To find peace and feel recharged, one can think of creating personal space or a room for meditation. In fact, meditation rooms are places where messages and ideas can seem to come out of nowhere and fire up your thoughts and actions. In other words, a meditation room is a sacred space to re-energise, heal and renew yourself.
If you have the privilege of dedicating a room for meditation, you could bring in the elements of feng shui to create a supportive sacred space for your meditation practices. If you are sharing the room for other activities, you could still create small sector for meditation within the room.
The art of feng shui is a system attempted to guide the flow of energy or chi. According to feng shui principles, chi is a tangible force that gives way to physical manifestations when it flows freely, or hinders physical manifestations when it is blocked. Hence, the basic requirement would be a clean, uncluttered room with a window preferably.
Keep the décor in the room aesthetically pleasing, and not very distracting. The ideal colour for meditation and spiritual pursuits is purple. In feng shui, the colour purple symbolises a connection to spirituality and is also said to promote relaxation, enhance intuition and clarity of thoughts. The colour, however, needs to be used in moderation as excessive shades of purple can cause the opposite effect.
Create an altar or object of focus which can inspire you to bring focus, clear energies, or feelings of peace. This could be an artifact, an image of your mentor or those who have inspired you. In addition, you can also explore the possibility of having a ‘dream board’ which is nothing but a large piece of paper with pictures and/or drawings of your deepest desires which help you stay focused on your goals.
Feng shui recommends connecting to the following four elements when you wish to meditate:
• Fire represents warmth, energy and passion, hence lighting a candle will awaken your state of awareness and focus the thoughts.
• Water signifies emotions, cleansing and purification, and will aid in clarity and enlightenment, hence placing a bowl of water in front of you in a glass or ceramic bowl would be helpful.
• Air is the life force and all of us know that what we breathe in is what has been exhaled by someone else and is already in existence so no additional preparation is required, but we need to focus on our breathing pace.
• Earth is what supports us and all known living beings draw support from it. It signifies strength, support and confidence, and enhances our inner power and wisdom. Placing a bowl of sand or even a small art décor in sand on a low table with some pebbles and river bed rock (like in Zen meditation) will enhance the support.
Whatever be the method of meditation, having a space which creates a sense of peace, tranquility and serenity does help. Hence, a good décor and design of a meditation room enhances inner happiness and reduces stress and inner tension.
The writer is a master Feng Shui consultant and traditional vastu practitioner