When you create a meditation studio in your home, you are building an oasis of calm. Whether you want to start your morning centered or rid yourself of the stress accumulated after a hectic day, a meditation space will allow you to unwind and refocus. Below, we reveal some of our favorite tips on finding your way to Zen and creating a meditation studio in your own home.

Welcome Nature Into the Studio

Martha Stewart Living reminds us that “nature has long offered us a chance to reconnect,” and creating a meditation studio in a space where you can feel the breeze or hear birdsong “can be one step you take towards feeling calmer and more balanced.” If you have available backyard or garden space, crafting a pergola-protected, outdoor meditation room is ideal for reaping the benefits of nature. Martha Stewart Living recommends building a space with a “defined entrance and focal point,” a water feature, “calming plants or vines,” and “a sense of enclosure and privacy.” From there, you’ll want to fill it with weather-proof accessories, including rugs or meditation pillows, to make the space comfortable for your daily sessions.

If you want your studio to be inside your home, consider a sunroom or room with doors that open to a quiet outside environment. This way, you’ll still be able to enjoy the feeling of being connected to the world as you pursue your meditation goals. Even simply playing soothing nature sounds can be enough to facilitate your practice.

Also, don’t hesitate to include plants in your new oasis. They automatically make a space more inviting, and some meditation experts believe that their ability to help clean toxins from the air means that plants can make breathwork easier.

Soak in the Light

The experts at My Domaine agree that having access to nature’s gifts can beautifully support your practice and suggest that “there’s nothing like a little Vitamin D to warm up your body and relax your mind.” Sunrooms and spaces with skylights or banks of windows will help you create a meditation studio that allows light to fill the space. Said to “naturally improve your mood for an extra-calming boost,” natural light is an ideal partner for anyone seeking peace and inspiration through meditation.

Set Your Meditation Studio’s Color Palette

If you embrace Feng Shui practices in your life, you know how powerfully the energy of a room can be impacted by color. The Spruce confides that while no one color is the “best” when you set out to create a meditation studio, the Magazine “[encourages] you to pay attention to what colors you’re attracted to and to listen to your intuition” as you focus on your intentions for your new space.

Next, The Spruce recommends thinking about what qualities you want to cultivate and how they are associated with the five elements. Earth colors like yellow and brown are associated with stability, self-care, and boundaries, whereas, according to the Magazine, white and metallic hues are “connected to joy and precision” and improved focus. Do your meditation intentions include promoting “vitality, growth, and healing?” Wood elements can be supportive, in which case you’ll want to lean into greens and blues in your space.

The amount of color introduced into a studio varies. Energizing colors (like red) can be incorporated in small ways through accessories if you want your overall palette to remain soft or neutral. Meanwhile, vegan paints in whispery hues may be perfect for transforming your walls.

Even if you are not a Feng Shui practitioner, color can impact your mood significantly. Interior designer Gala Magriñá explains to My Domaine that she believes that “soft tonal colors” are among those that complement relaxation goals the best. Magriñá recommends “steering clear of bright, energizing colors, and sticking to warm whites, grays, and light earthy colors” while also choosing “designs with light wood, wide plank floors, and muted walls” for “lightness and serenity.”

Choose a Textured Rug

A textured area rug made from natural fibers is an excellent foundation for your new retreat. Not only does it offer you an opportunity to express your chosen color palette, but it’s the first step in providing your space the comfort you need to begin (or enhance) your meditation practice. Just take care to add a large enough rug for seated and kneeling positions, as well as any movement exercises you’d like to incorporate. Also, if you live in an area with cold winter weather, a rug will make early morning sessions even more enjoyable.

Invest in Luxurious Mats

When practicing meditation, it’s essential to block out as many distractions as possible. This includes physical distractions that come from discomfort. If you love to position yourself on the floor, as many meditation practitioners do, Health recommends “investing in a comfortable seat [that] will make it a more pleasurable experience and help you stay focused.” What are the best options? Experts advise the Magazine that “a soft, heightened surface supports your hips by lifting them and allowing them to roll forward slightly, and it also keeps your spine aligned and your lower back in its natural curve.”

If you want to dress your new meditation studio with a large mat, Health notes the AJNA Velvet Zabuton Meditation Mat is among the best. Designed by a Yoga teacher, “the soft and luxurious velvet covering adds even more comfort to further your training,” whether sitting or kneeling. Are you looking for a mat and pillow set to enhance your meditation space? Health suggests investigating the LEEWADEE Meditation Cushion Set, which “includes a supportive sitting mat (27 x 31 inches) and a Zen cushion (16 inches), helping you to find proper spine alignment, a comfier position for knees and ankles, and a warmer, more inviting setting since the mat protects your limbs from cold floors in winter.”

Create a Soft Glow

For evening meditations or deep meditations in darker studios, you’ll want to create a softly illuminated environment. Candles, lights on dimmer switches, and delicate solar lanterns are all options that can support an inspiring, calm atmosphere. My Domaine reports that “a diffuser or scented candle with calming scents like lavender and eucalyptus can work wonders for your mood.” For a splurge, consider adding an authentic pink Himalayan salt lamp when you start to decorate.

Bring the Joy

When you create a meditation studio, don’t forget to add personal elements that make you feel calm and joyful. Do you have a favorite painting or print that can help you relax and visualize your goals? Add it to the studio. Pair a Bluetooth speaker to your computer or smartphone for guided meditations or soothing soundscapes to help you refine your practice. Also, feel free to include decorative items that can help you focus. Whether it is an exceptionally soft throw blanket, a woven art piece, or an inspiring statue, you can inventively transform your retreat to reflect your personality and your goals for the future.

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