These handmade meditation benches are perfect for taking the pressure off your ankles while sitting zazen (kneeling) during meditation. Aging knees and ankles are so common among martial arts practitioners (and the position is so rarely used by “Westerners”) that many of us simply can’t use the traditional position for any length of time (if at all). These benches take all the pressure off the ankles and vastly ease the pressure on the knees. The first time you use one a HUGE smile will creep over your face as you realize how much more comfortable it is. These are created one at a time by Ananda Woodworking of out of their shop in California. We love these benches since they are clearly made with a great deal of attention to their finish and detail – plus the padding holds up to lots of use. The tops have a layer of foam covered with cotton batting and topped by cotton fabric. Of course you can get meditation benches with a wood top, but these are so much more comf (more…)