David Tapper, SeiFu Developer

I began experimenting with a new form of cushion in 1998, the year I turned 70, hoping to avoid sitting on a chair during Zen sesshins (intensive meditation retreats). There's nothing wrong with a chair, but I had pride invested in meditating with the others on the floor. Besides, the chair made my back hurt. In order to survive the retreats, it had been my practice to change my sitting posture frequently. First, I would sit Burmese (cross-legged), then Seiza (kneeling). After that, when I could, I sat in quarter lotus, and then Burmese again with my other foot in front. But discomfort and pain continued. After experimenting with various cushions, I realized that zafus filled with buckwheat hulls were the most comfortable for me. It also occurred to me that since buckwheat hulls could be compressed, there was a way to vary the height of a cushion at will. Thus, the same cushion could be used for both cross-legged and kneeling positions. With the help of friends with sewing talent, the SeiFu evolved. The SeiFu is neat enough to blend into a strict Zen monastery and adjustable enough to lend support to meditators with very different body issues. Many of my friends tried it and said, "Hey, it works. I want one for myself. You should make it available to others." And so here it is, SeiFu, the Adjustable Meditation Cushion. The sitting range is from 3" to 15". Buckwheat hulls can be added or removed. You can create a 45-degree sitting angle with it to achieve a natural lumbar curve. Users tell me that they now sit through intense retreats with only a fraction of the discomfort they formally experienced. I now do sesshins without resorting to a chair or groaning (under my breath) in agony. By the way, the name SeiFu is a combination of Sei za (kneeling bench) and Za fu (sitting cushion.) I hope the cushion works for you.

Rabbi David A. Cooper, Author ("God Is a Verb", "Entering The Sacred Mountain")

The SeiFu is the best-designed, most versatile sitting cushion that I have experienced in many years of practice. It is beautifully constructed. The SeiFu has a range of adjustment combinations that offer the practitioner almost an infinity of positions for great comfort and peace of mind. Highly recommended.

Helen Yuho Harkaspi Sensei, Plain Water Zen Practice

Sitting is ultimately a pleasure. This cushion could make the ultimate easier and faster to get to.

Elizabeth Lesser, Cofounder, Omega Institute, Author ("The New American Spirituality: A Seeker's Guide")

One of my meditation teachers taught the importance of "taking one's seat"--as well as holding a noble and balanced posture--in the practice of meditation. This has been the foundation of my practice for more than twenty-five years. Now I've discovered an actual "seat" to complement my internalized "seat." It's called SeiFu, the adjustable meditation cushion, and I highly recommend it to anyone--beginners and long-time practitioners alike. The SeiFu creates a stable, yet flexible base for meditation. Isn't that the point?

Kevin Smith, Advanced Practitioner of Rolfing

What an incredible innovation! As a practitioner of Rolfing, I recommend that people buy chairs that work for their particular anatomy, body type, or injuries. We had adjustable office chairs, now we have an adjustable meditation cushion--the SeiFu--which can be adapted to the special physical needs of meditators. I recommend this cushion to anyone who sits, and especially to people who sit for extended periods.

Clark Strand, Author ("The Wooden Bowl", "Seeds from a Birch Tree"), Former Senior Editor "Tricycle Magazine"

How is it possible that nobody thought of this before? This cushion is itself a teaching... It's the Cadillac of zafus.