Creating a Sanctuary for Meditation
Creating a Sanctuary for Meditation
Creating a Sanctuary for Meditation
Meditation is a rewarding practice that can relax and re-energize us while cultivating focused awareness. It can be done virtually anywhere, but if you practice regularly, you may want to create a sacred space for your meditations. You will want your meditation space to reflect your personality, interests, and inspirations. It is the space between your physical and spiritual self so when you are designing your perfect sanctuary, let your inner spirit guide you. Here are a few ideas to help you get started.
Designate a Space
Define a location for your sanctuary. Are you a nature lover? Perhaps a mat or cushion in your garden would make a perfect space. Do you love taking baths? Maybe create a sacred space in your bathroom. Do you have a favorite comfy chair in the living room? Build a space around it.
Create the Ambience
Once you have found a location, you will want to fill it with things that are meaningful and peaceful for you. Common items found in meditation settings are cushions, mats, candles, incense burners, miniature altars or statues, wind chimes, crystals and stones, and even CD players. The secret to a perfect meditation space isn't the items, but the energy you put into it. Every item that you place in your sanctuary should be with intention. Intend your space to flow with positive, healing energy and it will.
I like to engage my senses when I meditate because it helps the energy to flow throughout my entire being rather than just focusing on the breath. So when I create a space, I think about the ideal lighting, the perfect oil or incense for my purpose, the kind of music or white noise, if any, that I want, the crystals I want to work with, if any, and even the elements I want to bring into the meditation. It is all about the atmosphere and energy you want to cultivate.
Get Creative
My husband and I had an empty space in front of the windows in our bedroom that we decided to convert into a meditation space. Not wanting to spend a ton of money, we went to World Market and bought a bunch of miss-matched pillows on clearance along with a large papasan cushion (also on clearance). We added a few items that were important to us and voila!
If you are tight on space or travel frequently, you might consider creating a meditation box. You can use any sized box you need and fill it with an incense burner, incense, candles, small figurines, crystals, etc. When you want to meditate, you have everything you need no matter where you are.
I am a nature lover so I love the idea of having an outdoor meditation space. A mat in my garden is usually all I need, but you can add inspirational statuary, wind chimes, and a water feature to create an amazing Zen space.
Carve out nooks throughout the whole house to create multiple spaces for your practice. Who says that my whole house can't be a sanctuary? Well, maybe the kids when they are running around acting crazy, but even more reason to create a peaceful setting in every room. You can always find an escape.
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