PEACEFUL BEANS

When La Touche was in the first steps of Zafu (meditation cushion) and Zabuton (meditation mattress) R&D, we knew that sitting for a long time would cause back pain but we did not really understand the importance of the stiffness of the meditation cushion. At the begnining, we used natural kapok as our main material to make Zafu. However, after numerous inputs and iterations with the support from many meditation masters, we understood that it is different between being comfortable and beeing fully supported by the product. The lightweight and soft structure of kapok makes it more suitable for relaxing pillows and Zabuton which supports the knee comfort, but not suitable for a Zafu. A good Zafu does not only need comfort, but also needs the “stiffness” to support the spine. Therefore, with a tough, round, hollow structure, green bean hull can do what other materials cannot, which is retaining the flexibility to adjust the height and thickness while still ensuring enough hardness to support the spine straight, thus reduce back pain during long meditation sessions and sittings.