{Note: elephantjournal.com received this item for free, in return for a guarantee that we would review said offering. That said, we say what we want—good and bad, happy and sad.}

So I used the IKUKO meditation bench this morning and these are my first impressions:

What an incredibly beautiful piece of art!

The richness of the grain, the smoothness of the wood, the shape and slope of the thing…

I tried crossing my legs in front and that was obviously wrong, so I slid my feet behind me and instantly I felt my spine straighten up. It took some manouvering back and forth and side to side to feel like I was in the right posititon, but then I felt totally supported.

Now, because I normally sit on a cushion with my legs crossed, I noticed a few things with the bench.

First, I could really feel the weight of my sitting bones on the hard surface. This gave me immediate feedback into which side I tended to favour, but it also made me want some cushioning under my tush.

Secondly, I thought “Oh yeah, this leg position makes sense because it’s symmetrical and there is no considering which leg should be in front today”. But, because the bench is positioned to slope downwards, I could feel my knees being pushed in that direction.

It wasn’t uncomfortable or painful, but I could feel the energy of my legs moving in that direction—I also felt like I was sitting much higher than I normally do sitting crossed legged.

I always start my mediation with the heart singing bowl and it was a little awkward and difficult to reach.

The best part of using the bench was the ability to keep my spine effortlessly straight and feeling the openness across my chest.

I think this would be a perfect portable traveling essential!

To get an IKUKO seat of your own, click here.  

Rose Riccio is a yoga teacher and Registered Massage Therapist who has a daily practice of rolling out the mat, sitting on the cushion and exploring how the mind, the body and perception intersect. What initially drew her to yoga continues to inspire her practice today; it’s ability to challenge her outer form to transform her inner one, while both expanding and evolving her life and her relationships.

 

 

 

 

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