Meditation is an essential part of finding a harmonious way to live with yourself and those around you. For many, it can often be hard to find the proper location to meditate, often finding their rooms and common living places too distracting or busy to foster new mental habits.
Stress is a big issue that impacts our health. Meditation has been shown to relieve stress and restore your calm and inner peace (1). It doesn’t take long to feel the benefits of a regular meditation practice. Research shows that meditation can reduce stress in 10 days. And thousands of studies have shown mindfulness (2) and meditation can positively impact mental and physical health. No matter why we want to start meditating — to feel less stressed, get better sleep, eat a healthier diet, be more focused, or improve relationships — every meditation is one step closer to building healthier habits for a happier mind.
Following these simple steps will help you bring your meditation to the next level:
Organize the Room
Decluttering your environment is one of the simplest methods to give yourself a sense of space and a fresh start. Too many objects can frequently produce too many stimuli for effective meditation. Each item also carries a memory and a certain energy. Too many conflicting memories, emotions, or energies can frequently make it difficult to reach a suitable meditational state. The best way to give yourself the best chance at success is to organize and remove miscellaneous objects. This allows you to visualize not only your effort, but also your new way of thinking.
Integrate Nature
The presence of nature can be a multifaceted blessing while meditating. When we surround ourselves with nature’s conduits, such as plants, and enter our meditative state, our body’s rhythm synchronizes with the natural frequencies around us. This connection can deepen our meditative state, but also heighten our physical senses, such as touch and smell. Opening yourself to nature serves to expand your mindfulness. You can often find yourself being drawn into the larger world around you, envisioning your place in a world with such bountiful energy. I would recommend that you grab a few plants, maybe open a window, and imagine yourself in the tender caress of nature’s energy, letting all your negative energies flow towards the great expanse, and in turn accepting the love provided by the world around you.
Set the Atmosphere for Meditation
When you are at ease, it is often easiest to meditate. With this in mind, I want you to reflect on what brings you a sense of contentment, safety, and calmness. An example for some would include a darkened room, surrounded by warm candles, and soothing music in the background. Once you have found the right atmosphere, finding your meditative state is made much easier.
Cradle your senses
Many people find that smell is the sense that helps them meditate effectively. I have found that smells produced by essential oils or scented candles can soothe and even heighten your meditative experience. If you have essential oils, I recommend lightly rubbing some on the inside of your wrists as well as your neck so that with every inhalation you take in more of the soothing energy provided by your chosen aroma. If you do not have any essential oils and are interested in purchasing some, I would welcome you to take a look at my website and discover which essential oil fits your purposes the best.
Create Intention
Once you have created your meditative space, it is important to emphasize what this new space will be used for. As you look around and absorb the peaceful energies of your safe place, imagine what you want to achieve when you are in this room. Set an intention such as “I am grateful for the space that I have created for myself” and feel as the frequency in the room elevates to meet your goal. Now, whenever you walk into this room, you will feel the power and connection that it shares with your soul and your purpose.
How often to meditate
There is no right answer to this question. One argument is that any meditation is better than no meditation. So, if a person is only able to meditate once a week, this should not be a barrier to trying out the therapy.
A person can consider starting with a few sessions per week, working up to one session per day.
Meditating around the same time each day can make meditation a habit that is easy to incorporate into daily life.
If meditation is helpful, it may be beneficial to increase the frequency to twice or more per day or to use it to reduce stress whenever needed.
(1) Meditation: A simple, fast way to reduce stress
(3) Mindfulness and connectedness to nature: A meta-analytic investigation
Adora Winquist, author of the alternative medicine book “Detox, Nourish, Activate: Plant and Vibrational Medicine for Energy, Mood, and Love , meditation expert, modern alchemist, healer and expert in the field of aromatherapy.
