A well-placed, meditation space can help offset the stresses of everyday life.
A person’s home should be a refuge from the stresses of the outside world, but too often it’s reduced to a messy, stressful space where both the bills and the chores seem endless. Instead of letting the frenzy take over, cut through the chaos and carve out a special space dedicated to meditation and encouraging positive energy.
Benefits of meditation practice
Some people see meditation as a bunch of New Age hooey, but those who’ve experienced the benefits of this time-honored practice believe otherwise. Meditation can help you cope with stress, as it promotes peace, calmness and relaxation. Meditation actually offers tangible results, like better sleep quality, reduced resting blood pressure and heart rate, and fewer negative feelings.
Meditation can even help to alleviate symptoms in people who deal with health issues like chronic pain, depression, anxiety, irritable bowel syndrome and cancer. Best of all, it’s an easy and affordable energy cleanser and a great way to seek much-needed spiritual relaxation!
First, it’s important to have at least a basic working knowledge of how to meditate.
How to meditate and generate positive energy
There are a number of ways to meditate, including yoga, tai chi, guided meditation and mindfulness meditation. However, many people start simply, often using an app or podcast to show them the way. One simple way to meditate is by following these expert guidelines:
Sit down
The best place to meditate is somewhere that’s nice and quiet. Depending on how chaotic your home gets (rowdy neighbors, barking dogs and crying children have a way of disrupting meditation), noise-canceling headphones could be helpful.
Where and how you sit doesn’t really matter. It’s perfectly fine to sit in a chair, cross-legged on the floor or wherever, as long as you can do it for the duration of the meditation.
Commit to a certain time
Meditation is not meant to be a time-consuming experience. Even just a few minutes per day are effective at re-centering oneself. People new to meditation might want to start off at five minutes to see how it goes, then work up from there, if needed.
Listen to your breathing
Once you’re in position, close your eyes (or leave them open, whatever works best for you) and concentrate on how your breath feels as you inhale and exhale. Focus on this as much as possible, without making it stressful.
If your mind starts to go to other places, redirect and refocus on the breath in the present moment. Don’t be hard on yourself when this happens, it’s human nature. Simply reconfigure.
Come out of it slowly
Don’t just pop right up to standing when the session is over. When you feel calm and complete, lessen your focus on breathing and reorient yourself to the sounds, sights and smells around you. Consider the state of your overall body and mind. Remain sitting until you’re ready to transition back to normal life.
How to create a meditation space in an apartment
Now that you know what’s involved, it’s time to learn how to create a meditation space that will help you effectively combat negative energy, find peace and improve mental health.
1. Find an area to set up shop
Meditation only requires a small space to get the job done. Walk through your apartment and find a spot that is quiet and out of the way. This could be in the corner of a bedroom or in an office/craft space. Unless you live alone, the beating heart of the unit (aka the living room) is not the best choice.
A dedicated room is ideal for serious meditation practice, but not everyone has the square footage to pull that off, especially in small apartments. Some people even use small spaces like a closet or bathroom! Of course, people who plan to practice a type of more physical meditation, like tai chi or yoga, might need more room than those who are sitting still the whole time.
It’s also not necessary to commit to one meditation area. If you discover that you need more space after a session or two, simply reevaluate and relocate!
2. Find a nice view
People who like to meditate eyes open are often encouraged to face a window to take in the nature and happenings of the outside world. If that’s not possible, sit facing something else that calms you and brings joy, like a piece of art or a couple of plants. Even people who meditate with their eyes closed might want to be near an open window, as natural light, fresh air and a gentle breeze can help with the relaxation process. Natural elements are known to have a very calming effect on most people. No matter where you end up, try to make sure that the space is limited to neutral colors, to encourage feeling calm.
3. Clear out clutter
Dedicate yourself to keeping clutter-free the meditation room or space, even if the rest of the apartment is a mess! An effective meditative space must be minimalist in nature, outfitted with only the bare essentials to help you feel zen. Clutter causes stress, and that’s the exact opposite thing that you want out of a meditation space.
4. Ask others to help
Meditation is a solo experience, but it can take a team effort to pull it off. If you live with other people, let them know that you’re about to meditate and for how long. This will limit any unwelcome interruptions.
Gather some meditation tools
When creating a meditation room or space, the idea is to build a pleasing, comfortable area free of clutter and the stresses of daily life. Accomplish this by incorporating some or all of the following into the sacred space.
5. Light a scented candle
Scented candles (make sure they are thoroughly extinguished at the end) in calming scents can have a tremendous effect on medication quality. Lavender, sandalwood and lemongrass scents are go-to meditation scents, but make sure to choose one that works for you.
Incidentally, candlelight is also helpful for people who meditate with their eyes open, as the flickering has a relaxing effect.
6. Use essential oils
Along the same lines, essential oils are often used for aromatherapy purposes because they are believed to have healing and relaxing capabilities. To use this centuries-old tool, apply it sparingly and directly to the body (make sure it’s approved for skin use). One drop to the middle of the forehead, or a drop in your hand (then rub both hands together) is plenty. Or put a few drops in a diffuser and let it permeate the air in your mediative space.
7. Cushion yourself
For people who want to meditate while sitting on the floor, a meditation cushion is a great idea to keep the experience comfy. It doesn’t have to be a specific meditation pillow — a throw pillow will do in a pinch. Just choose one that’s covered in soothing, soft textures and is easy to sit on.
8. Improve the energy with crystals
A lot of people turn to energy tools to help the meditative space achieve its fullest potential. Healing crystals, either placed in your hand or around you while meditating, are said to encourage positive energy. Black tourmaline, in particular, is believed to absorb negative energy and encourage inner peace in a given space. Clear quartz is also thought to clear out the mind and promote inner calm.
9. Pick up a Tibetan singing bowl
Tibetan singing bowls are another common tool used in meditation. These small metal bowls are believed to improve the space’s energy and encourage total relaxation with their pleasing tones. Mallets are used to strike the bowls, which then release a ringing sound.
Don’t have a Tibetan singing bowl? Check Spotify or another music streamer for recorded versions.
10. Play meditation music
Along the same lines, explore different types of soothing music to see what helps you achieve the best meditation possible. Some people like quiet classical music, while others opt for Gregorian chants. There are even plenty of meditation-specific playlists out there to choose from. Some even say that such tunes are good at removing toxins! Try out a few and discover which types of music help you reach that zen state to the fullest.
11. Turn to technology, with limits
Too much technology is detrimental to the meditation space, but one can’t argue with the many options that meditation-focused podcasts and apps present. Many such podcasts are available to access for free via streaming services, and usually, the apps come with a nominal fee.
That said, any other type of tech used during meditation is detrimental to the experience. The meditation space should be cleared out of any televisions, tablets or other tech items. If using a phone for music or podcast purposes, make sure notifications are silenced, so that texts or email dings don’t yank you out of the zone prematurely!
A meditative space can calm any mind and fit in any apartment
No matter the size of your apartment, all you really need for a meditative space is a comfortable spot where it’s easy to hang out and relax to reduce day-to-day stress. A small amount of effort is equal to a huge payback when meditation is involved.
Source: rent.com