Cultivating Your Meditative Space

​I love meditation.
 
As an intuitive practitioner, meditation is a cornerstone of my intuitive development and a core tool for self-awareness and self-care
 
It’s not always easy. I have fallen off the wagon many times, but I keep getting back on.

Life without meditation can be just fine. However, after living both with and without a daily meditation practice, I have proven to myself that living with it significantly improves my overall quality of life.
 
It can be a subtle difference, but an impactful one. Meditation can lead to a depth of self-awareness and inner stability that makes each moment more connective and fulfilling.
 
Like many people, you may believe in the benefits of meditation yet find it challenging to develop and maintain a practice. I hope the tips and links below might be helpful to you.

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Tips for Creating a Daily Practice
Read the list and notice the tips that most resonate with you. Try those first!

1. Identify your intention for meditating.
   This is different than a goal. The idea here is to have an intention that helps you understand and clarify your motivation around meditation. Your intention might be practical (stay calm at work, feel more present during the day) or you might have a spiritual intention. The benefits you receive from the practice will reflect your intention.
   
   
2. Designate a time to meditate.
   Creating space for meditation at the same time each day can be helpful. It creates a rhythm for your body and also creates a sort of energetic template that allows you to drop into meditation more easily at the designated time.
   
   
3. Designate a physical space to meditate.
   This can be a specific chair in your house or a specific spot on a cushion. If you don’t have room for a dedicated space, that’s okay. Just set up your space in the same location each day.
   
   
4. Remove clutter.
   No matter what the state of your living space, make your meditation space a little sanctuary within your home by removing clutter as much as possible and making it feel clean and pleasant for you.
   
   
5. Sit comfortably.
   To be able to be relaxed and alert in meditation, the body must be able to be still and comfortable for a period of time. If you sit on the floor, find the right mix of cushions to support your spine and allow you to relax your legs. If your body is not comfortable seated on the floor, then sit in a chair. Choose a chair that allows you to sit up straight but be relaxed, with your feet flat on the floor.
   
   
6. Choose a type of meditation.
   There are different techniques for meditation: counting the breath, noting and allowing thoughts, visualizing, chakra focusing, and mantra are a few. Choose one approach that you feel drawn to and practice it consistently for a period of time, maybe 1–3 weeks, to see how it works for you.
   
   
7. Support yourself.
   Join a group class or use an app to help get you started or to help maintain your practice.
   
   

Meditation Support
Joining a local group class can be a great way to learn foundational meditation techniques, meet like-minded people, and get into a regular groove.
 
There is a reason why it’s often easier to meditate in a group or while listening to a guided recording. Being in the presence of a centered teacher with whom we resonate offers the opportunity to see, feel, and even match their meditative depth and helps us learn what’s possible in our own meditation space.

Be sure to choose a teacher who feels right for you. Even a well-known teacher, although highly recommended, may not be your right match. It's super important to follow your inner guidance on this one!
 
If attending a class locally is not an option, there's been an explosion of online support for building a meditation practice. You can choose from a variety free and paid meditation apps.
 
One app I’ve tried and continue to use is Headspace. They offer a 10-pack foundations meditation series for free with the option of subscribing to access other meditation packs focused on specific topics such as Creativity, Acceptance, and Relationships. 

Another popluar free app that I use is Insight Timer. This app includes free guided meditations, paid content, and a timer feature that allows you to create meditation timers with signal sounds at different points in the meditation. For example, if you create a 15-minute meditation timer, you can program a sound to go off at each five-minute interval. I find this helpful to bring me back to focus on days when I'm more challenged to stay present.

If you don't have access to a group meditation circle, using one of these apps can be the next best thing. Let your intuition guide you to one that resonates with you.
 
Branching Out
If seated meditation just doesn’t speak to you, or if you want to supplement your seated meditation practice, other ways of cultivating a meditative space include journaling, walking in nature, sound meditation or drumming, intuitive drawing, and mindful movement practices such as yoga or intuitive dance.
 
How’s It Going?
I would love to know how your meditation practice is going and if you found any of these tips helpful. Please use the contact link below to send your impressions. I do my best to read and reply to all responses.