Posted on 8th Jul 2011 @ 2:35 PM

Some things should be ergonomic. Keyboards spring to mind, as do ergonomic chairs. Other things are less certain: do we need an ergonomic cell phone, for example, or will earbuds suffice? Is there even such a thing as ergonomic clothing?

And then there are the items that make you think that the ergonomic fad has reached every corner of the globe (and not in a good way). You may be surprised to learn that even yoga and meditation accessories are now getting in on the act. Here are some of our favorite funny examples:

1. The Ren Zen Ishi Yoga Seat

http://www.mid-day.com/lifestyle/2011/jun/210611-Ren-Zen-Ishi-cross-legged-seat-fitness-aid.htm

Apparently you can do yoga until you're blue in the face and it won't do you any good if you don't maintain the right posture. (Also, if you're blue in the face, we worry about your breathing.) The Ren Zen Ishi looks like a Frisbee and supposedly keeps your sit-bones where they need to be, although we'd want to talk to the osteopath who helped design it before we gave up trying to sit on our own.

2. Gaiam Rattan Meditation Chair

http://www.amazon.com/Gaiam-Rattan-Meditation-Chair-Espresso/dp/B001GSD8K4/ref=sr_1_12?ie=UTF8&qid=1309178690&sr=8-12

OK, this looks a whole lot like a dog bed. We're sorry. Maybe it's the best possible place to sit while meditating. Maybe this is why we have never been particularly successful at meditating. However, honesty compels us to admit that we fear this might be a joke aimed at getting people to meditate while sitting in Fido's bed.

3. Yoga Eggs

http://www.amazon.com/Eggs-perience-Ergonomic-Three-Minute-Egg/dp/B001OW8R9O

In theory, we are totally down with these eggs, as they are basically just variations on the standard yoga blocks that most practitioners use when their tendons won't quite stretch to the position desired. In practice … they're foam eggs that you use while doing yoga, and they're kind of silly. So we're going to poke fun at them anyway.

4. Pearlessence Ergonomic Yoga Ball Point Pens

http://www.overstock.com/Office-Supplies/Pearlessence-Ergonomic-Yoga-Ball-Point-Pens-Pack-of-6/5393882/product.html

The ergonomic thing isn't the funny part of these pens. It's the yoga. Specifically, it's the yoga + pens that tickles our funny bone. We have to think that the manufacturers just threw in as many comfy terms as they could think of. (They do look like cool pens though. Maybe six colors is enough to induce Zen.)

5. The Zafu

http://www.zafu.net/zafu.html

Billed as a meditation mat or ergonomic addition to a regular chair, the Zafu might very well be excellent for your back and joints. But it looks like a funny little multi-colored Tribble.