Making a Lotus Throne

At a recent working bee, Floating Lotus Zendo members, along with the universe, made some high-class cushions to offer newcomers and visitors a grand spot to meditate in Ahimsa’s yurt.

Thank you to Priscilla for the beautiful recycled material and to the Methodist Worry Busters who donated us perfectly matching old carpet, originally designated as mulch.

Thank you too to Kersey for the magnificent gong in the photo. Made of a recycled driving wheel and hub cap, with loving stroke of an off-cut it resounds more beautifully than a singing bowl!

Atop such thrones, it is now even more empowering each morning to chant the Zen Peacemakers’ “Gate of Sweet Nectar” liturgy offering a feast of food, of loving action, to satisfy the hungry hearts of ourselves and all beings. (Listen to Krishna Das' opening song!)

Instructions for making our simple meditation cushions.

• Cut, with 5/8” seams included in these dimensions –two circles of strong fabric (such as upholstery cloth) 14.5” or so in diameter (we used the lid of a large pot as pattern.)
• –a strip of cloth (this can be several pieces joined with triple sewn seams) 44” x 9.5” for knee-challenged sitters, 44” x 8.5”, or for most people 44” x 6.5”.
• Hem the short ends of the strip with 1/2 “ turned back and sew twice. Attach 1” Velcro to these hems, one part on the outside fabric and one on the inside so they close into a flat loop. Do not attempt to sew sticky-backed Velcro onto the fabric as the glue used will gum up your sewing machine!
• Sew the circles inside the flat loop with right sides of fabric together easing the circle to fit at the seam line.
• Turn right side out and almost fill with pillow grade buckwheat hulls using a funnel. We used a 23 lb bag of hulls from Birkett Mills in Penn Yan, NY, $33 delivered, affordable but containing a little dust. The bag filled two normal sized cushions and one each of the larger sizes.
• Carpet works fine for protecting ankles and knees.

It’s just that easy!