“The key to creating a home meditation practice is to create a space where the busyness stops.“ ~Thich Nhat Hanh
Creating a dedicated meditation space at home helps bring peaceful energy to your practice and creates an environment that supports your meditation habit. By creating a meditation space in your home, you're not just carving out a quiet corner, you're investing in your wellbeing and nurturing a practice that can bring mindfulness and calm to your life. This sacred space serves as a physical reminder of the importance of self-care and introspection, fostering your commitment to the practice of meditation.
A meditation space supports cultivating a daily habit
“The Habit Loop,” described in James Clear’s Atomic Habits allows individuals to effectively build new habits or break old ones by adjusting cues, cravings, responses or rewards. The aspect of creating a new habit by putting cues in your environment is referred to as "cue-based habit formation." The cue is the trigger that initiates the habit. Just like leaving your running shoes and workout clothes next to the bed can motivate you to work out first thing in the morning, creating a meditation space in your house can help you cultivate a meditation habit.
The habit loop, consists of four components:
Cue - This involves strategically placing visual or sensory cues in your environment to prompt the desired behavior. You see and are reminded that your meditation cushion is ready and available.
Craving - Once the cue is detected, it leads to motivation to act on the habit. You are reminded of your desire to meditate and why this goal is important to you.
Response - Performing the actual behavior or action of the habit itself (whether positive or negative). You sit down to take a few deep breaths or meditate.
Reward - After completing the behavior, there is a reward or outcome that satisfies you, which reinforces the habit loop and increases the likelihood of repeating the behavior in the future. You feel calm and rejuvenated after meditating.
A meditation space supports positive energy flow
In terms of energy and vibration, creating a dedicated meditation space can profoundly increase positive energy flow. When you consistently meditate in this space, you contribute to and draw from this positive energy flow or “vibration.” Over time, this can create a harmonious and conducive environment for deepening your practice. Regularly meditating in your dedicated space can act as a form of energetic cleansing. As you engage in mindfulness practices, you release negative energy and tension from your body and mind. This creates a purifying effect not only on yourself but also on the surrounding space, elevating its vibrational frequency. Overtime, you will find the mediation space helps you to escape stress and release tension from the day quickly. As you facilitate a deeper connection with universal energy or higher consciousness during a meditation practice, your own energy you may experience a heightened sense of awareness and presence just by entering the space.
“One of the most important ways you can transform your home space is to make a place to sit. Creating a peaceful sitting area can transform the atmosphere of your whole house. This is an important way to support your meditation practice. If we sit in the same place each day, takes less and less timeto remember to stop and return to our breath. Here in this place, our bodies and minds an help each other relax. Ideally, this place will be one set aside just for sitting and consious breathing, not the same armchair you use for reading, or the couch where you sit with friends or family members.” ~Thich Nhat Hanh
How to set up your home meditation space
Keep it simple. Your meditation space doesn’t need to require a lot of space or cost a fortune. You don't need fancy equipment. Get started by chosing a quiet space in your home. It doesn’t need to be an entire room, it can just be a quiet corner where you won't be disturbed. It could be in your bedroom, living room or even your office.
Consider your desired props. You don't need fancy equipment, even just a yoga mat or some cushions will do. It’s best to meditate seated with a straight spine. You can do this by sitting on a yoga mat on the floor, perhaps propped up by some blankets, cushions or pillows. If this is not comfortable for you, consider setting up next to a wall, where you can support your spine. Additionally, you can choose a chair that allows you to sit up straight with firm back support (for example, a dining table chair).
Clear the clutter. Tidy up the area. Clear out any unnecessary clutter lying around. A clean space helps clear the mind.
Personalize the space. Feel free to add a plant or any calming decor that makes the area feel more inviting for you. You want this space to evoke tranquility and feel inviting, so add whatever makes it feel like your own little sanctuary.
Make it sacred. Make sure you only use the space for meditation and mindfulness activities, such as journaling or reading a mindfulness book. Avoid doing any unrelated activities in the space, such as eating/drinking, using your phone or working.
Get practicing. Try to spend a few minutes in your meditation space every day. It doesn't have to be a long, just take a few breaths. Start associating this space with the sensation of peace.
In essence, your meditation space serves as a sanctuary where the energies of intention, personalization and commitment to practice support and enhance your meditation practice. By attuning yourself to the energy and vibration of this space and using the space as a cue to reinforce your meditation habit, you will deepen greater sense of peace, clarity and spiritual connection. Remember, this is your space to relax and unwind. Keep it simple, make it personal and sacred, and most importantly, keep coming back to it.
📚 Recommended Reading: Making Space by Thich Nhat Hanh
If you're seeking to cultivate mindfulness and inner peace in your life, I love the short and sweet book, "Making Space" by Thich Nhat Hanh. This book offers profound insights and practical techniques for creating space in both our external environment and internal landscape for meditation and spiritual growth. Thich Nhat Hanh’s teachings inspire us to let go of clutter – both physical and mental – and to cultivate a sense of spaciousness that allows for greater clarity, joy and presence in our daily lives.
Learn more with Evoka | Sayulita Yoga School
If you are looking to commit to a meditation and mindfulness lifestyle, whether you want to teach yoga and mindfulness or just learn more about yoga’s transformational philosophy and techniques for practice, Evoka | Sayulita Yoga School’s 200-hour yoga teacher training offers you the life-changing immersion experience to enhance your spiritual growth. Join us in our upcoming Yoga Teacher Training in Sayulita, Mexico!