| Seven Things You Should Consider For Your | | | | meditating. Meditation is all about helping |
| Meditation Room | | | | you to improve your state of mind. |
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| 21st August 2006 | | | | Item #4 A CD Player |
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| Author: Chris Le Roy | | | | A CD player is a great tool to have in your |
| | | | meditation room. Using mediation music like |
| Meditation is one of the great skills | | | | Baroque Meditation music will help you be |
| everybody should learn as it helps you in | | | | more effective with your meditation. Many |
| developing a more effective mind and to help | | | | people find when they are starting out with |
| keep you at a state of calm. If you are | | | | meditation that it is hard to get to that |
| serious about meditation having a room | | | | state of calm without using meditation music |
| dedicated to the practice does one of two | | | | as the music can influence your feelings. |
| things. The room will after periods of time | | | | |
| bring about a sense of calm as soon as you | | | | You will find though as you become more |
| walk into the room because of the association | | | | experienced in meditation that you will be |
| between the room and peace. The meditation | | | | able to meditate without music but meditation |
| room will also encourage you and remind you | | | | music is essential when you are first |
| to stick with the practice. All too often | | | | starting out. |
| people start out on the meditation journey | | | | |
| only to abandon the practice a few months in | | | | Item #5 Seven Candles |
| because they are feeling great. | | | | |
| | | | Most people in their houses today have harsh |
| The downside to this is that if you do not | | | | lighting in their rooms like incandescent or |
| continue practicing your meditation you will | | | | fluro lights. Often these lights can be very |
| never master the art and more so each time | | | | difficult to meditate under even with your |
| you restart the meditation practice it will | | | | eyes closed. My recommendation has always |
| take you a while to get back into the swing | | | | been to meditate under the glow of seven |
| of the art. Meditation is something that | | | | candles. The candles should be located on |
| needs to be practiced every single day. | | | | your prayer table at varying heights. |
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| When you are setting up a meditation room | | | | You will find that the soft glow of an open |
| there are seven things you need to consider | | | | flame will on its own bring about a sense of |
| to make your room a little special. | | | | calm and make your meditation session a lot |
| | | | more special. I recommend seven candles |
| Item #1 Cushions | | | | simply because the number seven is auspicious |
| | | | in my society and religion. Seven being a |
| For most people the optimum place to sit and | | | | perfect number helps ensure during my |
| meditate is on the floor. However since most | | | | meditation sessions that my session will in |
| houses have incredibly hard floors it is | | | | fact be perfect. |
| always a good idea to have a number of | | | | |
| meditation cushions on the floor. Meditation | | | | One safety point I would like to make, please |
| cushions are not anything special they should | | | | ensure that you put your candles onto trays |
| simply be cushions with enough padding to | | | | so that they will not burn your prayer table |
| soften the impact of sitting on the floor for | | | | or start a fire. Candles in a house can be |
| any period of time. | | | | very dangerous so make sure that after your |
| | | | meditation session is over that you blow them |
| It is always worthwhile having a number of | | | | out. |
| cushions in your room so that if you consider | | | | |
| having a group meditation session in your | | | | Item #6 Peaceful Pictures and Photos |
| meditation room that you all have at least | | | | |
| one cushion each. There is nothing worse than | | | | I have already stated it is important to have |
| fifteen minutes into a meditation session | | | | on your prayer table a picture of your family |
| only to find your bottom has gone to sleep | | | | to remind you why you are meditating. I also |
| and you feel extremely uncomfortable. | | | | recommend having other peaceful pictures in |
| | | | your room to ensure that when you enter your |
| Item #2 Incense | | | | meditation room that you have a sense of |
| | | | peace and tranquillity. |
| Incense is a great device to help you relax | | | | |
| during a meditation session. You can | | | | The types of pictures that are suitable are |
| purchase incense from any quality Asian or | | | | those of nature or animals like scenes from a |
| Middle Eastern supermarket. Make sure that | | | | rainforest, a flowing brook or even pictures |
| before you buy a box of any incense that you | | | | of a calm ocean. |
| try out one stick first. Ask the supermarket | | | | |
| attendant if you can because in most Asian or | | | | Item #7 A Vase of Flowers |
| Middle Eastern supermarkets they will have | | | | |
| samples for you to try. | | | | The last item I recommend that you have in |
| | | | your meditation room is a vase of fresh |
| I have found that lavender is a great incense | | | | flowers. There is nothing more relaxing and |
| to use when first starting out, but everybody | | | | calming than to smell the perfume of freshly |
| will have their own preferences. | | | | cut flowers. Often you will find that the |
| | | | smell of both the incense and freshly cut |
| Item #3 A Small Prayer Table | | | | flowers will give off a unique fragrance that |
| | | | will help entice your mind into a sense of |
| I am a great believer in setting your room up | | | | calm. |
| similar to those from countries like Japan, | | | | |
| Thailand or India. A prayer table allows you | | | | If you cannot afford to buy your flowers, why |
| to place your incense and other important | | | | not grow them in your garden. You will be |
| artefacts for your meditation on the prayer | | | | surprised just how easy it is to put some |
| table. Some people use the prayer table to | | | | seeds into a pot and grow a bunch of flowers. |
| have images of God or Buddha to help in their | | | | Note that you do need to water those flowers. |
| meditation. If you are not a religious | | | | |
| person I simply recommend putting a photo of | | | | Meditation is an important skill you need to |
| your family on your prayer table with small | | | | master and having a special meditation room |
| incense holders on both the left and right | | | | will help remind you and encourage you to |
| hand side of the prayer table. | | | | practice this art. Just like sport, many |
| | | | people start off with the best of intentions |
| The reason I recommend this is that the | | | | but give up. Having a meditation room will |
| photos will remind you why you are | | | | certainly help you stay on track. |