Finding a Meditation Space
As an experience meditator it really doesn't matter where you meditate .. it could be a busy railway station or while enjoying a massage .. but as a beginner it can help to set up the best possible environment right from the start. In this way we honor and support our intention to meditate, and we make the transition to practice as easy and as enjoyable as possible.
All we really need is a space that is quiet, soothing and comfortable; away from unexpected noises and interruptions. Somewhere that allows us to withdraw from daily life (no phone, no visitors, no distractions), that is welcoming and restful, can be invaluable for continuing with our meditation practice.
Take a look around your home with 'meditation eyes' .. is there is a space that holds a special energy, somewhere you might naturally be drawn to when seeking to retreat and rest? My meditation cushion is my portable meditation space, it sits like a good friend in the corner of my living room waiting for me. It's a comfortable place to rest and I always feel very grounded when I sit, and when I see my cushion in the corner of the room it’s like my friend is beckoning me to join them .. a visual reminder to take a moment, stop and meditate.
Taking the time to select, decorate and prepare a special place for your meditation practice also helps create an aura of sacredness. When we decorate the space with special mementos, pictures or flowers, we mark our time spent there as precious and not to be wasted. In the monastic traditions, keeping this space clean and ordered, is seen as an external representation of the state of mind we aim to cultivate.
When we have a sacred space solely for our meditation practice, we build up an association of our time there with feelings of calmness and refuge. Once experienced, we carry these associations with us wherever we go, even just thinking about our practice can connect us with that deeper sense of ease and calmness.
Then, each time we visit our sacred space it is like sitting with an old friend, imbuing our meditation with a special sense of reverence.
"Happiness is a butterfly, which when pursued is always just beyond your grasp.
But which, if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you"
(Nathaniel Hawthorne)
As an experienced meditator it really doesn't matter where you meditate .. it could be a busy railway station or while enjoying a massage ..
but as a beginner it can help to set up the best possible environment right from the start. In this way we honor and support our intention to meditate, and we make the transition to practice as easy and as enjoyable as possible.
All we really need is a space that is quiet, soothing and comfortable; away from unexpected noises and interruptions. Somewhere that allows us to withdraw from daily life (no phone, no visitors, no distractions), that is welcoming and restful, can be invaluable for continuing with our meditation practice.
Take a look around your home with 'meditation eyes' .. is there is a space that holds a special energy, somewhere you might naturally be drawn to when seeking to retreat and rest? My meditation cushion is my portable meditation space, it sits like a good friend in the corner of my living room waiting for me. It's a comfortable place to rest and I always feel very grounded when I sit, and when I see my cushion in the corner of the room it’s like my friend is beckoning me to join them .. a visual reminder to take a moment, stop and meditate.
Taking the time to select, decorate and prepare a special place for your meditation practice also helps create an aura of sacredness. When we decorate the space with special mementos, pictures or flowers, we mark our time spent there as precious and not to be wasted. In the monastic traditions, keeping this space clean and ordered, is seen as an external representation of the state of mind we aim to cultivate.
When we have a sacred space solely for our meditation practice, we build up an association of our time there with feelings of calmness and refuge. Once experienced, we carry these associations with us wherever we go, even just thinking about our practice can connect us with that deeper sense of ease and calmness.
Then, each time we visit our sacred space it is like sitting with an old friend, imbuing our meditation with a special sense of reverence.
"Happiness is a butterfly, which when pursued is always just beyond your grasp.
But which, if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you"
(Nathaniel Hawthorne)
Sarah Fletcher, Quiet Mind Meditation
Read more of Sarah's articles including;
Mantra: Re-Lax
Meditation exercises
Why meditate?
Meditation at the spa
Meditation what is it?
The benefits of meditation
As an experienced meditator it really doesn't matter where you meditate .. it could be a busy railway station or while enjoying a massage ..
