Creating A Meditation Location In Your Home

Until recently, I was an inconsistent sometimes meditator who meditated in bed. In my defense, it is very cold in New England in January and February so staying under the covers felt like the only way. Yet, I wasn’t very good about being consistent. Staying in bed kept me from creating a routine. Having routines or rituals helps to make a habit stick, especially a new habit such as meditation. Having a special spot where you can also perform your new habit is also key.

My favorite place to meditate is at a local park near my favorite lake. It is so peaceful there and I love to focus on the sounds of the birds, water, boats, and animals. Unfortunately, this time of year I cannot sit out there for long. I knew that if I wanted to take this practice more seriously that I needed a dedicated spot at home to make it happen.

My room has been a mess lately and it is currently a part of our tiny apartment that we are refreshing. Because the whole room is taking longer than I had hoped, I decided to focus on refreshing just one corner; the space between our bed and the window so I can have a calm and clear spot to meditate every morning and every evening before bed.

I took a meditation class the other weekend, taught by Amie from Flow to Fit Yoga in Southbury. I have been somewhat practicing meditation for a while now. Amie went over different types of meditations and walked us through several of them so we could find what worked best for us. The one thing she was certain that we had to do was find a spot where we can practice and to always practice sitting up. I’m still in the camp where I believe you can in fact meditate while laying down or walking or participating in movement, but there is something to be said about taking the practice a little more seriously to make it a vital part of your every day.

I go into the details on how to meditate on this post here. The one thing I will repeat is that meditation is not about being devoid of all thoughts; that simply is not possible. Your mind will jump around. Meditation is simply about bringing it back in so you can slow down your thoughts and find more of a pause between them. No matter how much you practice, your mind will often wander. Meditation calms your body and mind, reduces anxiety and depression, boosts creativity and production, slows down the aging process, and can even lower your risk for illness and disease by reducing your stress. To get these benefits you only need a minimum of 10 minutes a day, once a day. Your brain will actually show signs of changing in as short as two weeks of consistent practice! Knowing this (and wanting it badly for myself) I realized that I have to be more consistent. I had to create my own meditation space and make it happen.

For this, you don’t need a room or a big space. All you need is a comfy cushion and a corner and you’re all set. I bought my new cushion from Target where I found a perfectly round cushion by Magnolia Home. It fits perfectly on top of the basket I use to hold my sewing machine, but it would just as easily fit decoratively on the bed. A small note on buying yourself a cushion or using a pillow you already own; it must be large enough for you to comfortably sit criss crossed for up to twenty minutes.

And if you, like me, cannot focus on your breath or meditate while cold, grab a favorite blanket. For me, I’ve been using my new Tide Hill Home Nantucket Double throw (click right here on this link if you would like to find it) because it is super big and comfy. The light grey color also feels calming and peaceful for a morning meditation. What I love most about the new Nantucket throw (besides the fact that 10% of the profits go towards protecting water supplies and estuaries) is that has a great weight to it, making it a perfect companion for my meditation routine when I’m feeling extra anxious. It is not as heavy as a weighted blanket, but I was pleasantly surprised by it’s weight when I first started using it for my morning meditation and it feels extra calming and cozy during my new routine. Once seated on my cushion and bundled up, I’m ready to meditate. You’ll ideally want to be in a space that does not have clutter or much noise. You can decorate your space or even light candles to invoke calmness and peace. For me, I chose a corner in my bedroom right by our new majesty palm plant. It is in a spot near the window, which I love on a sunny day.

I started with setting my alarm for six minutes (I figured that I could easily do six minutes as ten seemed too daunting, but after how quickly time seemed to fly by, I know I can now do ten). Start with a set time that works for you. It could be two minutes, five, or even twenty-five. Setting an alarm is key because it will keep your mind from wandering and worrying about the time. It will also keep you from grabbing for your phone to check the time for yourself. Set it and forget it. I also like to use the Calm app on my phone to drown out any noise with some background sounds of birds on a lake.

To create your own meditation space in order to introduce meditation into your daily routine or to spruce up your current routine, all you need is one tiny corner, a closet, a room, a stairwell; anywhere that is calm and quiet. If not having a quiet space is your only excuse for not starting, you now know that you can meditate anywhere. From your parked car, on a train during your work commute, or at a park. Meditation can happen anywhere, but we are certainly more likely to stick to it when we have a routine space. Some of the things you might like to add to your space are a comfy cushion or yoga mat to sit on, a blanket for warmth on chilly mornings, a plant for some calming greenery, a sound app or some calming music, and a candle.

To get the maximum benefits of mediation, it is recommended for ten to twenty minutes twice a day. I’m good with just ten minute increments for now. Once in the morning after waking up and once in the evening before bed.

Where and how do you meditate?

A special thank you to Tide Hill Home for the lovely Nantucket throw blanket. I will be featuring this beautiful blanket in my bedroom refresh post soon.