Benefits of Creating a Special Spot for Meditating...
Do yourself a favor - if you are setting up a meditation practice, set up a specific spot just for that.
If you do that and go there regularly with the purpose of meditating, you'll find that over time, when you enter that space, your mind will automatically turn to the meditation.
Personally, we have set up a separate meditation studio. It's not necessary to have a separate building but try to find a spot that you can designate for meditation and not be disturbed.
Our Meditation Studio from the Outside
Just as our home is built in a secluded spot in the forest, which can only be reached by a walking trail (no vehicles can drive down our path) our meditation studio is separate from our house, away from all the distractions of a house-holders life.
Walking Trail to House
With this set up, when I return home from the work-a-day world or business in the city, I park my car in the garage and have a beautiful walk to the house, breathing in the fresh air and letting go of the cares of the world.
The same goes when I go to meditate, I leave the busy-ness of the household behind and walk outside over the courtyard to the meditation studio. There is even an entrance to go through separating the outside world and the inner meditation room.
Entrance Area Before Entering Meditation Room
In that entrance I pause, seeing the powerful images of men in robes (a reminder that this is a spot for meditation), I collect myself before entering into the actual meditation room.
Sitting Area in Meditation Studio
Inside there is a shrine with photos of my Dhamma teachers sitting in meditation, a pagoda statue and a Buddha statue, all there to remind me of what I'm here to do.
This practice of setting up special spots for certain purposes works with other things too, like writing - having a place set up with everything you need that is just for writing or sleeping (usually your bedroom) that is there just for you to sleep in.
I hope you give this a try and see if it improves your meditation practice.
If you do have a meditation practice or want to start one or perhaps trying to live a mindful life, I want to invite you to the new Mindful Life - a mediators meeting point in discord. Come join like-minded people.
Discord 🧘About
Images are all mine except the first one was from Pixabay.
Oh this is just wonderful. My partner and I were just discussing setting up a meditation room when we get our home together.
You are very right though, it is very important to set up a space specifically for meditation if you have the means. The brain compartmentalizes things, and as you state, matches it’s environment to its behavior.
Great post! Beautiful meditation room♥️🙏
Wonderful that you are thinking in these lines to have a meditation room.
Like your explanation of why this works!
You've been visited by @thistle-rock from Homesteaders Co-op.
Such a fabulous space! I always say I am going to create a space specifically for this to ensure I practice mindful meditation, but I have yet to do it... I will work on it as the thought already brings quiet calm to the mind.
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More meditation posts, reminding me that I really need to try and find some time to do this.
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@minismallholding welcome to #mindfulmonday .. we will keep reminding you!!
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Thank you river! 😆
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There's a lot to be said for the energy that comes off a place that's been regularly used for meditation. For me, it's easier to 'drop in' this way. That can be where ever I roll out my yoga mat! But definitely some of my most powerful sits have been in places where people meditate all the time. I guess it's the habits you set or the brain being more wired to tune in in places that signify this kind of practice. My friends who are LONG time meditators agree... sometimes a place is powerful, without knowing quite why. She used to meditate in the Burmese jungle with a monk friend and would LOVE to be a jungle monk. I think its also good when you are starting off too... you need a place away from distractions. I can definitely meditate anywhere, but love a dedicated spot in my home too, especially with a husband who likes to talk incessantly lol. If the door is shut he KNOWS to keep away lol. You are so lucky to have this spot. @nateonsteemit... have you got a little spot you can do this? (Not on loo🤣🤣)
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🤣 Oh @riverflows your last comment made me smile!
Wonderful you can meditate just about anywhere - just pull out your handy yoga mat.
My husband tells stories his friend who had been a jungle monk related to him and it sounded fantastic - you are very in tune with nature and very reliant on skills for surviving there for you have very little with you.
I love that idea. As long as it's warm and you have a mozzie net!
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I think that having a designated space for meditation or doing anything like crafting and writing is a great idea. In my experience, I used to meditate in the living room where everyone barges in and speculate exactly what am I doing. and, basically, disturbing me.
I have not yet reached a point in my life where I feel that I am truly enlightened but, I just want to do my thing at my own way at my own pace. And this exactly is the perfect solution!
Oh that must have been difficult to have people barging in when you are meditating - I do hope you find a more secluded spot so you can meditate without being disturbed.
Well, I get very upset especially when they start touching me- asking me what's wrong. am I dying? am I in pain?hahahahaha
Oh my goodness! Does sound like you need a place where you can be left alone to meditate if they are actually touching you and asking what is wrong!
Love this idea (I already do this for the bedroom) and love how you have structured yours, particularly the entry way.
I just doing meditation for sometimes in the morning, only on my room.
Great to see private room for meditation or small space in green place
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In Thailand there are meditation spots everywhere... and many, many homes have them. That said, they are a middle & upper class luxury. The longer I meditate, the LESS I want my own spot.... and prefer to simply BE wherever I am, and mostly now that is outside, in nature. After a decade or more of having a meditation spot, altar and a special meditation room, I have dismantled it all. In Thailand the "real" & (often considered strong) monks are itinerant jungle monks and are not connected to any place.
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Thanks for sharing about other parts of the world! That's excellent that you feel strong enough to not have a need for a particular spot for meditating. I still find it beneficial to have a dedicated spot for meditating for I find it easier to turn my mind to meditating and I also find it makes for stronger sittings when I have no distractions.
Yes, I have heard of the jungle monks and my husband has a friend who was a jungle monk for awhile and he often thinks of returning to that life but he is getting older now and would find it quite difficult.
Definitely an upvote. Well done, meditation is the secret to a peaceful mind. I went to India to learn about it and meet some good teachers.
Ah! Very interesting that you went to India to learn about it. My husband too had gone to India to learn about it and he tells of the different teachers he came across then he went to Burma to study there.
What type of meditation did you learn?
Did you catch that bit about the new Mindful Life - a mediators meeting point in discord.
I mentioned it at the end of my post?
It's just starting up but there is some good exchanges going on even organizing meditation sessions to have together.
Discord About
Thanks for the link again, I will check out the Discord group. I trained with the Bhakti yoga school of thought, called Vaishnavism in India. The meditation involves japa - the practice of reciting a mantra repeatedly on a string of 108 beads, for two hours a day. It used to be done 8 hours a day in past generations but was diminished to accommodate us inexperienced westerners.
Interesting! It does seem that this generation would have a difficult time with devoting 8 hours of their day to meditation.
Hope to see you in the Mindful Life Community!
Many thanks.
What a beautiful meditation space and yes images are great.
:) lovely post 🙏