Piranha Gear

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 when you realize how much more comfortable it is.

These are created one at a time by Ananda Woodworking of out of their shop in Nevada City, California. We love these benches since they are clearly made with a great deal of attention to the detail and finish - 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 maybe our butts don't have enough padding and these feel SO MUCH more comfortable.

A nice heavy hinge on both legs lets them fold flat - perfect for travel or just stowing out of the way. The hinges are basically total overkill - so they are very sturdy. The last thing you need is wobbly distractions in the midst of meditation.

We usually have at least a couple different colors in stock. If you're buying for someone else, Black is usually pretty safe. The "in-store favorite" is Burgundy - almost a "plum" color. Very nice if we have them in stock. The White is really a "natural" color (similar to unbleached uniforms or perhaps close to the paint color "Navajo White").

The "padded" part of the bench measures approximately 18" by 8" and the back of the bench is about 9" high, the front just over 7".