The Meditation Seat: Yogananda's Instruction, Explained

Ask a longtime practitioner in the Kriya Yoga tradition what they sit on, and the answer is remarkably consistent: a layer of wool with silk over it. Not for comfort first, though comfort follows. For a reason rooted in the science of the practice itself.

The instruction

In his written lessons and talks, Paramahansa Yogananda counseled students to prepare a dedicated seat for meditation: a woolen layer covered with silk, placed on the floor or draped over a chair. The purpose he gave was practical. The body in meditation gathers subtle energy, what the tradition calls prana. Certain materials help the body retain that energy. Others let it drain toward the earth. Wool and silk are the retainers.

Where the instruction comes from

The teaching is older than any modern school of yoga. In the sixth chapter of the Bhagavad Gita, the meditator is told to prepare a firm seat in a clean place, neither too high nor too low, layered with kusha grass, a deerskin, and a cloth. Each layer served the same purpose in its era: insulation from the pull of the earth, so that the practitioner's energy could turn inward and upward instead of down.

Yogananda translated that ancient prescription for modern householders. Kusha grass and deerskin are neither practical nor kind to source today. Wool and silk carry the same insulating properties and can be obtained without harm. The principle remained. The materials were updated.

Why wool, and why silk

Wool holds. It is a poor conductor, which in the language of the tradition means it keeps the body's own field close instead of letting it dissipate. Anyone who has sat on bare ground on a cold day understands the ordinary version of this truth.

Silk resists. Raw silk in particular is understood in yogic teaching to insulate against the subtle currents of the earth, the very downward pull the meditator is working against. Synthetic fabrics do not substitute. This is why the tradition is specific: not soft materials in general, but wool beneath and silk above.

What this looks like in practice

For floor sitters, an asana mat: a wool layer with a raw silk surface, large enough for a cross-legged or kneeling posture. The Asana Mat is made exactly this way and lays over a chair seat as well.

For chair meditators, whom Yogananda fully encouraged among Western students, the traditional answer is a blanket that covers the chair completely: seat, back, sides, and down to the floor beneath the feet, so the body touches only wool and silk for the length of the sit. That is the Dhyanam Chair Blanket.

A wedge cushion under the sitting bones, on floor or chair, lifts the hips, eases the knees, and helps the spine find its natural upright line. You can see the full range of cushions and blankets here.

The quieter reason: a dedicated seat

There is a second purpose to the instruction that has nothing to do with fabric. A seat used only for meditation becomes an anchor. Sit in the same place at the same hour and the mind begins to settle before the eyes have closed, the way a familiar bedroom makes the body sleepy. The asana is not merely equipment. It is the first act of the practice, the border between the ordinary day and the interior one.

Caring for a silk and wool seat

Spot clean only, never machine wash. Air it in shade rather than direct sun. Keep it for meditation alone, both for the fabric's sake and for the anchor effect above. Treated this way, a well-made asana serves for many years of daily sitting.

Do you need one to meditate?

No. The practice comes first, and no one should wait on equipment to begin. Sit today, on whatever you have. But if your practice has become daily, the traditional seat is one of the few purchases that genuinely serves it, which is why this instruction has been handed down, and followed, for so long.

We make ours the traditional way: pure wool beneath raw dupioni silk, cut and sewn in small batches in Canada and San Diego. You can see them in the asana collection, and find more writings for your practice on the blog.