Choosing where you are going to meditate is important. It should be a quiet place where you can have all the time you require for your practice undisturbed. It is as individual as your personality so make it your own. It should be set apart from the other areas in your home and used only for meditation or yoga. If you are an outdoors person, maybe you have a favorite spot to sit and that is ok too. The spot you choose should be yours and if you share it with others, make sure they treat it with respect.
If you have a spare room to dedicate to meditation and yoga, you are one of the lucky ones. Not many people have this luxury but if you are, this would be your space. If not, choose a corner in your home dedicated to your practice. You do not need much space, just enough to call your own.
Why all this attention to your space. Your meditation space is a sacred space for you to have time to clear your mind, relieve your stress and anxiety, find your center, pray, chant or what ever your meditation is for that day. The more inviting it is for you, the easier it will be for you to not only return to this place more frequently, but it will be easier to meditate because that is what you do in this place.
Prepare yourself a alter. Whatever you wish can be placed here. Anything from candles, flowers, and special keep sakes to religious artifacts, things that are special to you and comforting should be placed here. It is a focal point before you close your eyes, another source of calm before your practice. The point for this is that it should never be used for anything else. Not for your coffee or e-mails or gaming. This is your dedicated area for meditation.
Bring in the outdoors if you like. Plants, trees if you have room and lots of outside light can be very inviting. Have a small fountain for the sound effects. Play sounds of birds or wind to complete the effect. If this is not possible, find a place outside and set up the alter in this place. Nature can be very meditative. Just listen sometime.
Make sure you have a comfortable place to sit, a cushion or pillow works well. Sitting meditation is done sitting with the back straight and not supported. If this is not possible, you can have a chair or even lay down in meditation. If using a chair, make sure it is one that is comfortable but not one you will easily fall out of. If laying down, you can have pillows under the back of knees but beware! It is easy to fall asleep! There is no wrong way to meditate. Try all the possible positions and see what works best for you and stick with it.
Wherever your space ends up being, make it comfortable, peaceful, and sacred to you. This is your place to come for peace and tranquility. Keep it sacred and clean and never use this space for anything else except for meditation. This way meditation will come easier to you.
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