5 Tips For Creating a Home Meditation Space

This post is made in collaboration with Chase Freedom Unlimited. All thoughts and opinions are strictly my own.

Last month I had the pleasure of leading a short meditation at a local wellness studio here in NYC. It was such a lovely experience and an impactful reminder of the power sitting in stillness has on our well being. Like many things in life, my meditation practice has ebbed and flowed. I’m not one of those people who meditate every single day, although I probably should, and I’m definitely not someone who finds it particularly easy to meditate. 

So why and how do I do it? And more importantly, why should you? 

Let’s use the night of the meditation class as an example of the effect meditation has. I came into the session feeling stressed from the 40 minute commute and the general chaos of the city. My mind was racing on things I needed to do after the class and the many things I was supposed to do prior but just didn’t get to. I was so distracted by my thoughts that I was actually nervous that I wouldn’t be able to lead the meditation.

Thankfully, once I started speaking to the small crowd of women things changed. I closed my eyes. I started to lead them through a few breath counts, which of course I participated in as well. I allowed myself to fully immerse my mind and body into the experience. After just 15 minutes we all opened our eyes and the calm was so noticeable. My stress levels had dissipated and I was no longer thinking of anything except for how much respect and love I had for everyone in the room. I made my way home, unphased by the commute, and had the best night’s sleep. 

This is the power of meditation. The ability to calm the nervous system and focus on the present moment has so many positive benefits, and it only gets better with practice. This is why as part of my healthy home workspace, which I’ve been revealing in parts, I knew I needed an area to not only practice yoga asana but also quietly meditate.

 

There are a few hiccups that got in the way of having my home yoga area and workspace completed in the time that I thought I would. Even though I’ve been using my Chase Freedom Unlimited cash back Credit Card for office supplies (which lets me earn 1.5% back on every purchase), I knew I needed to take a step back and reevaluate the design of the room before I moved forward. After all, this place serves a dual purpose. On one end of the room is my desk that I work at daily. The other part is for doing yoga, filming tutorials, and meditating. Keep in mind this is only half of the entire room as the other half is for my husband’s desk and office supplies. 

I decided to take a step back and split my yoga space into two functional parts. The first being for meditation. If you’re thinking of creating a meditation space at home here are a few tips that I found super helpful for myself: 

1. Find a quiet and tranquil area in your home (preferably not in your bedroom or heavy traffic area)
2. Make this space a little sanctuary. Fill it with plants, art, mala beads, cushions, or whatever you need to make it as peaceful as possible
3. Fill it with neutral and relaxing colors. Nothing that will serve as a major distraction
4. Light a few natural candles, palo santo, or use an ultrasonic diffuser filled with essential oils like lavender and peppermint 
5. Keep your phone out of your space unless you’re using it specifically for a meditation app like Headspace, Calm or Inscape. Keep technology distractions to a minimum 

I hope you all found these tips helpful! My yoga space is still very bare but check back next month for part 2 of the entire office reveal. I’m going to be getting removable wallpaper, shelves, and more plants to make the space nice and cozy. 

Can’t wait to share more! Until then, sending lots of love your way.