by a small, family-owned business in Shelbourne Falls, Massachusetts with the highest quality USA-made materials. Our cushion covers are made and dyed in India and the USA. Our patented Mountain Seat combines a stable buckwheat-hull base with a layer of soft memory foam on top and conforms to your body, whether you're sitting for a moment or a week. The result is a cushion that you will return to again and again. Available in Black, Brown, Maroon, Navy, Sage or Saffron. Purchase with the Mountain Seat Zabuton as a set. Perfect Meditation Pillow Supports Others Too All proceeds from the Mountain Seat go to supporting the hundreds of people who come through the Monastery every year. Need a reason to upgrade? Donate your old cushion so that we can offer it free of charge to low-income people, students, military servicepeople, formerly incarcerated people, and non-profits working with women, children, LGBTQ+ youth and people in recovery. The monastics living at Zen Mountain Monastery and who make up the staff of The Monastery Store sit on the same meditation cushions that we sell in our store. Here are a few of us talking about sitting on the Mountain Seat: I sat on a buckwheat zafu comfortably for 15 years, but I started to notice new hip and knee pain popping up during a recent sesshin. A chiropractor I was seeing suggested I change my cushion, so I went for the Mountain Seat.I like the size and shape. I took some of the buckwheat filler out to make it sit a little bit lower, so it feels customized to my body and it is much more supportive than my old cushion. The layer of memory foam on top is extremely comfortable--even a little bit plush. I also like the way it holds its shape and looks so upright and dignified. - Shoan, monastic, Creative Director & Assistant Training Coordinator I've been sitting on a standard Mountain Seat on and off over the past 15 years. I love it because I can build it up or just catch a small flat piece for support. The soft foam on top can be folded and really softens the impact of the buckwheat hulls.-Hojin Sensei, resident teacher, Training Coordinator I've been using a standard Mountain Seat for 5 years and like it for its height, its smooth contact and the way it will squash and settle as I do.-Rakusan, monastic, maintenance supervisor I've been sitting on a standard Mountain Seat for over 10 years. It's flexible with a lot of its buckwheat removed. This gives support to my hips, as I sit in a modified Burmese posture, which means my hips aren't level. The memory foam protects my sitz bones from hurting during longer meditation retreats. -Taikyo, novice monastic, Mountain Record editor I've been sitting on a standard Mountain Seat for over 10 years and on aCloud Zabuton for about 5 years. This is the most comfortable cushion combination I've been able to find. I sit on the firm-foam side of the Cloud zabuton; it makes me feel grounded and supported but still gives me plenty of cushioning so my knees and ankles don't hurt. -Zuiko, former monastic Taking Your Seat: Arranging the Body for Zazen from Dharma Communications on Vimeo.
