Meditation

Simple Meditation Room Ideas to Take Your Practice to The Next Level

By Jade Doherty | Posted on : December 28, 2020

So you need meditation room ideas? We’ve got you! Everything you need to know about creating a meditation space for yourself.

Space matters, doesn't it?

When you walk into a beautiful, calm, and thoughtfully-planned space, you just relax.

Perhaps you have this feeling walking into your favorite yoga studio, or temple, or church. Something in you just relaxes when you enter this space.

It's always a great idea to carve out a meditation space just for you. A space that is different from the rest of the house, a space that is specifically for meditation and sadhana (spiritual practice). Even more so with how much time so many people are spending at home, unable to access their usual go-to spaces.

So, what are the benefits of a dedicated meditation space, and how can you create a meditation space that works for you and your home?

Let’s get into it!

Why does your meditation space matter?

It might seem a bit superficial to say that the space in which you meditate matters.

But, creating a space that feels calming, clear, and inviting can really help to enhance your meditation and yoga practice.

Throughout time humans have always carved out spaces that were special and sacred, from holy temples to sacred trees, it has been important to us humans to have a space that is apart from the normal day-to-day activities, and is reserved for sacred practices.

You are no different.

By creating a special space in your home, you too can carve out a space for yourself that is different from the rest of the house and activities and is just for your meditation and yoga.

First, the aesthetics matter.

I'm sure you feel better in a tidy, clean, and organized room than you do in one that is messy and cluttered. Making a space or even dedicating a room to your spiritual practices that is bright, clean, and inviting can encourage you to do your practices. This room or space becomes your refuge, your safe haven.

Second, having a space that is specifically for your practices - not for work, not for emails, not for chilling out - signals to you that when you're in this space, you are there for spiritual practice, and can leave the rest of the world behind.

In exactly the same way as having a dedicated and comfortable workspace can really help you focus on work, having a dedicated and comfortable meditation space can really help you focus on your meditation practice.

It's not superficial to want a nice, dedicated space for your meditation and yoga.

In fact, it makes sense!

How to create your space

Your dedicated space doesn't have to be big, and it doesn't need to be fancy. It just needs to be specific and intentional.

If all you have is a corner in the bedroom, that's perfect. If you have a spare room that can be turned into a meditation room, that's also perfect.

We can work with any size space, and it doesn't need to be expensive or glamorous as long as the space is clean, quiet and well-ventilated.

So, what are some features of a comfortable and dedicated meditation space?

An altar

When most people think of a sacred space, I'll bet their mind jumps to an "altar" pretty quickly! An altar is an amazing focal point for your meditation area and is a great place to start when creating your perfect meditation space.

An altar can be a small table, upon which you place items that are sacred and important to you, and even evoke a feeling of love and devotion. I travel a lot, so am often creating new altars, and have used everything from small tables to stools, well-placed shelves, and even an unused bunk-bed as the foundation of my altar! I like to put a scarf or shawl on the table too.

Your altar is a space for what is deeply important and sacred to you. This will be different for everyone. If you’re religiously inclined, you could include statues or photos of deities, or perhaps a cross, or any other symbol that speaks to your faith, perhaps an Om symbol or the Yin and Yang symbol, for example. If there are spiritual teachers you admire and look up to, you could also add their photo to your altar. You can include flowers, crystals, candles, incense, photos of loved ones, and anything else that invokes the sacred for you. Though during meditation, you are going to sit with eyes closed and want to withdraw your senses and attention from the outer world, having a dedicated space helps to create inner space for your practice. If you are a beginner, these things will definitely help you to create your routine and enthusiasm for your practice.

Your altar is a home for the sacred, so anything that evokes that is perfect for your altar. If you’d like to dive deeper into altars, check out Vastu Creations, Michael Mastro - the creator of the site - has written a book called Altars of Power and Grace which you might like to read.

