Guidelines to Sacred Meditation Space
“Keep your thoughts sacred, and your world will become sacred. It’s the quiet place inside where you return over and over again which nurtures your thoughts sacred, your heart expanded and your dreams alive. Meditation helps you to create your sacred place.”
-Billie Topa Tate
What Is A Sacred Meditation Space:
It is a space you keep clean and you place simply items that represent your spiritual quest. It may contain something new or old items that you wish. It may contain the book you are reading. Diagrams, mandalas that you create. Create it with CARE and ATTENTION. It is a temple on which you can focus your good intentions. One of the best ways to activate meditation is to sit and focus on this sacred space and to remember LOVE, GOODNESS and PEACE. Keep this place simply
Often people visiting our Healing Center come from a busy and hectic work and home environment. Some take the train or drive once a week to help become part of this spiritual community. Each time they enter the front door gate – the smell of burning incense, beautiful zen garden and zen pathway , the smell of clean, balanced air, sacred statue and symbols, altars, feng shui items, and harmonic tones. All remind them they are entering a special place – a place devoted to the practice of meditation, wisdom and balance. They often comment – feeling their breath deepening and they minds slowing to a balanced rejuvenating pace. Many of our students soon find that their own physical environment surrounding them is so very important and begins them on their journey to create a sacred space at home or at the office.
Perhaps you’ve seen many other sacred meditation areas which have a peaceful fountain or waterfall, serene sitting area, zen mat, and bonsai tree.
Here are a 7 steps which will help you to start creating your own sacred space:
1. Choose comfortable clothing. Use a set of clothing which is simple, comfortable and only used for meditation (if possible). Use a meditation scarf and mala beads when meditating.
2. Because the body temperature and blood pressure tend to drop during meditation, you may get chillier than usual. Be sure to have a clean and comfortable blanket nearby.
3. Keep it away from work. If you work at home or have a desk devoted to personal business, keep it out of sight when meditating. If possible, remember to shut off your phone.
4. Find a spot in your home that is good for meditation. Sample the area and make sure your feel good meditating in this area. The more often you sit there, the more you infuse your sacred area with your meditation energy. Find a quiet space in your home which is off the beaten path of high traffic areas.
5. Fresh air, sun light and clean surroundings are important. Avoid must basements and windowless closets; these tend to lower your energy level.
6. Close to nature. If you don’t have a tree or garden outside the window, you may want to have a plant or vase full of flowers, and a few river stones nearby. Natural object radiate a certain special energy which helps us feel more whole and balanced.
7. Although an altar is not essential to meditate, it can be a creative and evolving expression of your inner life. Candles, flowers, incense, natural objects, statues of inspirational figures, pictures of your teacher(s) and sacred text, can all be part of your meditation space.
It is important that you create a space that is conducive to meditation, and use of meditation tools.
First, you may attune yourself to the energy of your surroundings. Things that can interfere with that flow are television sets that interrupt the thought process, high traffic areas like a living room that the whole family uses, or a room that is physically unappealing (a musty basement, or stifling attic).
Some of the negative influences can be lessened by turning off the TV or using the space when most of the family is in bed or away.
Dose this space have a good natural source of light? Can you use candles and incense in this space? It would most likely upset your landlord if you where smudging with sage and set off the smoke alarm. Fresh air is good for meditation. Comfortable clothes and simply surroundings are perfect for your sacred space.
Once you have made this selection it is important you consecrate the space. You should perform a ritual cleaning. The walls must be washed, the windows cleaned. When sweeping do it in a circular motion to bring the dirt and dust to the middle of the room. As you do this, chant,” this is consecrated to good, this is offered to (insert name of a virtuous deity). If any Transform ill will, any negativity”. The sweepings should be gathered and cast outside as apart of the ritual. Remember to transform all energy to virtuous energy.
Creating Your Own Sacred Space
When you moved into your house or your apartment, you probably didn’t designate a special room for you to go for peace and tranquility. If you did, how fortunate you are, but if not, it’s time to fix that. Of course you could always add an extra room for that purpose, which could be quite expensive, or you could create a sacred space in one of your existing rooms now.
Sacred Meditation Space Size
Since most rooms have four corners, I recommend a corner. The space should be wide enough for a 2 X 4 table top to fit into ( in case you want to seal it off with plants on each side) but you can even get by with less space than that. Under a window is always nice to allow the natural sunlight to come in which is especially nice for early morning devotions. The table should be low enough so when you kneel you are at a comfortable eye level for reading and focusing on the objects on the table. A soft pillow for kneeling should be placed in front but able to slide under the table when not in use.
Items for your meditation table
When setting up the top of your meditation table, keep in mind that each item should have a purpose or symbolize something that is close to your heart. Candles are needed to shed natural light as well as enhance the mood for meditation and/or prayer. A picture or a statue that is special to you, some form of plant or flower, to symbolize nature, a tabletop water fountain is nice to add the tranquil sound of a brook or river stream, you may be into gemstones and crystals due to the healing vibration they release, burning incense is always good to arouse the senses. All of these things help to create a feeling of peace and tranquility. Once you have reached that state of mind, you are ready to pray, meditate or just enjoy this sacred space you have created for your own peace of mind.
Join us every Friday night at our Evanston Meditation Center for Free Community Meditation.
