There is no one right way to set up your meditation room, or area in a quiet room where you live, but there are a few general guidelines so you can a comfortable environment free from distractions.
The Basics
Choose a quiet place in your home that does not have a lot of traffic going in and out of it. Even a small corner of a room will work provided it is quiet and at a reasonable temperature, and not full of clutter and bad smells. A garage, for example, might not be the best place to practice.
In your meditation area, you should have either a comfortable chair or a cushion for sitting on the floor. If you have hardwood floors put down a yoga mat or a larger meditation cushion so you will be more comfortable.
An alarm clock or stop watch will be handy if you have only a limited amount of time to meditate during each session. Start with 5 minutes, and over time, work your way up to 20 to 30 minutes.
A shawl, light jacket or light blanket will be useful in case you feel cold while meditating. A hat, bandana, scarf or shawl can help if you start to get headaches when you meditate.
A bottle of water is always useful in order to stay hydrated throughout the day. It also cuts down on distractions such as thirst while you are trying to meditate.
Other useful items
Once you’ve covered the basics, you should be set to meditate. However, depending on the type of meditation and your own personal preferences and training methods, you might find a music player or computer handy in order to play meditational music, mantras, or guided meditations.
There are also several items that can help you focus better at the start of and during your meditation. A burning candle for flame meditation would be one, so a candle and matches would be useful. Keep out of reach of children and pets. Be sure to put out the candle when you are finished with your meditation session.
If you are using one corner of the room, meditate facing the corner. In the corner, you can put images that help you concentrate. It can be a peaceful picture you like, or mandalas and yantras, images of the cosmos.
You don’t need to have a table or shrine with lots of stuff on it. Hindus and Buddhists usually put up a small shrine to remind them of what they are doing, improving themselves from within.
As long as your meditation area is a place to look forward to being, it will be perfect just as it is.
