10 Must-Have Items to Create Your Sacred Meditation Space
Having a little sanctuary to retreat to provides a sacred space and sets the tone for all mindful practices. No need to relocate to the high mountains or a remote island to feel peace and higher connections. All you need is a quiet room or even a corner of the house if you’re short on space to create a meaningful area that allows for attention and intention to arise. It’s a place to hear your own thoughts, perform your own personal rituals without interruption, and for many, just some necessary me time out of self-care.
Here are some of the meditation community’s favorite essentials to help you customize your own ideal meditation space.
1. Meditation cushion
For many regular meditators, the meditation cushion not only helps straighten the spine and align the chakras, it also becomes an anchor that grounds you to the present moment instantly. Whatever item we use most frequently we become connected with. Our beloved meditation cushion is no exception — there is nothing else to do when you are seated atop the meditation cushion except to meditate.
Try the Crystal Cove Oval Meditation Yoga Cushion from Brentwood Homes, certified vegan and made with all organic natural fibers with an elegant and modern design. It is sure to calm your senses and get you in the mood for deep relaxation.
2. Yoga mat
Sometimes, lying down is simply the best position for a relaxing experience. Whether you’re getting ready for a guided visualization journey or a virtual sound bath, having a comfortable surface to rest upon can make a difference.
Invest in a great mat like this Butterfly Cork Yoga Mat from EarthHero – natural surface and neutral temperature to the touch of the skin.
3. A warm blanket
Sounds a bit redundant? You are one with nature and the cosmos, connecting to a higher wisdom, yet your mortal body still lives here on earth. When you’re deep in meditation, your metabolism slows, your body relaxes, and your core temperature can drop a degree or two. While meditators can experience many different sensations during meditation, most may feel a little shiver sneaking up on them as they get deeper into their practice. Having a warm blanket around can help you stay centered and uninterrupted as you get into your flow.
This ethically sourced fleece lined turkish cotton blanket from Sage Moon is both stylish and soft, large enough to wrap around you and light enough to take everywhere.
4. Quality Bluetooth speakers
Even advanced meditators need a little mood setting sometimes. Being able to infuse your meditation space with the sounds of binaural beats or om chanting brings instant relaxation to the mind and transports you to a different dimension, mentally.
Having a quality set of Bluetooth speakers is essential for amplifying the pure and crisp sounds of soothing meditation tracks from your playlist without having to deal with the nuisance of noise or distortion.
This on-the-go waterproof portable speaker from Sonos makes big sounds and comes in exclusive colors such as pale blue Wave.
5. Koshi chimes
Meditation studios and sound healers can’t get enough of these heavenly wind chimes!
Handcrafted with precision at the foot of the Pyrenees mountains, these chimes have 8 chords welded with silver with a delicate bamboo veneer around the resonance tube. This set of 4 chimes are inspired by the natural elements Earth, Water, Air, and Fire. Tune in and relax into the sounds and you will likely feel present, delighted, self-reflected, or uplifted from a corresponding chime.
You can purchase the whole set with a matching bamboo stand at a discount, or collect them one by one based on the sound/element you most resonate with.
6. Altar
What’s a meditation room without a space of reverence? An altar provides a resting place for all your deities, ancestors, or higher sources you feel a connection to. This does not need to be an elaborate space, but an intimate corner that is deeply meaningful to you.
Placement of the altar should be against a prominent wall, visible from every corner of the room, and most importantly, an area that makes you feel at home with your most inner authentic self.
Check out this modern mid-century side table from West Elm, small enough to tuck into any corner, yet enough space with its 2-tiered shelving to display all that you hold sacred.
7. Candles
Candles have long been present in any house of worship or ritualistic practices. Adding a few lively flames doesn’t just enhance the mood of reverence but is representative of spirit and your connections with them. Many popular rituals include lighting a candle for ancestors or a deity you pray to or want to call upon to watch over you. Some also believe lighting a candle allows for them to see you from another dimension.
For beginner meditators, candle-gazing is also a technique to focus your gaze and gradually move into a trance. To have a little fun with your candle selection, pick a corresponding candle with the chakra you are currently balancing, such as this Geranium + Rose soy and essential oil candle from Slow North to open up your heart space for unconditional love.
8. Incense and smudge sticks
The aroma of natural herbs and oils from incense can calm the senses and provide a tranquil setting for an inward practice. Many ancient cultures and traditions also believe smudging particular herbs such as white sage cleanses the space and allows for renewed energy and enhanced clarity to enter. Be sure to only light them up in a well-ventilated open space.
As with many ritualistic supplies, look for ethically sourced items such as this earthy and elegant Bath & Meditate Bundle + Holder set from Incausa.
9. Crystals
These ancient stones bear more wisdom and energy than we can possibly understand, and anything that survived millions of years of underground turmoil and came out sparkling deserves our respect. While each of us are born unique and need different attention and energy aid, there are a few basic crystals everyone should keep around for general healing and balancing purposes.
Amethyst - One of the most common crystals, yet powerful as an everyday balance and harmony moderator. This purple gem helps regulate mood, aids inner healing, and brings about peace and harmony in the home.
Rose quartz - The famous love stone. This lovely pink gem is the go-to stone for enhancing romance, helping soothe heartaches, and attracting unconditional love.
Selenite - This light and angelic white wand looks unassuming but serves as your universal cleansing and protection stone. Not only does it provide cleaning and protection for your aura, it also cleanses all other crystals from passing energy they may have absorbed.
Citrine - If attracting success and abundance is on your agenda then this is your talisman for self-expansion. This golden semi-precious gem brings about confidence, purpose, and helps you move forward in your pursuits. Beware of fakes, though, as many color-treated amethysts are sold as citrines. A natural citrine is a clear and yellowish-orange tint, and usually not a bright opaque orange color.
Smoky quartz - Everyone needs a little grounding and protection every now and then, or, all the time! When feeling scattered, this stone can help bring your focus back to the task at hand and shield against undesirable external energies.
For more information on all things crystal, have this fun and handy 50-card deck from renowned crystal specialist and author Judy Hall.
*With the rising popularity of crystals, so is massive crystal mining around the globe. Please be sure to purchase from a dealer conscious of ethically sourced stones.
10. Vision board
Having a clear vision of what you want to manifest in life works wonders and can help bring attention and intention into your meditation practice. Every 6 months to a year, write down your new goals and help visualize each by collecting photos or images of what they look like, and most importantly, feel like to you. You can also include images of anything you hold near and dear as a reminder of love and gratitude.
Make these goals and visions special by giving them a decorative container like this gorgeous gold framed fabric bulletin board from Etsy.
I hope the above list gives you inspiration to design your own little meditation sanctuary, wherever you may be. When we meditate, we become more connected, more relaxed, have more clarity, and make better decisions. I’d like to think if one more person meditated, the world would become just a bit more peaceful as a result. All of our personal transformation journeys are uniquely our own and we have much to explore and embrace.