On my altar, I have photos of my guru, statues of my favorite deities, candles, and some important books to my practice, all of which serve as a powerful and relaxing focal point to my practice, and help me to calm my mind and focus on my practice.

A space to sit

As you'll be sitting while you meditate, a nice space to sit as well as something to sit on is important for your meditation space or room.

A meditation cushion if that's comfortable to you, or a chair if sitting on the floor hurts your back is perfect. Most people find it very difficult and even painful to sit on the floor for long periods of time, so a meditation cushion, chair, or even a rolled-up towel can help to keep your spine straight and keep you comfortable.

You might like to place a nice rug in this sitting space too, or a yoga mat. It's totally up to you.

I have a meditation cushion, and it makes such a difference! Without it - if I'm sitting on the floor - I feel very distracted and my back can hurt. With it, I feel comfortable and able to sit for my practice.

Creating the ambiance

OK, so you've created an altar, and you've got something to sit on. How do you turn this space from any other in your house, to a special, sacred space?

Smells can be a great way to set the mood, whether you prefer incense, a candle, or essential oils. You might even like to choose the smell according to the type of practice, if you're practicing just before bed then relaxing smells can help, and if it's an energizing morning practice then going for something bright and enlivening can help to set the mood. Ultimately meditation is an inward journey! Therefore the smell or fragrance is not mandatory to have. You can experiment and see if that helps you to meditate, you may use it.

You don't need too much by way of room decor, just things that are important and feel sacred to you.

Noise is something else to look out for and even play with. If you can, choosing a quiet space would be ideal. It can be very distracting if you're doing your meditation practice, and right next door the kids are running around! If you can, choosing a quiet spot in the house is a good idea.

You can also use music to create a meditative, sacred ambiance. There are many beautiful songs and music that can all help to evoke a calm, and focussed atmosphere, from bhajans to nature noises.

Maintaining your space

So, you've created your space, you've set up your altar, lit your candle, and got your meditation cushion ready.

How do you maintain it?

This part can actually take more work than you might expect! The setup seems like the hard part, but keeping it that way can require effort too!

Firstly, keep the space clean and clear. If you have flowers on your altar, change them regularly, for example.

Also, make sure only sacred things are allowed into this space. Your altar does not double up as a place to put your coffee! Unless coffee is sacred to you! ;P

As much as possible, keep this space private and just for you. Of course, that can be a challenge, but keep it as a separate space. Let this be a specific space for meditation or yoga, not watching TV or checking emails. And if you do allow other people into this space, encourage them to treat it with respect.

Getting started

It really doesn't have to be fancy or expensive. A meditation corner in your bedroom, with a small altar and meditation cushion, is enough to create a zen space for meditation and yoga.

The goal is to create a space that is special to you, and signals to you that you've entered into a meditative state, and are ready for your daily meditation practice.

Most of all, enjoy creating this space! It's a gift to yourself to create this space, just for you and your practice. A space that is calm, zen, and helps you focus and relax. It might change over time, you might find you have too many deities on your altar and it feels overwhelming, or you might find the altar and meditation room grow and expand as your practices do.

Whether you have a small space or an entire room, have fun making this special space just for you, and enjoy your practices.

Next steps

Now that you've got your space set up, what are you going to practice?

If you already have a daily meditation practice that is working for you, that's great!

If you don't have one or are looking to expand your practice, I'm thrilled to invite you to join Beyond Breath, our free introduction class to SKY Breath Meditation.

Beyond Breath is an online workshop where an instructor will guide you through breathwork practices, and introduce you to the power and benefits of breath-based meditation.

Breath-based meditation is great for so many reasons. For starters, it's often easier for people who struggle to meditate. By breathing in specific patterns you can calm and focus the mind, meaning it wanders less. SKY Breath Meditation has also been shown to have a variety of benefits, from reducing stress and anxiety to boosting the immune system, to improving sleep.

You can sign up below to have your first experience, and start creating a daily meditation practice that is as beautiful and powerful as your new meditation room.