Creating Your Meditation Space
Search for Truth and Meaning
Your meditation space is sacred, where you keep items that represent your spiritual quest. It may contain any new or old items that resonate with you. That might include a book you are reading and mandalas that you create. CARE and ATTENTION should be used in creating this space. It’s a temple where you focus your positive intentions. One of the best ways to activate meditation is to sit and focus on this sacred space and to remember the words and thoughts of LOVE, GOODNESS and PEACE.
Often people visiting our Healing Center come from busy work and home environments. Some drive once a week to help out in this spiritual community. When they enter the front door, they are welcomed by smells of burning incense and clean balanced air, a sacred statue of Kwan Yin and symbols, altars, feng shui items, and harmonic tones. All of which are reminders that they are entering a special place – a place devoted to the practice of meditation, healing, wisdom and balance. They often comment about feeling their breath deepening and theyir minds slowing to a balanced rejuvenating pace. Many of our students strive to find that in their own physical environment and surrounding themselves with those qualities is so important that they begin their own journey to create a sacred space at home or at their office.
Here are 7 steps to help start creating your own sacred space
1. Choose comfortable clothing. Use a set of clothing which is simple, comfortable and only used for meditation (if possible). Use a meditation scarf and mala beads when meditating.
2. Because the body temperature and blood pressure tend to drop during meditation, you may get chillier than usual. Be sure to have a clean and comfortable blanket nearby.
3. Keep your meditation area away from your workspace. If you work from home, keep your desk devoted to personal business out of sight when meditating. Remember to shut off your phone.
4. Find a spot in your home that is good for meditation. Tune into the area and make sure your feel good meditating in this area. The more often you sit there, the more you infuse your sacred area with your meditation energy. Find a quiet space away from high traffic areas.
5. Fresh air, sun light and clean surroundings are important. Avoid basements and windowless closets. These tend to lower your energy level.
6. Be close to nature. If you don’t have a tree or garden outside the window, you may want to have a plant or vase full of flowers, and a few river stones nearby. Natural objects radiate a special energy which helps us feel more whole and balanced.
7. Although an altar is not essential to meditate, it can be a creative and evolving expression of your inner life and I strongly encourage them. Candles, flowers, incense, natural objects, statues of inspirational figures, pictures of your teacher(s) and sacred text, can all be part of your meditation space.
It is important that you create a space that is conducive to meditation, and use of meditation tools.
First, tune into the energy of your surroundings. Things that can interfere with that flow are screens and monitors. They interrupt the thought process, high traffic areas like a living room that the whole family uses, or a room that is physically unappealing (a musty basement, or stifling attic). If you must use a room with a TV, always turn it off when you are conducting all sacred work and cover it with a sacred cloth to lessen the negative influences.
Does this space have a good natural source of light? Can you use candles and incense in this space without disturbing anyone else nearby? Fresh air is good for meditation. Comfortable clothes and simple surroundings are perfect for your sacred space.
Once you have made this selection it is important you consecrate the space. You should perform a ritual cleaning. The walls must be washed, the windows cleaned. When sweeping do it in a circular motion to bring the dirt and dust to the middle of the room. The sweepings should be gathered and cast outside as apart of the ritual. Remember to transform all energy to positive energy.
Creating Your Own Sacred Space
When you moved into your house or your apartment, you probably didn’t designate a special room for your own peace and tranquility, so it’s time to fix that. Of course you can add an extra room for that purpose, or create a sacred space in one of your existing rooms now.
Sacred Meditation Space Size
Since most rooms have four corners, I recommend a corner. The space should be wide enough for a 2’ x 3’ table top to fit into (in case you want to seal it off with plants on each side) but you can even get by with less space than that. Under a window is always nice to allow the natural sunlight to come in which is especially nice for early morning devotions. The table should be low enough so when you kneel you are at a comfortable eye level for reading and focusing on the objects on the table. A soft pillow for kneeling should be placed in front but able to slide under the table when not in use.
Items for your altar
When setting up the top of your altar, keep in mind that each item should have a purpose or symbolize something that is close to your heart. Candles are needed to shed natural light as well as enhance the mood for meditation and/or prayer. A picture or a statue that is special to you, some form of plant or flower, to symbolize nature, a tabletop water fountain is nice to add the tranquil sound of moving water, and you may be into gemstones and crystals due to the healing vibration they release. Burning incense is always good for the senses. All of these things help to create a feeling of peace and tranquility. Once you have reached that state of mind, you are ready to pray, meditate or just enjoy this sacred space you have created for your own peace.
