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Meditation benches can be costly, and the pleasure of building your own benchfor meditation can be a fun and fulfilling process. These are instructions for arocking meditation bench, which allows the kneeler to adjust the amount of leanthe bench has at any given time. This has been the style that I have had themost success with in terms of comfort. The model also includes instructions forbuilding in padding, so no pillows are needed!

Materials:

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How to Meditate (/id/How-to-Meditate-1/)by ChrysN (/member/ChrysN/)

How to meditate effectively(/id/How-to-meditate-effectivly/)by miketillman(/member/miketillman/)How to MeditateAlchemically (/id/How-to-Meditate-Alchemically/)by TheGuerrillaAlchemist(/member/TheGuerrillaAlchemist/)(/id/Meditation-Pyramid/)by tuxedo1954(/member/tuxedo1954/)

Meditation 101(/id/Meditation-101/)by shancre (/member/shancre/)

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Wood 1X5.5, 31'' total lengthPadding cut to about 12''X12'' (I use a retired Ridge Rest sleeping pad butanything will do)Scrap fabric cut to about 14''X14'' (Tough fabric such as heavy canvas orupholstery fabric is recommended)3/4'' wood screws (24 count)1.5'' brackets (6 count)Upholstery tacks (up to 20 count)

Tools:HacksawViceCoping sawWood fileLevelRulerPencilSanding block (or sandpaper)ScrewdriverPaper to cut leg patternWood stain of your choice

Step 1: Cut Bench Pieces

With the hacksaw, simply cut two leg pieces* (5.5 inches) and one bench piece(19 inches).

*I am 5'10'' and the 5.5 leg height works perfectly. If you are taller, you can goup to 6'', but keep in mind that the bench and the padding will add some height. The rocking aspect of this bench makes it quite versatile for people of all sizes.

Step 2: Begin to Shape Legs Using Pattern

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You should have a piece of paper on hand that is 5.5''X5.5" Fold it in half anddraw the shape of half of one of the legs--this is the same technique you mayhave used to make heart-shaped valentines in grade school. (You will excludeone corner and round out the another corner by doing this) Be careful not toshorten the paper on either side. You want the outcome to have the same5.5X5.5 dimensions through the center (see photo). Cut out the pattern andopen the paper to see your symmetrical leg pattern.

Once you've got the pattern, lay it over one of the legs and trace the shape. You will follow this line in the next step. Do the same to the other leg piece.

Step 3: Shape the Legs Using a Coping Saw

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Shape the legs one at a time. Secure the first leg in the vice, being careful toprotect it from harmful vice teeth (depending on the type of vice, use a rag oradditional pieces of scrap wood to protect the sides of your leg piece).

Following the pattern lines made in step 2, trim the legs with a coping saw. When both legs are trimmed, you can stack them to see if there are any greatdiscrepancies. If one piece is wider than the other at any point, you can markthe bigger piece with the pencil to use as a sanding guideline in the next step.

Your leg pieces will look pretty rough at this stage.

Step 4: Filing and Sanding the Leg Pieces

Again, you will work with each leg one at a time. Secure the first leg in the viceagain. I begin with a course wood file and shape the leg as necessary. Thisstage of filing is typically pretty aggressive, so you can expect quite a bit ofsawdust. File until you've achieved the final shape and size of the leg usingyour pencil marks as a guide. Round the edges as you work.

After shaping with the course file, use the fine wood file to give the leg asmoother look. Finally, use a sanding block or fine sandpaper (150-240 gritsize) to finish the piece. I prefer a block because it's easier to hold onto and ismore flexible around curves and round edges.

Complete both legs, and then file and sand the sawed edges of the bench sothey are round and smooth.

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Step 5: Preparing to Stain

The sawing and sanding is over! This is what the pieces look like beforestaining. Wipe down the wood with a damp cloth before staining to be sure thepieces are free of sawdust. You can see that my pieces have specks of paint inthem because they are old scraps. This is perfectly okay for the bench piece inparticular because it will be covered with a seat by the end of the project.

Prepare a place outside for staining and move to the next step.

Step 6: Staining

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How to Make a Meditation Bench by uferlos (/member/uferlos/)

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Download (/id/How-to-Make-a-Meditation-Bench/?download=pdf) 8 Steps

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You can brush your stain on or use a rag like I did here. I find a rag much easiersince this is a relatively small project; a rag can be dried and tossed while abrush takes more maintenance!

Let the pieces dry for at least 24 hours. The stain cannot be sticky when youmove to the next step.

