What is a Zafu?
Whether you're looking for some comfortable, casual seating or you want to make your meditation sessions more pleasant, a zafu is a wonderful things to have. Zafu are traditional Japanese cushions used for meditation; the zafu is a circular pillow with pleated sides. When using a zafu, one achieves the desired 135 degree leg-to-spine sitting angle. Also, this is the best position to allow ease of movement, either to get up or to change the angle or direction slightly. Today in America many people who have been introduced to these ‘sitting devices’ or ‘furniture’ for meditation are finding them completely suitable for other purposes.

Why our Zafu?
All of our zafu are carefully designed and made by hand using the highest quality materials and techniques. Each zafu contains an inner 100% cotton liner with durable stitching for years of use. Each liner contains five pounds of cleaned pure organic buckwheat hulls. (see below for details). The liner is held within an outer zafu cover. Each cover is artistically designed and hand-crafted with a unique selection of fabric colors and textures. Covers are double stitched for durability and strength. They require no maintenance and are machine washable. A zipper opening allows for easy removal of the cover. All products are shipped with a letter from the artists along with care instructions and helpful tips pertaining to affective use of your zafu.

WHAT ARE BUCKWHEAT HULLS?
Buckwheat hulls are the husks that protect the buckwheat kernel from the various elements of nature. It is not a wheat at all, but actually a fruit (fagopyrum esculentum) related to rhubarb. The buckwheat used in our zafu are organically grown in the United States. We use an exclusive hull cleaning process for sifting and cleaning to remove any buckwheat flour residue from the hulls.

Buckwheat hulls provide proper support with no break-in period—feels like sitting on sand!

A breakthrough in comfort! While still providing all the support of a traditional kapok-filled zafu, the Buckwheat Hull Zafu conforms more readily to each individual's shape and is somewhat softer. It is like sitting on sand at the beach - the hulls move to where you want them.

The hulls do not break down or wear out, but they do become polished with use. As the natural texture of the hulls become polished the cushions actually work better than new because the hulls move and conform to your contours easily.