Creating your Meditation Space: The Why and How
The art of spatial alignment is one that has been practiced for centuries. In Ancient India this science of intentional architecture is called Vastu Shastra. In Ancient China, we know this as Feng Shui. Both have the thread of creating environments that harmonize with the natural elements, incorporate sacred patterns and instill directional alignments.
In our Modern world, scientific studies affirm that cleanliness and organization of our personal environments boasts many benefits including:
Enhancing one’s ability to refine attention
Encouraging the completion of tasks efficiently
Lowering the stress hormone cortisol
Promoting better sleep
When it comes to establishing a consistent meditation practice, creating a sacred space to return to has benefits that run deep. Meditation requires our unabiding attention. The root of attention means ‘to tend to.’ Simply tending to this space is a way of cultivating mindfulness before one sits.
“A lot of people think we are creatures of habit, but we’re not. We are creatures of environment.” - Roger Hamilton
Where we live, our routines, the people and communities we choose to surround ourselves in - these have more impact on our behaviors than willpower and motivation. If we want to make meditation a habit, it helps to create the space and environment that will support it.
4 Reasons Your Sacred Space can Enhance Meditation
It helps establish meditation as part of our routine, a place to return home to again and again
It encourages a clear and attentive mind
It imbues our practice with ritual, meaning and purpose
It is a physical expression of your commitment to your practice and yourself
3 Tips to Creating your Meditation Space
Creating your sacred space and altar can be its own mindfulness and meditation practice. The word altar means ‘high place.’ Consider this a space to cultivate your highest Self. Approach this practice with intention, thought and care.
1. Clear the clutter.
We’ve heard it many times, clear space, clear mind. Objects carry energy. Choose or create a designated space that clear of clutter. Allow your physical surroundings to breathe and notice the lightness in your lungs. One step further: You can even cleanse the space with a smudging ritual. Many ancient traditions burn herbs such as sage, palo santo, and cedar to cleanse the space. It is believed that the smoke sews itself to the negative energy, and as it dissolves, so do the strings of negative energy.
2. Create a comfortable seat.
Establish what will be a supportive meditative seat for you. You can use bolsters, meditation cushions, blankets or some other support under your sits bones. Make sure your body feels supported. This may take a few meditation sits to find the seat the works best for you.
3. Curate your space with items that are meaningful to you and support your focus.
This is truly an individual preference. Some ideas could include symbols of growth, focus, love, and self-awareness. Items might include
Elements of nature: Earth, Water, Fire, Air and Ether. A plant, some soil, perhaps a rock, are all ideas that capture the element of Earth - representative of stability, foundation, and support for practice. Water symbolizes fluidity, acceptance of the dynamic nature of life, living in flow with the forces that surround you. Candles can be a nice way to invoke the fire of discipline and focus. The fire element is symbolic of transformation, bringing light and clarity to situations that invite our deep discernment and renewed understanding. Incense may provoke air, the idea of expansion,widening perspective and imagination. Ether is simply everything that holds your meditation space together.
A written quote or mantra. This can affirmation your practice and redirect your attention when it wanders.
Deities. In many traditions, Gods, Goddesses and deities sit upon the altar imbuing the space with their power. For example, Ganesha is emblematic of removing obstacles on our path. Saraswati is the Hindu Goddess of wisdom and art. Quan Yin is the Buddhist Goddess of compassion.
Sacred Texts. This could be your long-revered journal, a book of poems, spiritual texts or anything you deem as sacred.
Family heirlooms or keepsakes that hold love and meaning.
Objects that represent your teachers, spirit guides, or symbols that direct your growth.
Items that amplify energy.
These are simply a few ideas to cultivate and tend to your space. You space can change, as everything in nature is dynamic. Choose items that make you feel supported and good about practice.