Meditation mats, cushions, benches made to measure to your specs - exactly what your body needs to support your mind in meditation
We make it to measure, just for you!
We always say we have the best job in the world. We earn our money by helping people to meditate. We handmake meditation mats and cushions, one by one, individually. Not two are alike. So we don't make them in their thousands, not even hundreds, we don't even make 2 at a time: just the one. We like it that way. We make a cushion or a mat for a specific person, not just a buyer. Our customers talk to us - we spend a fair amount of time on the phone! - and we discuss their needs, their wishes, their ideas. We listen. We give advice. Then we sit down and we make a very special meditation cushion, a lovely prostration mat, a sturdy bench cushion or some bespoke meditation clothing. But whatever we make, we take the greatest care and work to the highest standards. One customer once called our meditation mats and cushions the "Rolls Royce of Meditation Equipment". Our customers like what we do - just take a look at our feedback page! So when you are ready to contact us, just send an email or give us a call. We may take a couple of days to get back to you but we promise we will.
So, why is there a need for 'bespoke' meditation mats and cushions? Funny, nobody ever asked us this question. But we have an answer anyway. One that we are passionate about.
The right size shoes make for good walking
We would not dream of buying a
pair of shoes without asking for the size we know is right for us. Shoewear does not come in "one size fits all".
But meditation cushions
do! The marjority of cushions you can find on the market
are industrially made, mass produced with standard dimensions, made in
low-wage countries and sold for a huge mark-up. This situation
certainly benefits the companies who make and sell and these
goods - but not necessarily the person who uses them.
We have somehow come to expect that our bodies will just adapt to whatever shape, height, firmness of cushion, mat and bench we place them on. But the wrong meditation support can result in back pain, neck pain, in any type and level of discomfort, as a great many of us have experienced. Buddha Shakyamuni spent years enduring unbearable hardship only to realise that spiritual progress is not a result of physical pain. It just makes intuitive sense that we ought not suffer in meditation. Very advanced meditators may gain benefit from subjugating the body to physical hardship, but most of us have not reached this level of practice. In fact, for many of us, physical discomfort is a major obstacle to meditation.
A new approach to meditation equipment
We believe that people benefit from having the right meditation support. It starts with the right cushion - height, diameter, firmness - and the right mat (size, softness), but it goes beyond that. We believe that it is easier to meditate if you feel good about what you sit on. So we really go to great lengths to ensure you do!
We make our mats and cushions individually, one by one: we do not outsource or buy them in from sweatshops in third world countries. We handle everything with great care and attention - really! We would never work on a mat or cushion if we were angry, for example - and we hold wishes and intentions during the process of making each of our lovely mats and cushions, intentions such as "may you make progress" and "may you not suffer". We visualise that we stitch these wishes and mantras into the fabric when we sew your mat, your cushion, your meditation clothes. And everything is made from very high quality materials which we source ourselves. Oh, did we not mention that? You get to choose your materials, too!
Everything you need to have a good sit - we make it!
We don't just make
bespoke zafu or buckwheat cushions and mats - although we sell a fair
few of these! - we also design and make one-off designs as
part of our drive to create
solutions for people's meditation needs and individual requirements.
We have made cushions for people with back and leg injuries,
those of an extremely tall, large or short stature, leg amputees,
pregnant women and a whole many more people who need or want something
that does not come in the range of industrially made cushions/mats you
can buy in shops across the country. Over the years, we have invented a
good number of designs that had not existed before. So, when you call us, don't ask us
what we sell - be ready to tell us what you want!
Below
are a few photo examples of some of the more commonly ordered articles
at Dharmaland. Bear in mind that all the designs are individual - you
chose colours, dimensions etc. A click on each photo will take you to a
page with more information and prices. You can also go directly to our online gallery
to see examples of our cushions, mats, malas and more.
