How to Create your Home Meditation Space
/Creating a meditation space in your home right now might just be the answer to saving your sanity. With all of us asked to stay inside, it’s more important than ever to take care of our overall health and well being. So along with healthy eating and daily exercise, what’s going on in your mind is just as important and has a profound effect on your physical and emotional health. In other words, when a change occurs on an emotional level a reaction occurs on a physical level and vise versa.
The definition of holistic is relating to the idea that things should be studied as a whole and not just as a sum of their parts.
We are being asked to change our typical way of living as we are trying to adjust to these very unusual circumstances. We are all in the same boat, with slightly different versions of our stay at home work situation. I think I can speak for all of us lucky enough to be home right now safe and sound, we are very grateful for all the brave people out there saving lives, delivering our packages, providing us with food.
We’ve all heard by now the benefits of a daily meditation practice. The part we all struggle with is actually just doing it, finding the time, creating the space, making it a routine and being consistent. The intent of this blog post is to help you set up a meditation corner in your home that feels cozy, comforting and supportive. I will give you the tools, the products and the inspiration to set up a meditation space that you will look forward to settling into every morning and support you in creating a daily habit.
“Meditation is the ultimate mobile device, you can use it anywhere, anytime, unobtrusively.” - Sharon Salzberg
Step #1: Finding the Space
I would suggest if you have your own dedicated room in your home as an office, carve out a corner in your office for your zen space. First take the time to purge and organize your office, this will relieve you from the stress that clutter can create. A nice clean and organized office with a little corner set up for your meditation area is most ideal. If you don’t have an office, look for an area in your home that doesn’t get a lot of traffic, I would suggest an area in your bedroom or even a closet. Most of us city dwellers live in small spaces, so grabbing a corner in your Living Room or Bedroom may be your only option. For larger homes it could be a basement, a walk-in closet, a laundry room, a guest bedroom.
Images: Domino/CB2
Images: Mala Collective/Urban Outfitters
Mala Collective
“Meditation is a way for nourishing and blossoming the divine within you” - Amit Ray
Step #2 Gathering Items
The following items are just my suggestions, they’re not required by any means, but as options to support your practice. I would suggest to start out with a meditation cushions and some candles for sure, add the other items if they speak to you or add slowly as you go along.
1. Meditation Cushion
Go get yourself a meditation cushion, if you purchase it and leave it in a dedicated spot in your home it will keep you accountable. Here are some online selections with varied prices.
2. Candles
I like using little tealights when I meditate, plus they are super cheap, easy to light and you can place them in various locations to create a nice ambiance. You can get tealights from Ikea for $3.49 for a box of 100. This tiny copper bowl set of 6 from Pressed Cotton is $16.25. Super cute right? You can also use them for salt & pepper holders.
Images: Pressed Cotton
3. Incense for Energy Clearing
There are many types of incense, its very personal to your particular smelling pleasure. One of my favorites is Palo Santo, It’s very fragrant with a sweet scent of pine, mint & lemon. It has many benefits, among them spiritual purification and energy cleansing. If you want to learn more about the different types of incense and energy clearing check out Energy Muse.
Images: Palo Santo / Urban Outfitters
4. Tibetan Singing Bowl
Studies have shown that sound healing is extremely therapeutic. Singing bowls are highly effective in the reduction of stress and anxiety through harmony. A key benefit of using a singing bowl during meditation is that the sound produced by them can play a vital role in clearing the mind of the clutter and immerse one in a state of deep relaxation. The Dharma Shop has a wide selection of bowls depending on your budget.
5. Crystals
It is said there are many healing properties of crystals and certain crystals work well to open the higher consciousness of your mind. For instance, the Amethyst which is a beautiful lavender color, is known to bring clarity of the mind, enhances spirituality and intuition. Whether you believe in their healing properties or not, having a piece of the earth in your zen den can be very grounding. Holding a crystal in my hand when I meditate can help me feel closer to the earth especially when I am feeling very disconnected to nature, plus they look pretty. All of these beauties below are from Energy Muse.
Images: Energy Muse
6. Mala Beads
The Mala necklace has 108 beads, the number's significance is open to interpretation, but 108 has long been considered a sacred number in Hinduism and yoga. Mala beads were traditionally created to be used as a tool in meditation, used for counting as you repeat a mantra. They are also beautiful to be worn as bracelets as you can choose your intention and layer them on. Mala Collective and Dharma Shop are my go to and both have amazing collections.
Mala Collective
7. Plants
Bringing in nature is always a good idea. Many types of house plants increase the level of oxygen and improve air quality. This ZZ plant below is the perfect meditation buddy, super easy to take care of and thrives in medium to low filtered light.
Ikea
“Prayer is talking to the universe, meditation is listening to it” - Paulo Coelho
Step # 3: Finding Support
There’s a lot of apps out there these days to help guide you in your daily practice. My number one favorite is insight timer, many free guided meditations and with the option of a subscription for $60 a year you can access all the courses. Other goodies are Calm, Head Space, and 10% happier for the “fidgety skeptics”.
“When we are mindful, deeply in touch with the present moment, our understanding of what is going on deepens, and we begin to be filled with acceptance, joy, peace and love” - Thich Nhat Hanh
Step #4: Setting an Intention
The best way to form a habit is to do it everyday and commit to the same time every day. Eventually this will become part of your routine and you will start seeing the benefits and actually look forward to it. I suggest first thing in the morning, get up before everyone else and have that quiet moment for yourself.
Having a daily morning practice will clear the slate and put you into alignment for the day. Consistent meditation will keep you feeling high vibe, empowered and clear headed. Some of your best creative ideas will happen when you turn down the noise and go inward. Ask yourself what you want to get out of it, less stress, more clarity, stronger intuition, deeper connection to your soul.
Keep a journal handy and open it up after your practice is complete, It’s a great time to write down any thoughts and reflections. The best creative ideas come from a clear mind and open heart. And remember this……
“You are the sky. Everything else is just the weather”. - Pema Chodron
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