A meditation cocoon at home

Many Quebecers praise the benefits of meditation, some not hesitating to set up a small Zen corner in their home. How to create your own? Close your eyes and become fully aware of your aspirations and needs, because a thousand paths are available to you.

Sylvain Sarrazin

The Press

His own little corner

Calm and voluptuousness

The first step is to determine the most appropriate area of ​​his residence to nest his meditative space. It doesn’t have to be huge or dedicate an entire room to it; you can simply target the corner of a bedroom, the small living room of a double room, an alcove… “It is important that this space be a place where you feel good, calm and safe, with the less possible passage of other occupants”, asks Elisabeth Lehoux, interior stylist, who practices morning meditation daily. Would the basement be too dark? Not necessarily. “It’s better to be in a quiet basement than in a living room where there is commotion,” she replies. It is also on this level that Jean and Mireille Joly, residents of Waterloo, fitted out their meditation room last year, adding a glass panel to the exterior door to gain light, a heated floor to avoid moisture and a soundproof ceiling to limit disturbances. Ideas to note!

Meditative modulations

Consulted on the question, Louise Poulin, founder of Meditation Montreal leading mindfulness sessions, first indicates that the ideal extreme would be an overhanging place allowing to see to infinity. Not easy in town! “But the real piece of meditation is our body,” she philosophizes, implying that a seasoned practitioner is able to meditate even on a crowded bus. While waiting to become a black belt in this area, she recommends applying a formula reminiscent of Virginia Woolf: “As long as you don’t have your own little corner, you won’t be able to develop. Many variations are therefore possible, such as opting for a closed area, installing a rod and curtains to create a temporary separation with the rest of a room, or even leaving the space open. “We see more and more this tendency to create modular rooms for oneself that can accommodate all kinds of personal activities: exercises, yoga, art, painting, drawing… and a meditation corner to take breaks during the day. Some will set it up in their office,” notes Ms.^me Holly.

Furnish your thoughts

Then comes the question of furnishings. Here, everyone must find the right balance between a sufficiently comfortable installation and a minimalism avoiding distractions. “I don’t bring people to a complication of design in their home, keep it simple,” advocates M^me Poulin. The most important element is of course the one where you will sit for the duration of your session. You can opt for a traditional cushion, the zafu, under which a larger zabuton can be slipped and which will relieve the knees. Depending on the types of meditation and personal preferences, one can also focus on a carpet or a floor mattress, a chair, an armchair, a futon, blankets, etc. “The idea is to be well settled in your body. People are encouraged to meditate in positions they like,” says the instructor.

Inspirational objects

The coffee table, which can accommodate a few objects or accessories, remains a classic of domestic meditation areas. “You can set up a kind of little altar in front of you, where you can place books to prepare your meditation, candles, incense. You don’t have to put Buddhist statues there, you can have a more North American spiritual approach, in our contemporary settings. What we are looking for is a visual calm”, underlines Elisabeth Lehoux, specifying that plants and greenery are very beneficial. She also points to the luminosity, provided either by candles and comforting lamps, or by an appropriate arrangement in relation to the windows – she herself has arranged its location to be able to bathe in the axis of the dawn light.

For her part, Louise Poulin suggests placing objects loaded with meaning for us, for example a piece of jewelery that has been offered to us… or a gift that we offer at our session and that we will taste once it is over (chocolate, fruit , etc.) “It’s good to have, in front of or around you, things that inspire and calm us down. A library might distract us because it throws a lot of information at us,” she says. For the more advanced, she indicates that a photo of a Buddhist master or other can be placed, “to remind us that the state of grace can be reached”.

Soothing shades

In terms of colors and materials, sobriety and softness remain the key words. A cluttered room will not promote concentration, as well as very bright colors, such as red. “Color has a big influence. We will move towards neutral and soft shades, such as beiges, creams, delicate peaches, greens and soothing blues”, enumerates the stylist. Clarity and luminosity are not a fatality, the shades and darker pieces can wrap the meditator in a cocoon. “Dark or pale, it doesn’t matter, as long as they are colors in which you feel good”, she sums up. As for the materials, M^me Lehoux recommends favoring natural options, such as cotton and linen, which are healthier and more pleasant to the touch, keeping close at hand, for example, a small woolen blanket to cover up as soon as the body temperature drops.

Zen shopping

Stylist Elisabeth Lehoux offers a selection of furniture and accessories to create a boho-inspired meditation corner… and economical!