*The bench will be covered in the middle, so stain is really only necessary at theends. Cover about 4 inches.

Step 7: Attaching the Legs to the Bench

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The bench is finally taking shape in this step!

I use three brackets to hold each leg in place, and I actually use the brackets tomeasure the placement of the legs on the bench. (*I also spray paint mybrackets black for a different look. Do what works for you!)

Place the bench on the work table with the bottom side facing up. Stand eachleg on the bench. Place two 1.5 inch brackets on the outside of each leg, andline the ends of the brackets with the edge of the bench. Since the ends of thebench have been rounded, place the edge of the bracket on the line created bythe change in wood where you started filing. See the photo for clarification. This helps ensure the leg is evenly spaced under the bench. You can use aruler to double check that the leg is even.

Place the third bracket on the inside of the leg and verify with a level that the legis perpendicular to the bench when all brackets are in place. Mark the bracketholes on the bench and on the leg.

Next, remove the legs from the bench and screw the brackets into them one at atime. Rest the leg on a cloth to protect it from damage while it's on theworktable, and begin with the side of the leg that has two brackets, screwingthem in with 3/4 inch screws. Then turn the leg over and rest it at the edge ofthe work table so the attached brackets hang over the edge and out of the way. Attach the third bracket in the same fashion as the first two. Complete bothlegs in this fashion.

Finally, put the legs with brackets back into position on the bench using thepencil marks made earlier as guides. Once in position, screw each leg onto thebench.

You have a bench at this point (turn it over and try it out!). The next few stepscomplete the meditation bench with a small cushion.

Step 8: Attaching the Seat

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As mentioned earlier, I use an old Ridge Rest sleeping pad to provide the smallamount of padding needed for my meditation bench, but you can use anythingsimilar. Carpet padding or even folded towels would work for this. The key is tonot make the bench too cushy because, in the long run, this will actually be lesscomfortable to sit on for extended periods of time.

Cut your pad to 12 inches by 12 inches, so it wraps around the edges of thebench but doesn't meet on the bottom side. Also, the pad should not meet thelegs of the bench. If they do, trim the padding until it wraps inside the legs onthe underside of the bench.

Your fabric should be a bit larger than the padding. I fold about an inch of fabricover at the edges, so I start with a piece that measures14 inches by 14 inches. Choose something durable, so you don't have to replace it!

Attaching the fabric can be tricky and take a bit of coordination. Remember thatyou can take the tacks out and start over if you need to. This may take a coupleof tries, but it's well worth it:)

To begin: mark the edges of your pad when it's centered on the bench. Thisends up being a guide for placing tacks and it will help you keep the padcentered as you go.

Next, fold over one side of the fabric and place it, centered, about 5 millimetersover the mark you made on one side of the pad. Attach the fabric to the benchwith two upholstery tacks (I use a rubber mallet to do this, but tapping the tackswith a hammer works as well), keeping in mind that your aim is to have the tacksenter the bench on the line you penciled in at the edge of the pad.

Move to the opposite side of the pad, fold over the fabric and attach it in thesame fashion with two tacks. It's important to push the pad snugly against thetacks that have already been placed so you see the penciled line made earlier. The fabric should be folded over enough that it is a snug fit on both ends.

From here, turn the bench over. Before adding more tacks, one of the ends ofthe fabric must be secured. To do this, fold over either end of the fabric on theunderside of the bench and pull it tight. Secure it with three well-spaced tacks(this edge will be covered in a moment, so it is functional only--not for show).

Now you can carefully tack the fabric between the end you just secured and thefirst tacks you inserted on the top side by placing tacks every inch or so. Try tospace them evenly. The last tacks you place should be those on the edge of thebench where there is only room for one tack on either side of the fabric.

Secure the remaining side of the fabric in the same fashion but be aware thatthis side is the showy side, so more attention should be paid to securing the finaledge. Fold the fabric under like you've done for all other edges, and stretch ittight. Secure it first in the center, and then on each corner. Take care to stretchthe fabric tight each time you add a tack. Add tacks from the corners to thecenter until the entire edge is equally secured.

Finally, you can secure the fabric from the newly secured edge back around toyour starting point. Again, space tacks evenly and place your last tacks on theedge of the bench where there is room for only one tack on wither side of thefabric.

You'll find as you go that a bit of tucking is necessary, particularly when youplace those last tacks on the edges of the bench. A little finesse will go a longway here.

