People meditate for different reasons, and there are lots of different meditation methods. However, most of them involve learning to quieten or focus the mind. Most new meditators struggle with these things, and it can be a challenging process to learn to control that inner 'monkey mind'. And it's even more difficult if you're physically uncomfortable too - in fact, for many people (and certainly most new meditators), it can be downright impossible.

Some beginner meditators make the mistake of thinking they should sit in the lotus position or cross-legged to learn meditation. This isn't the case - go ahead if these postures are comfortable for you, but they're not essential.

If you're one of the many people who doesn't take easily to sitting on the floor to meditate, you can also just lie down on your bed, or sit in an armchair. However, some people find they fall asleep when lying down, and don't have an armchair that provides comfortable support for their back. In this case, a meditation chair can help a lot.

Chairs and cushions of this type are designed to allow you to sit in a correctly aligned posture. Posture is important in meditation, as poor posture can lead to physical discomfort and make it more difficult to relax. It also impedes energy flow in the body, which is an important consideration if you're meditating as part of an energy work routine.

A meditation chair isn't essential for effective meditation, but it can help a lot, especially if you find sitting on the floor difficult or are prone to falling asleep when lying down. Meditation isn't supposed to be hard or painful, so don't make things more difficult than they need to be by forcing yourself to sit in an uncomfortable position when there are alternatives available!