What do you sit on during meditation?

[georgerussell]

As per my research in meditation, I believe that we can sit in any kind of posture. Posture that make you feel relax and calm.But don't relax this much that you may go to sleep.Main concern in meditation is that sit relax and concern on particular things and it could sound, picture any thing and after while or few minute latter you feel good and happy.

[gregkavarnos]

These days I'm using two pillows off the bed and a piece of the foldaway bed in the living room. And earplugs.

As a vegetarian I tend to eat a lot of beans so I dunno if I would sit on a pillow that I am going to lay my head on later.

As for the earplugs: How does sitting on earplugs help your meditation?

[Hickersonia]

But if possible dedicate these items for the use of meditation practice only.

Haha!

For whatever it is worth, the couch cushion I use is dedicated for this purpose. No one touches it.

Although, if they did, they'd be welcome to use it.

Especially if they're meditating, but even if not, I'd just sit on the floor. I have lost a lot of weight in the last year but my posterior still has plenty of its own cushioning material...

[catmoon]

These days I'm using two pillows off the bed and a piece of the foldaway bed in the living room. And earplugs.

As a vegetarian I tend to eat a lot of beans so I dunno if I would sit on a pillow that I am going to lay my head on later.

As for the earplugs: How does sitting on earplugs help your meditation?

The beans problem: Hah! I'm way ahead of you. I use two pillows and the one I lay my head on goes on the bottom. Um, if that makes any sense at all.

Sitting on earplugs is a highy symbolic Vajrayana practice. I could tell more about this ancient and venerable practice but then I'd have to fink you out to the nearest protector and he'd probably rip you apart, with red hot iron tongs, one small piece at a time. Even taking your nationality into account, I can't imagine you would find this enjoyable.

One thing I can tell you is that sitting on a carefully positioned earplug results in an immediate and dramatic increase in one's awareness of posture.

[PorkChop]

One thing I can tell you is that sitting on a carefully positioned earplug results in an immediate and dramatic increase in one's awareness of posture.

not denying that it's a plug... but given your statement, are you sure it's for the ear?


Back to the original question....
I'm not that flexible, I can maintain a decent half lotus for maybe 10 or 15 minutes. When I sit cross-legged for a while, my ankle bones hurt, my legs fall asleep, my knee & hip joints scream at me.
Picked up an ergonomic kneeling chair, but noticed some issues with it. For starters, my knees sweat a lot when I use it for a long time. Also, it doesn't help me when I have to sit cross-legged at the temple.
I bought a crescent zafu and a zabuton from the fpmt website. It helps, but I still have to supplement with another pillow and I still have some issues with my ankle bones, numbness, & joint pain.
Waiting on a second zafu cushion to see if that helps. I'm a pretty big guy, not super tall, but I have long limbs, so I need a bit extra lift.

[duckfiasco]

Well after a year and a half of torturing myself trying to find various cushion arrangements and positions to sit, I finally tried a seiza bench and holy cow, the heavens have opened. I can sit without nagging discomfort or alarming stretching pain in my knees. I think being 6'3" and having long, inflexible legs complicated using a cushion.

[BuddhaSoup]

Anyone know of any good yoga or other postures to stretch the hips and extremities for getting to half lotus? When I was younger, my legs were pliable and 'lotusable.' Later in sports I shattered my ankle, injured a knee, and now, during long sits, I really get to breathe in and out the pain that arises in my 'dropped away' body. Sometimes after an hour, I feel like the long healed broken bits in my lower leg want to separate again. This is just a thought that I note and let pass by.... Yeah sure....ouch...ouch... it's actually a bummer for me, as I hate the idea I can't hold comfortably the postures that the Buddha taught.

I've tried to stretch, and even considered using a weight machine from the sport center to place force on the stretching, but I'd welcome any advice...ever since hitting the mid-century mark, my body and mind have started to drop away, and not in a good way.

[tomamundsen]

I use a standard zabuton+zafu combination. I believe my zafu is filed with buckwheat. I actually kinda need to replace my gear sometime... It has been peed on by a few dogs and I have to stitch a new hole in the zafu every other month or so.

[alpha]

Anyone know of any good yoga or other postures to stretch the hips and extremities for getting to half lotus? When I was younger, my legs were pliable and 'lotusable.' Later in sports I shattered my ankle, injured a knee, and now, during long sits, I really get to breathe in and out the pain that arises in my 'dropped away' body. Sometimes after an hour, I feel like the long healed broken bits in my lower leg want to separate again. This is just a thought that I note and let pass by.... Yeah sure....ouch...ouch... it's actually a bummer for me, as I hate the idea I can't hold comfortably the postures that the Buddha taught.

I've tried to stretch, and even considered using a weight machine from the sport center to place force on the stretching, but I'd welcome any advice...ever since hitting the mid-century mark, my body and mind have started to drop away, and not in a good way.

You can try Yantra yoga.Is good for everything.
As to the half lotus posture my advice is to try to understand that there is really no need to sit in that posture.
Sit as you feel most confortable.
When you are confortable you can relax.
And when you can relax the practice goes a little bit better.

Personally ,these days i do not confine myself to a particular posture when wanting to do practice unless that practice involves keeping the back perfectly straight for various reasons.Sometime i lie down on my back ,sometime i sit cross legged ,sometime half lotus sometime i walk gently ,etc......
When it comes to cushions...i just dont use them anymore....