  | Just two examples of what our beautiful Zafu Cushion & Mat Meditation Sets can look like. Take a look in our online gallery for other designs we have made in the past. We have different cushion designs, depending on the filling you chose. This type of cushion - a traditional Japanese Zafu style design - works perfectly with synthetic filling. If you are after a natural grain filling, take a look at the Buckwheat' cushion & mat below. This traditional zafu cushion comes with a comfortable mat, all made to your specs: You chose the height of the cushion, its diameter, the fabrics for mat & cushion... and anything else you may want to specify! |
 | Our Buckwheat Cushion & Mat Meditation Set: a beautifully made, buckwheat hull filled meditation cushion and matching mat. The cushion, luxuriously, has two fabric hulls, one inside the other, to ensure your buttocks never feel a sharp edge of the filling inside! You chose dimensions & fabrics. |
 | 2 Cushions & Mat Meditation Set: 2 Zafu cushions, if 2 people share a mat but need different cushions; or if one sitter requires two cushions, e.g. one to sit on and one hand cushion As with all our designs, you chose dimensions and fabrics. You can have the cushions either with natural buckwheat filling or as shown here, with synthetic filling. |
 | Individual Zafu Meditation Cushions: if you need a cushion alone (no mat), buy one or more of our beautifully made, traditional Zafu style cushions. The "Rolls Royce of Meditation Cushions" as some have called it - you'll never regret getting one custom made to your specs. |
 | Individual Buckwheat Filled Meditation Cushions: Made in the fabrics of your choice, to your dimensions, and filled with organically grown buckwheat hulls (we add a handful of lavender pods for a relaxing scent, if you like!). Two fabric covers - one inner, one outer, for that extra special comfort. |
 | 2 Meditation Cushions: if you need 2 matching cushions, ordering two matching cushions at the same time is cheaper than ordering two single cushions. Buckwheat filling (shown here) or synthetic fillings are both available - click here to learn more about filling types and the differences in our cushion designs! |
 | Buckwheat Support Cushions - the photo on the left is another example of a cushion designed to help with a specific posture problems due to a back injury. We specialise in creating specific designs for specific problems - we know that "one fits all" does not always work. Contact us if you are looking for this type of cushion. |
 | Prostration Mats: Our prostration mats are made to the dimensions of your choice, but typically our clients require full length (180cm plus) mats for their prostration practice (e.g. for Ngondro). We closely work with foam suppliers to get exactly the right thickness and density for your prostration mat. The Buddha saw that there was no spiritual gain in physical pain during spiritual practice: the idea that you have to suffer for it to be beneficial is a myth. We can make your mat just right for you and cushion your knees without aggravating your wrists. |
  | Meditation Bench Cushions are made to fit the shape of your meditation bench. Any shape, any bench, any size, any design! How to go about it? First, contact us by email or phone. Then you'll need to let us have details of the shape of your meditation bench. To this effect, put your bench seat down on a sheet of newspaper and draw around it, making sure to mark out where the feet join. This way we place the straps that hold the cushion in place so that they do not conflict with the legs. Then simply send us the drawing in the mail and hey presto! Your seat will be so much more comfortable! |
 | Meditation Block & Mat - another example of a mat & cushion set resulting from a very specific brief. The sitter required a firm block that she could comfortably sit on for long periods of time. We sourced high density foam that was firm yet comfortable to sit on during long sessions, and covered it in beautiful green damask and black canvas. The covers are fully removable. We have invented many such custom designs for our customers. We can also recover your yoga block and make a matching mat for it. Anything is possible! Contact us if you are looking for this type of set. |
 | Handmade Gemstone Malas: Anya makes malas on commission. She buys precious and semi-precious gemstones - (like the old amber beads, shown to the left) and she makes beautiful malas, real pieces of art, all one-off, no twice the same. She uses Reiki and other enchanting spiritual methods of charging each with healing and beneficial energy. All our friends have one! |
 | Carry bags for meditation mat, yoga mats, meditation set, meditation cushions or meditation benches... we make carry bags for anything and everything! A convenient way to store or carry your mat, cushion, bench etc. in a bag made to your specs. Meditators who travel a lot much appreciate these. Made from our beautiful yet virtually indestructible canvas base fabrics in combination with a lovely ornamental fabric so it is unique, or made to match your set. |
 | Hand Support Cushions - like these here, made from gorgeous handfelted fabric (made by Anya who is a master feltmaker - see www.feltsense.com) these cushions give support for specific posture issues such as lumbar or spine problems. Commonly placed either at the base of your spine to supplement your existing cushion - or in front of you on the floor to support your hands (and take strain of neck/shoulders) during meditation, to eliminate neck and upper back pain during meditation. Contact us if you are looking for this type of cushion. |
 | Spiritual Text Covers (here shown covers for books) - We used to make these just for our own use, but quickly friends and customers started to ask for them, too. It is so much more respectful to keep your spiritual books in covers made from precious fabrics! Contact us if you are looking for this ype of article. |