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Once you've tacked the fabric in place, your meditation bench is complete! Happy meditating.May all beings be happy.

sandyartfulspirit (/member/sandyartfulspirit/) says:

This is a great instructable! I will be makingthis soon and beginning my meditationpractice! Thanks and namaste!

startree (/member/startree/) says:

fantastic idea, love the rocking option while meditating! thanks :)

privatier (/member/privatier/) says:

For those who prefer a well defined shape for the curved leg, here is the solution.You can construct the lines directly on the inside of the legs. The bottom consistsof a bit more than half an ellipse. Draw the vertical and horizontal auxiliary lines asshown in the picture. Clamp the board to the table. Drive the two nails into theboard. Place the knot in the string such that when pulled straight the two sides areexactly 4.5 inches. Then lay the loop around the nails. Pull on the outside end,place a pen at the knot (I used a felt pen, that's why the knot area is black). Keeppulling on the string and move it with a circular motion with one hand and keep thepen in contact with the board, to achieve the perfect ellipse. Check that the stringstays close to where the nails meet the board surface. Add the two tangents to theellipse. This method works for small and large ellipses, narrow and wide ones,determined by the position of the nails and the length of the string.

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Horizons7 (/member/Horizons7/) says:

Okay here is a pic of the bench I made. I already had the wood on hand so theproject cost me about $30 since I bought a more expensive fabric (1/2 yard) plus Igot an 8oz can of polycrylic to coat the wood without changing the color just givingit a nice gloss. I gave it 3 full coats, using a heat gun in between to speed up thedrying process to a few minutes. The wood looks super shinny now. Theupholstery pins were a pain with about half of them bending/breaking so I had togo back to the store to get more. I also bought a firm foam as the cushion. I'mshorter (5'6") s I think a leg height of 5" would have been better but 5.5" works fineespecially since I rounded the legs. The hardest part was putting on the upholsterywith the foam. It tool 2 tries with the second time using the staple gun to secure

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the foam down.

This is my first project I've done of Instructables. Thank you uferious I will begetting a lot of enjoyment and use out the bench.

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bencher (/member/bencher/) says:

I just wanted to thank you for sharing your plans for a meditation bench. Soon afterI studied your plans I developed my own plans and built my own bench forpractically free from mostly materials I already had around. That was a few monthsago. Now I include meditation with my yoga sessions . Together they take about20 minutes twice a day . I do it for my own mental and physical health. It has beena good thing. I feel better and feel like it has been very worthwhile.

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11Serenity11 (/member/11Serenity11/) says:

Thanks for sharing this. I understand the curve at the bottom of the legs is foradjusting one's position during meditation and was wondering if there is also aperformance reason for the curve at the top of the legs, or is it only an aestheticpreference? Thanks.

uferlos (/member/uferlos/) (author) in reply to 11Serenity11

Thanks for the comment! I am notsure if I understand the questionfully, but I'll try to answer and pleasefeel free to respond again if I didn'tget you the info that you need...

The legs are narrower at the top thanat the bottom for the most part sothey fit better to the seat. And yes, Iwould say this is for aestheticpurposes more than function. Thetops of the legs aren't curved somuch as narrowed. When I thinkabout it, I don't think performancewould be affected by leaving the legsas wide at the top as the lowerportion of the leg. I'd love to see whatyou come up with if you decide togive it a try!

11Serenity11 (/member/11Serenity11/) in reply to uferlos

That answers my question perfectly,thanks.

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ChrysN (/member/ChrysN/) says:

Nice bench! I made a meditation bench a while ago, but it is straight at the bottom,I can see that the rounded bottom would be helpful. Perhaps I should put paddingon it too, good idea!

uferlos (/member/uferlos/) (author) in reply to ChrysN

Thanks for the comment. I find theslight rock offers just enough roomfor me to shift from one sitting to thenext.

loricollins (/member/loricollins/) says:

Nice bench. I made one a long time ago with legs attached by hinges so that itwould fold and store flat. I love the idea of padding!

uferlos (/member/uferlos/) (author) in reply to loricollins

Thanks for the comment. I've seenthe hinged version as well and think ita grand idea. Unfortunately thebenches with hinges that I've come incontact with were poorly enoughconstructed that they collapsed undermeditators! I wanted to avoid thatpossibility all together. The one Iconstructed here is also smallenough to tuck into carry-on luggage!

Stone6 (/member/Stone6/) says:

Class seat, too the such I want, as though you sit, but during too time in a lap.Very much trains.

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