YOU’RE STARTING TO MEDITATE AND WANT TO KNOW HOW TO CREATE YOUR MEDITATION SPACE. Mindfully setting up your space increases your success. Check out my integrative and holistic approach that also naturally boosts your health.

These 9 essential tips help you create a supportive space that enhances inner calm, improves concentration and boosts your nature connection. They also make your inner journey more enjoyable and health enhancing.

1. Find a good location.  Select a safe, comfortable place where you can control disturbances and feel secure. When you meditate, you can feel vulnerable. To help yourself to go deeply into a meditative state, it’s important to feel safe. It’s ideal to have a room with a door you can shut, or even lock, and hang a ‘do not disturb’ door tag. If not possible (and trust me, I understand if there’s not enough space), try a screen divider or furniture to partition off a room section.

2. Choose good lighting sources. Light affects mood and energy level and is a natural self-regulator. Natural light exposure regulates your biorhythms affecting everything from sleep to hunger, even your metabolism. Use lighting to balance your nervous system. A dimmer switch or multiple light sources (I recommend full spectrum light bulbs) let you brighten a room when you’re tired or dim lights to soothe and relax. Lighting is critical, especially if you’re prone to sleepiness when you meditate as discussed in my blog post here. Use lighting in your meditation space to support a calm and wakeful state of mind. We’re practicing the skill of being mentally alert and physically relaxed (without excess tension).

3. Create a comfortable seat.  For tips on how to sit comfortably for meditation, go here. A comfortable seat is critical, so you’re not distracted by your discomfort. If you cannot dedicate a permanent space for your ‘seat’, create storage for your cushions, bench, blankets and other props that support you when you sit. A dedicated shelf, basket or deep drawer nearby all work.

4. Store tools nearby.  Rituals and the tools you use to create rituals strengthen your meditation by ‘priming’ your mind to become ready for practice, as explained here. Remember, meditation is training for your brain. Keep tools like your singing bowl or chimes to start your meditation, timer, shawl and anything else you use easily accessible on a shelf or in a nearby basket, box or drawer. You can even decorate your storage spot in a way that makes you smile each time your reach for your props.

5. Use scents for atmosphere.  Scent is another powerful way to prime your brain. Aromas stimulate our primal brain to directly connect with memories. Explore what scents agree with you and use the power of fragrance to balance your nervous system and to prepare your mind and body for meditation. I have allergies and asthma, so not all scented products agree with me. I use an aromatic diffuser for pure essential oils and naturally scented soy candles. Scent, like lighting, can balance your nervous system and boost your health. Invigorating scents like rosemary can lift energy if you’re feeling tired or soothing scents like lavender can instill calm if you’re feeling restless. All these tools bring balance to your nervous system, so you can easily access a state of relaxed alertness.

6. Tidy for a clean, clutter free space.  I’m a follower of the Konmari method and worked with a professional consultant to organize my home. I love it! A clean, uncluttered meditation space mirrors a clean, uncluttered mind. Surround yourself with items that “spark joy”. This discipline to maintain your space supports the quality of your practice and depth of your commitment. Tidy mindfully and renew your commitment to meditate each time you practice. Use ‘beginner’s mind’ to experience each session as the first time.

7. Add personal items with meaning.  If you’re practicing compassion or gratitude meditations, it’s helpful to have photos or items close that remind you of people, animals or places that fill you with love and appreciation. If you have spiritual mentors or items that symbolize important values, you may want photos and other symbolic items in your space. I have a meditating kokeshi ningyo doll that I love and always brings me joy. It reminds me of my Japanese heritage and of my mother’s love, support and influence.

8. Incorporate nature.  In a Japanese tea room (I studied tea ceremony growing up), there is a tokonoma, an alcove where a scroll is hung and a flower arrangement is placed. During every tea ceremony, you pause to gaze at the scroll and flowers and deeply feel and appreciate nature’s beauty and the wisdom of nature’s many teachings for us. It’s an opportunity to re-awaken your connection with nature and oneness. Similarly, you may decorate your space with symbols from nature that you cherish. I have a pussy willow branch, a beautiful stone that spoke to my heart and a little frog statue that makes me smile. Choose whatever nature symbols warm your heart with meaning and remind you of the depth of your connection with nature and how you and the natural world support each other through this miraculous experience of living.

9. Manage your sound environment.  Depending on where your meditation space is, you may want to have something to mask distracting sounds. For example, you may benefit from a speaker for background music or even a white noise machine. If you have an air purifier or humidifier (good for controlling viruses), you can also turn these up to high to create background sounds. As you become more experienced with meditation, sounds will distract you less; you can incorporate them into your experience and learn from your emotional reactions. For example, here’s a 2-minute sound meditation. When starting your meditation practice, however, it’s helpful to create a setting that is as comfortable and controllable as possible.

The following video, offers you 10 additional tips to successfully start your meditation practice.

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