Build a meditation space
After creating a very joyful mala, I realized quickly that I didn’t actually have a place to sit down and use it. We have a very small apartment and two kiddos, so finding room between the rocking horse and the massive collection of toy horses became my next “to do.”
"Meditation is bringing the mind home."
—Sogyal RinpocheAs per my usual approach to these sorts of activities I spent a great deal of time on Pinterest looking for inspiration. There seemed to be a consensus as to the essential elements:
Meditation cushions
plants
artwork
Incense
singing bowl
Location
The location was dictated by the layout of our house. There really isn’t any area that does serve some sort of function, but the best candidate that I could find was the space right beside the backdoor. It had an eye sore of a vent, but the light isn’t bad and the traffic minimal allowing for the tools of mediation to go relatively undisturbed.
Challenge 1:
Essentially I needed to create a disguise for the space as my daughters would immediately become interested if the area seemed different or special in anyway. So I decided to include a bench and tell them it is now a place we can sit and put on our shoes.
Cushions
Initially had some ambitions regarding making my own cushions, but they were quickly crushed when the materials alone were three times the price of the already made cushions. There are a lot of options out there. I found these through Target and they were within my budget and were going to arrive in time for Christmas. They are firm enough to provide support without making you butt go to sleep.
Available at target.com
Plants
I was lucky enough to have a few around the house that were looking for a new home. The biggest concerns being that the spot doesn’t get too much light and my kids love to dig out the soil or test how securely attache the leaves are on all of my house plants. I went with the fiddle leaf fig which according to thespruce.com is “well adapted to indoor temperatures and filtered light and are hardy enough to survive less-than-ideal conditions.”
Artwork
I found a brilliant lithograph by Bruce Lowney tucked away in my mother’s basement. Bruce Stark Lowney (1937-2019) was born in Los Angeles, California. He obtained a BA in Fine Arts and English Literature from North Texas State University in 1959 and a MA in Printmaking and Art History from San Francisco State University in 1966. (rair.com)
Tools of Meditation
The elements that facilitate mediation- beads, incense, singing bowls, are all more likely to be used if they happen to be on hand. I found these lovely little boxes at a local thrift store. The incense if the small cone variety in sandalwood that do not burn for very long and don’t create too big of a mess which I really appreciate.
Challenge 2
It was absolutely necessary that these smaller items be up on a shelf in order to ensure their safety. I found an old wine box that was just the right size for this project an secured it with a couple of screw eyes
** the beautiful little clue singing bowl purchased for the project proved to be too great a temptation to my kids and has been retired to a closet until they are no longer interested in anything that I am doing.
Since creating the space, I find myself also creating the time to meditate. I strongly encourage anyone who is looking to practice more regularly to find a place that is set aside for just that. It is amazing how it can just call to you through out the day and you find that you want to stop and rest in that place.